Burns Park (North Little Rock, Arkansas) facts for kids

Burns Park is a huge park in North Little Rock, Arkansas. It covers about 1,700 acres, which is like 1,300 football fields! The park has lots of fun things to do. You can find golf courses, an amusement park called Funland, and many sports areas. There's even a place to go camping.

Park History

The land where Burns Park now sits has an interesting past. Between 1900 and 1915, the United States government bought about 6,000 acres of this land. At that time, North Little Rock was called Argenta.

The land was first used as a training camp for soldiers during World War I. This camp was named Camp Pike. Even today, you might find old foxholes and other signs of the camp along the park's trails.

In 1937, Camp Pike was renamed Camp Robinson. It grew much larger, to over 48,000 acres, during World War II. Camp Robinson was used to train new soldiers. It also held prisoners of war during the war. After World War II ended, the government decided they didn't need all that land anymore. So, it was split up and sold.

A local doctor named William Burns had a great idea. He wanted to buy some of the land to create a park for everyone. He worked hard to raise money and was given $20,000 to buy the area. Dr. Burns helped build many things in the park, like picnic shelters, roads, walking trails, and even a lake. In 1950, the park was officially named Burns Park, honoring Dr. William Burns for all his efforts.

What You Can Do at Burns Park

Burns Park offers a huge variety of activities and facilities for visitors of all ages. Here are some of the amazing things you can find there:

• Sports Facilities:
  • 17 soccer fields
  • 22 tennis courts
  • 3 outdoor basketball courts
  • A softball complex with 5 fields
  • A youth baseball complex with 7 fields
  • 2 - 18-hole golf courses
  • 2 - 18-hole disc golf courses (where you throw a frisbee into a target)

• Outdoor Fun:
  • A water ski lake
  • 3 off-leash dog parks, each about one acre in size
  • Many playgrounds for kids
  • Lots of picnic areas and pavilions for gatherings
  • An archery range for target practice
  • 15 miles of natural trails for walking, running, or biking
  • 6 miles of paved trails, perfect for cycling or strolling

• Unique Attractions:
  • Funland Amusement Park
  • A historic Covered Bridge
  • A Union Pacific Caboose (part of a train)
  • A World War II Tank
  • An Old Log Cabin
  • A boat launch to the Arkansas River

• Camping and Visitor Services:
  • An RV Camping area with 37 sites
  • A Visitor Center to help you find your way around