On May 15, 1908 the La Crosse Common Council created park districts and established a Board of Park Commissioners. They then employed a landscape architect as an expert advisor. John Nolen of Cambridge, Massachusetts, who also designed New York's Central Park, was selected. In 1911, he wrote "The Making of a Park System in La Crosse" Mr. Nolen expressed his feelings about the progress of the park system of La Crosse in the years 1908-1911 as follows: "it has today the substantial framework of a comprehensive park system that is equaled by few cities, if any, of the same size."

The Common Council of La Crosse and Mayor noted "...nothing is the welfare of a city so permanently influenced as in the selection of sites for parks and an adequate... comprehensive...system. And to be adequate...should...meet the demands of all...people in the city...anticipate needs of the future...(and) contribute...to pleasures, to health and...to the prosperity of the city."

Today the city of La Crosse features 42 parks situated on 1312 acres. Of the 1312 acres of park land, 580 acres are turf area. Four of our major parks are on the shores of the Mississippi River or the Black River.

The department works very closely with the public works department of the City of La Crosse along with the public library system, the transit system, the La Crosse Public School District, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo College, Western Wisconsin Technical College, and the Hixon Forest Nature Center. The department also plays a significant role in Oktoberfest, Riverfest, Stars of Tomorrow Youth Baseball, Rotary Christmas Lights, and numerous other community events and concerts.

Forest Hills Golf Course, the Pettibone Park Campground, and Pettibone Park Boat Club are under the jurisdiction of the Board of Park Commissioners but are under separate lease agreements.

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