Parks and Recreation Department

Bloomington is home to 97 parks and green spaces, miles of trails, dozens of fun, active, inclusive and engaging programs and events, and seasonal and year-round recreational facilities. The Adopt-A-Park program is a fun, educational and worthwhile way for you, your family, friends, group or organization to help make your local parks or favorite trails even safer and more beautiful than they already are! 

You can volunteer to clean up and beautify a park or a stretch of trail, help plant and maintain park gardens, keep parks litter-free, and remove invasive plants with the guidance and support of Recreation and Park Maintenance staff. Get all the details at blm.mn/adopt-a-park.

Dedicate a park bench, bicycle rack or tree as a memorial or meaningful acknowledgement of a milestone event. Your gift will become a valuable enhancement to be enjoyed by park guests for many years to come! Learn more about donating a memorial bench or other park improvement at blm.mn/memorials. 

Adaptive Programming and Inclusion Services

Bloomington Parks and Recreation Inclusion Services are provided to program participants with disabilities who request some kind of support that will allow them to fully participate the programs offered by the Parks and Recreation Division. More info

Adult Sports and Leagues

Parks and Recreation offers leagues and programs through out the year. The sports are offered at different levels of play - there is a sport for everyone from beginner to the serious player. More info

BIG Skate School

The Bloomington Ice Garden Skate School offers skating lessons year round. More info

Programs for Adults Age 50+

Designed to keep adults age 50+ and all adults with a disability actively engaged in the community, these programs at Creekside Community Center serve those seeking opportunity to become involved and stay connected. More info 

Youth Programs

Bloomington Parks and Recreation has a variety of programs to offer ranging from one-week classes to full summer programs and activities in spring, fall and winter too! Programs are for children going into preschool through 9th grade. More info

Work and fun can go hand-in-hand!

Bloomington Parks and Recreation is a great place to work and have fun at the same time! We offer a wide variety of permanent full-time, permanent part-time and temporary seasonal positions. 

To learn more about all of the great opportunities available, visit blm.mn/prjobs. 

Bloomington Parks and Recreation is dedicated to making our parks ethnically and culturally diverse as well as equitable, inclusive, and relevant. It is our priority to build relationships with our community and break down barriers that are inhibiting residents from visiting the parks. We are committed to continually seek ways to better deliver park and recreation services, programming, and community events that connect people across cultures to the parks and one another.

If you would like to share input, feedback, or seek more information about outreach, please contact Jean Sanon, Recreation Coordinator, at parksrec@bloomingtonmn.gov or by calling Parks and Recreation at 952-563-8877.

Are you looking for recreation opportunities at home and on the go? The Recreation Experience Center (REC Online) is your online resource for fun, engaging, inclusive, and accessible activities.

With options in the creative and performing arts, fitness, history, nature and more, whether you're looking for a purely Bloomington experience or just general ideas on what to do, you're sure to find something that interests you at REC Online. 

The City of Bloomington initiated the process of developing a new Park System Master Plan in November 2019. With extensive and invaluable assistance from consultants, City staff and most importantly the community, the plan was developed over the next two years and ultimately adopted by the Bloomington City Council in August 2021.  

The Next Steps

Adoption of the master plan was just the first step. Now the work of developing service area and individual park plans begins. The Park System Master Plan provides a clear action plan and guidance for improvements to Bloomington's parks, trails, facilities, recreational programs and green spaces.

Nine parks have been identified for the first phase of planning and development:  Brookside, Bryant, Gene Kelly, Poplar Bridge Running, Smith, Southwood, Sunrise. Tretbaugh. 

To learn more about the park planning process and opportunities to provide input both in person and online, visit blm.mn/park-planning.