Strengthening our diverse community, creating and providing quality recreation and leisure experiences through people, parks, programs and services.
About Us
The City of Portland has managed Portland’s open spaces since the nineteenth century, with volunteer commissions. Today, Recreation has over 140 full time and over 120 part time and seasonal employees. Parks and Recreation reaches out to many citizens and visitors of Portland providing a diverse array of parks, open spaces, trails, programs, camps and special events through its Divisions of Parks and Cemeteries, Recreation, and Administration, and Riverside Golf Course and Portland Ice Arena. We serve people of all ages, contributing to the healthy lifestyles, recreation and leisure of the community. The Parks and Recreation Department collaborates with many organizations and agencies throughout the City, and has many volunteers and several citizen advocacy groups that champion the cause for public open space.
The parks, trails and open spaces managed and maintained by the Parks and Cemeteries Division encompass a geographical area of over 1200 acres for people to enjoy. Portland’s Park System includes more than 100 individual parks and open spaces, historic cemeteries and over 30 playgrounds. Thousands of trees are cared for, gorgeous flower beds are planted, 8 miles of trails are maintained, and over 80 miles of sidewalks cleared of snow for continued walking and connectivity during the winter months.
The Recreation Division offers a vast array of recreation programs and clinics for preschool, youth, family, music and fine arts, teens, adults and senior adults. Before and afterschool programs are offered at 9 sites; Riverton and Reiche pools, and outdoor Kiwanis Pool offer swim lessons, aquatics programs and open swim. Special events, the 4th of July fireworks and concerts in the parks, as well as athletic facilities are part of the fabric of Recreation.
Riverside Golf Course and the Portland Ice Arena round out the healthy lifestyles and recreation complement with their offerings as well. Riverside Golf Course is open for both members and daily play, as well as for lessons and clinics for youth and adults. The Portland Ice Arena offers skating lessons, public skating, ice time and clinics.
Recreation offers opportunities for healthy lifestyles. Enjoy our “Concerts in the Parks”, walk along the trails throughout the city, play tennis at Deering High School, Eastern Prom and Deering Oaks. Take time to enjoy Payson Park, Deering Oaks, Baxter Boulevard, Eastern Prom and Western Prom and all of our neighborhood parks, and playgrounds. Stroll along Eastern Prom and grab breath-taking views of Casco Bay.
Recreation – Enjoy Portland for Life!