Recreation & Parks History

The Recreation & Parks Department was established in the early 1920s. In the beginning, the Department shared the community building with the National Guard. The building was built in 1922 and is now known as the Gibson-Aiken Center. In the early 1970s, the Town purchased the building from the Guard and renovated it into a Recreation Center, including a Senior Center. In the early 1950s, through a community-wide fund drive, the Town purchased the Clark Family Farm, now known as Living Memorial Park. The community, along with many service organizations, developed the Park into what we have today.

Recreation & Parks Today

The Recreation and Parks Department is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing a variety of recreation programs for all ages throughout the year. The Recreation & Parks Department offers programs and special events, many of which are self-supporting. Further, the Department is responsible for the maintenance and upgrading of Living Memorial Park, the mini-parks, and cemeteries in the Town.

The instructors/coaches for the majority of the recreation programs are contracted service providers and volunteers with staff involvement to ensure coordination of the space, equipment, registration, uniforms, schedules, publicity, coaches training and supervision. The remainder of the programs are taught by the part-time seasonal employees.

Staff includes: Director, Assistant Director/Senior Activities Coordinator, Program Coordinator, Secretary, Building Maintenance, Park Supervisor, 3 Maintenance Workers, 35 Seasonal Workers, 16 Program Instructors, Hundreds of Volunteers.

What We Do

Currently hire for, oversee, and operate:

• 25 youth programs
• 18 adult programs
• 19 Senior Center programs
• 15 Special Events

Maintain, Repair, and Improve:

• Gibson-Aiken Center
• Living Memorial Park
• Disk Golf
• West River Park
• Nelson Withington Skating Facility
• Brattleboro Dog Park
• Swimming Pool
• Creamery Bridge
• Mini-Parks (14)
• Cemeteries (5)