Westchester County Department of Parks

The Westchester Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation (PRC) is an integral part of the quality of life of all residents of the county. PRC manages more than 50 facilities including an amusement park, a sports and entertainment center, golf courses, pools, beaches, nature centers, trailways, a working farm, an arboretum and, of course, parks. Our parks come in every size and description and they’re spread out over 18,000 acres between Long Island Sound shore and the banks of the Hudson River, between our southern border with the City of New York and Putnam County to our north. Each year, the parks system hosts more than three million visitors, which is more than the population of Chicago, the third largest city in the United States.

A glance at any map of Westchester reveals a great deal about our county’s historic love of greenspace. PRC takes pride in our leading role in protecting and preserving a large portion of the greenspace. We have an unwavering commitment to preserving our green legacy. Honoring our past guides us as we move forward to keep pace with the needs and demands of county residents.

Our mission is to create life-enriching experiences at safe, clean affordable parks and preserve our natural resources through responsible leadership. We encourage every Westchester resident and our millions of visitors to “Go Out and Play” every chance they get as we work continuously to preserve and build on the priceless Westchester County Parks system.

Since 2003, PRC has been accredited by the National Recreation and Parks Association, the U.S. gold standard in quality parks systems. This award recognizes the quality service that PRC delivers to its customers. PRC is one of only 37 nationally accredited park departments nationwide, as well as the only accredited park system in New York State. The rigorous process of applying for re-accreditation in 2018 is in progress.

In 2017, PRC covered 76 percent of operating costs from revenues, which is about 50% better than the national average. The parks have a $183 million positive impact on Westchester’s economy, but the department constitutes only 2.6 % of the county’s overall expense budget.

The year marked many accomplishments for PRC, from major upgrades to golf courses, to partnering with private sponsors to bring great events to our customers, to building and opening a conservatory that shows off one of our great facilities. Here are some of the accomplishments for the year.

Lasdon Park, Arboretum and Veterans Memorial
Lasdon opened a multimillion-dollar glass house conservatory, a scaled down version of the giant conservatories at the Bronx Botanical Gardens and Kew Gardens, London. This newest addition to the 234-acre arboretum and horticultural center is designed to house special exhibits, beginning with a display of tropical plant treasures, as well as periodic shows of animals that inhabit the forest. The conservatory opened in June of 2017 and has drawn thousands of visitors to the park, which also hosts seasonal events and a museum that honors military veterans. The design and construction costs were covered by a combination of county capital funding and private donations.

Golf Courses
The six PRC golf courses host about a quarter of a million rounds annually. PRC continued its successful partnership with GolfNow, leading provider of online tee times, golf course technology and service solutions to offer discounted rates to golfers without a PRC Park Pass (available for purchase to county residents), thereby exposing the courses to new audiences while helping fill gaps in day parts that many of our local customers are not able to utilize.

During the year two major capital projects designed to improve playability were underway. Dunwoodie and Sprain Lake golf courses, both in Yonkers, received major improvements. The irrigation systems in both courses were completely replaced and modernized. The projects also included landscaping work throughout. Since 2009, more than $12 million has been invested in upgrading county courses. Separate from the county investment, the Saxon Woods golf pro invested more than $50,000 in 2017 to build a modern indoor golf instruction studio, complete with video cameras, which improves the ability of instructors to analyze a golfer’s game. It’s the first such studio in the county system. The combination of improvements earned the six courses high praise in a recent Journal News comprehensive story about the state of public courses in Westchester.

New Initiatives
A small playground at Ridge Road Park in Hartsdale was completely re-imagined into a, easy-access play space for children with varying physical abilities. Here children can interact with their peers and adults as they enjoy the double-wilder slide, sky-hi tube slide, clover leaf climber, wave climber, DNA climber and rock ‘n’ raft nearly all year round. The playground complements the park’s Miracle Field, an adapted baseball diamond that is specially built with soft surfaces, ramps and other components designed for players with disabilities. 

Special Events
The Parks system organizes many special events throughout the year that draw thousands of visitors. These events include the magical Winter Wonderland during the holiday season, which rings in the New Year with fireworks. Beginning in May, Bicycle Sundays, a signature event of PRC since its beginning in 1974 take place on the Bronx River Parkway in spring and fall. Tens of thousands of county residents, tourists and tri-state visitors flock to Kensico Dam Plaza for several major community events in summer: the annual July 3 celebration, PRC’s grand salute to Independence Day featuring music and fireworks; Screenings under the Stars free outdoor family movies; a series of cultural heritage festivals that showcase the music, dance, crafts and histories of various ethnic groups that call Westchester home; and memorial tribute to those who were lost on September 11, 2001. And there are also outdoor movies and special entertainment at the pools, giving county residents great ways to escape the summer heat.

Playland
The landmark amusement park in Rye, which celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2018, won multiple awards for excellence in entertainment. The awards were the Mommy Poppins Best Romping Spot, Westchester Family Magazine’s Family Favorite Winner - Amusement Center, and Kids Out and About Top 20 Places to take Kids in Westchester #1 Favorite Family Fun Spot. In addition to its fun programming, the park also for the first time hosted a First Responders Day featuring discounted admission and other fees for first responders.

Westchester County Center
The largest and most versatile entertainment and sports center in Westchester hosted dozens of shows and events throughout the year. New seating installed in the main auditorium offers comfort for patrons during concerts and other seated shows. The chairs are also designed to afford more efficient transitions of the auditorium seating configuration between shows. Further improvements to the building, including improvements to sound and lighting, will enhance the County Center experience in the fall of 2018.

Several events were added to the County Center’s bustling schedule including Gilberto Santa Rosa concert; the Westchester Beer Festival; the Westchester Salsa Fest Concert; the Dancing with the Stars – Hot Summer Nights! Tour; Giuseppe the MC Live – World Comedy Tour; and Sal “The Voice” Valentinetti Christmas Concert. Continuing a decades-long tradition, the County Center hosted graduation ceremonies for thousands of high-school and college grads and their families in May and June.

Trailways
A final segment of the South County Trailway was opened, which, along with the North County Trailway, spans 37 miles from the New York City border to the Putnam County line. The project was completed in partnership with the county’s Department of Planning. The trailways enable bicyclists and pedestrians to travel mostly along right-of-way lands of the former Putnam Division of the New York Central Railroad (the “Old Put”), from Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx to the Putnam County border.

Kids Camps
In 2017, the children's camps and programs offered youngsters and teens plenty of choices to build their skills, make new friends and enjoy the summer. The baseball, basketball, golf and soccer camps provided expert sports coaching and skill development. The music camp taught young people instruction on all orchestra and band instruments. The young farmers and ecology programs brought children closer to the natural world and helped them learn invaluable lessons about nature through hands-on experiences. Hundreds of local children and young adults enrich their lives each year by attending the summer camps sponsored by PRC.