​​About Us


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We create opportunities for healthy, happy living!​


Everyone Benefits from the Power of Parks!​

  • Palm Beach County's award-winning park system offers the widest possible range of leisure opportunities. Over 8,000 acres of parkland are available to discover. Sports, fitness, environmental, and cultural opportunities abound, as well as restful places for solitude.
  • Low-cost, often free, Palm Beach County's park system offers an affordable getaway!
  • Your playtime is our business. And we take it seriously. Professional staff are always planning for your next visit. New facilities accommodate the latest in leisure trends, as well as the always-popular, timeless needs of our growing community. Exciting, educational, and rewarding recreation programs will stimulate your imagination and provide the challenges you're looking for.
  • Your leisure experience will be accessible, regardless of age or ability. We remove the barriers, whether you're on a playground, at a waterpark, or enjoying a picnic. Do you have a special need? Certified staff are available to assist you.
  • We don't play games with your safety. High quality construction followed by rigorous inspections and maintenance schedules ensure your visit will be a safe one. Park rangers are nearby to greet and assist you, answer questions, and watch out for your well-being.
  • Say goodbye to boredom and the often hectic routine of everyday life.
  • Looking for a getaway? You'll find it here!

Mission

 To provide opportunities for healthy, happy living through award-winning parks, inclusive experiences and environmental stewardship​.

Vision

As a nationally recognized parks and recreation leader we will connect people and parks by:
  • Engaging all members of our diverse community,
  • Ensuring safe, functional and innovative amenities now and in the future,​
  • Continually developing a professional, well-trained staff that is reflective of our community,
  • Being a leader in outdoor recreation tourism,
  • Forming strategic relationships to ensure local access to green and blue spaces,
  • Meeting the national average of park land per capita with a focus on lowering barriers to access; providing environmental equity; advancing economic vitality; and championing  community health,  
  • Continuously improving service delivery and business practices through the incorporation of new technologies and the creation of enterprising partnerships to deliver desired services

Core Values

  • A culture of teamwork by developing park and recreation professionals who embrace respect, trust, tolerance, fairness and a positive attitude toward co-workers in a diverse working environment
  • Excellent customer service by meeting the needs of our diverse community with healthy, happy living experiences through leadership, training, resource allocation, innovation, inclusivity and customer focus
  • Demonstrating a high level of integrity and pride through open, honest and respectful communication with customers and co-workers, and providing quality recreational opportunities​
  • Fiscally responsible and accountable by providing sound fiscal policies and procedures, measuring and validating performance, and being good stewards of our resources

Core Services

  • Ensure access to beaches and water bodies
  • Facilitate health and wellness opportunities
  • Provide for youth enrichment, sports/athletic programming and facilities
  • Promote stewardship of natural, archaeological and cultural sites
  • Provide for trails, open space and picnic facilities​

History​

​The Palm Beach County Parks Department was created in 1951 as a department under the direction of the County Engineers Office. By 1965, the department was managing twelve parks and included a work force of sixty-nine employees. Reorganization in 1972 led to the separation of Parks and Engineering and so the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department was born. The department steadily expanded during the late 1960s and 1970s. During the 1980s and 1990s, responding to Palm Beach County's exploding population growth and its equally exploding demand for leisure services, aggressive expansion efforts were accomplished. Today, the department is recognized nationally for excellence in park and recreation management, owns 107 park properties, spanning more than 8,500 acres, and provides organized recreational programs and services for people of all ages and abilities. 

Department Resources
 2023 Annual Report
PBC Parks 50th Anniversary Commemorative Book​
Video: Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department Overview [external link]​