With spring in the air, now is the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy free fun in your local city park. We asked a team of park and planning experts to help us nominate the top city parks in the United States. Nearly 60 parks were brought into the discussion, but we narrowed it down to 20 of the best to turn over to our readers to vote.
After four weeks of voting, the polls are closed and the results are in. In an extremely close finish, Forest Park in St. Louis took home top honors. Texas won big as well, with the remainder of the top five finishers located in the state.
The top 10 winners in the category of Best City Park are as follows:
- Forest Park - St. Louis
- Klyde Warren Park - Dallas
- Zilker Park - Austin
- Discovery Green - Houston
- Buffalo Bayou Park - Houston
- Boston Common & Public Garden - Boston
- Grant Park - Chicago
- Prospect Park - Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City
- Central Park - New York
A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Adrian Benepe (The Trust for Public Land), Kathy Madden (Project for Public Spaces), David Rouse (American Planning Association) and Barbara Tulipane (National Recreation and Park Association) were chosen based on their extensive knowledge of parks and public spaces.
Additional nominees in the category Best City Park included Balboa Park in San Diego, Canal Park in Washington, City Park in New Orleans, Crissy Field in San Francisco, Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Griffith Park in Los Angeles, High Line in New York, Piedmont Park in Atlanta and Theodore Wirth Regional Park in Minneapolis.
Congratulations to all our winning city parks!
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The Experts
Adrian Benepe
A Senior Vice President and Director of City Park... Read More
A Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development for The Trust for Public Land, Adrian Benepe is one of the nation's experts on the nexus of the public, private and non-profit sectors in public space development and management. Benepe served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation for eleven years under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. During that time, he oversaw a major expansion of the city’s parks system, including restoring historic parks such as Central Park and Battery Park, adding 730 acres of new parkland including Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and the High Line, and laying the groundwork for an additional 2,000 acres within the city.
Adrian Benepe

A Senior Vice President and Director of City Park Development for The Trust for Public Land, Adrian Benepe is one of the nation's experts on the nexus of the public, private and non-profit sectors in public space development and management. Benepe served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation for eleven years under Mayor Michael Bloomberg. During that time, he oversaw a major expansion of the city’s parks system, including restoring historic parks such as Central Park and Battery Park, adding 730 acres of new parkland including Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and the High Line, and laying the groundwork for an additional 2,000 acres within the city.
Kathy Madden
Kathy Madden is an environmental designer who has... Read More
Kathy Madden is an environmental designer who has been at the Project for Public Spaces since its inception in 1975. During this time, Kathy has been involved in all aspects of the organization’s work. She has directed over 300 research and urban design projects along with training programs throughout the U.S and abroad. She also currently directs PPS’s Placemaking Training and Public Space Research and Publications programs.
Kathy Madden

Kathy Madden is an environmental designer who has been at the Project for Public Spaces since its inception in 1975. During this time, Kathy has been involved in all aspects of the organization’s work. She has directed over 300 research and urban design projects along with training programs throughout the U.S and abroad. She also currently directs PPS’s Placemaking Training and Public Space Research and Publications programs.
David Rouse
David Rouse serves as Managing Director of... Read More
David Rouse serves as Managing Director of Research and Advisory Services for the American Planning Association, where he is responsible for the overall design, direction and management of APA's research program, including sponsored research, the National Centers for Planning, the Planning Advisory Service and other research initiatives.
David Rouse

David Rouse serves as Managing Director of Research and Advisory Services for the American Planning Association, where he is responsible for the overall design, direction and management of APA's research program, including sponsored research, the National Centers for Planning, the Planning Advisory Service and other research initiatives.
Barbara Tulipane
As the President and CEO of the National... Read More
As the President and CEO of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Barbara Tulipane is responsible for developing strategic partnerships, building organizational capacity, and overseeing national policy and advocacy efforts related to parks, recreation and conservation. You won’t find Barbara sitting in her office – rather you’re likely to spot her out on the trails getting active. As Barbara travels the country meeting with park and recreation professionals, what she enjoys most is getting out and exploring cities by using the many trails, paths, greenways and even blue ways managed and maintained by local park and recreation departments. For more information, visit nrpa.org.
Barbara Tulipane

As the President and CEO of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), Barbara Tulipane is responsible for developing strategic partnerships, building organizational capacity, and overseeing national policy and advocacy efforts related to parks, recreation and conservation. You won’t find Barbara sitting in her office – rather you’re likely to spot her out on the trails getting active. As Barbara travels the country meeting with park and recreation professionals, what she enjoys most is getting out and exploring cities by using the many trails, paths, greenways and even blue ways managed and maintained by local park and recreation departments. For more information, visit nrpa.org.