As you know, Fayetteville is home to some of the most relaxing and peaceful parks. These parks are ideal for enjoying quiet time, morning walks, family time, walking along natural trails, etc. Among these parks, my favorite is Wilson Park in downtown Fayetteville.
Wilson Park is Fayetteville’s oldest park. One of the best things about the park is the pool, where you can swim and watch movies on an inflatable screen. It has many other attractions, like basketball hoops, tennis courts, a trail, a pond, and the great Castle. It also has a 100-year-old tree.
The park is full of beautiful spots and offers exciting outdoor activities. I will tell you all about it in this article.
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What Activities Can You Find in Wilson Park?
I love Wilson Park because it’s full of fun and nature. There is so much you can do while surrounded by its beautiful landscape. It has lovely houses around it, making you feel safe. These houses add to the peaceful vibe of the park.
Here are the activities you can enjoy in Wilson Park:
1. The Pool
Wilson Park has the only municipal pool in Fayetteville, one of the park’s biggest attractions. The Parks and Recreation Department looks after the pool, so it remains clean and open for the public visiting the park.
The pool is large and has beautiful landscaping. Tall and luscious green trees surround it, giving you shade during summer. You can go to the pool for recreational swimming or take swimming lessons.
One of the main attractions of the pool is the dive-in movie experience. It is a summer event, so you won’t get to enjoy it all year long. The management schedules two movies each year.
The pool’s capacity is 420, so getting tickets is important.
You can buy movie tickets before arriving at the pool for $1 or pay $2 to get them at the gate. The movie starts around 8:45 pm.
A dive-in movie is a family event. You can even take kids under the age of three. They can enter free of charge.
Wilson Park Pool Business Hours
The Wilson Park pool remains open throughout the week. During the week, the regular hours for swimming are from 12 pm to 8 pm. Here is the swimming schedule:
- Open swimming hours are from 1 pm to 4:30 pm, from Monday to Friday.
- 6 pm to 8 pm is for a family swim.
- The pool is open for adult lap swimming from 11 am to 1 pm, from Monday to Friday, and from noon to 1 pm on Saturday.
- On holidays the pool ends its regular hours at 7 pm.
Pool Admission Fee
Even though it’s a municipal pool, you must pay charges to use it. The money goes towards the maintenance of the pool.
- Adults who visit the pool daily pay $4, and minors must pay $3 for admittance.
- Families who wish to reserve the pool during family hours must pay $8 for each family.
- Adults who wish to sign up for the whole season must pay $75.
- A family of five must pay $135 for the whole season — $10 extra for members exceeding the limit.
2. The Castle
Wilson Park has a giant structure called the Castle, now a famous Fayetteville spot. It is also the most photographed place in the city. The castle is next to a spring-fed pond, giving it a Disney-movie feel.
The pond comes out of the ironwood castle door. It makes you feel like the water is coming out of the castle. This pond was once a recreational swimming pool. However, it became a decorative feature after the municipal pool.
The castle has an interesting backstory.
The Story of the Castle
The castle was once just a concrete enclosure. The location of the enclosure made it dangerous for people to swim in the pond. It was declared unsafe back in 1970.
However, instead of just demolishing the structure, the city held a competition to develop the best idea to make the structure safer and beautify the park.
Frank Williams, a sculptor and an artist, came up with the winning idea. His idea, after several transformations, materialized into the Wilson Park Castle.
3. The Walking Trail
Wilson Park’s walking trail is another reason for the park’s popularity. The trail circles the entire park. It cuts through the park’s beautiful landscape, giving you excellent views. The houses surrounding the park and the trail also add to the charm and peaceful vibe of the park.
You can see many inspirational quotes on posts along the track. It also has many benches and resting spots where you can stop and enjoy nature.
The trail looks even more beautiful when the plants, flowers, and shrubs bloom in spring.
Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
Other Recreational Facilities
Wilson Park provides excellent sporting activities for people who enjoy the outdoors. You can find the following sports facilities within the park’s premises.
- Softball field
- Basketball court
- Tennis court
- A sand volleyball court
You can also find many picturesque picnic spots and playgrounds. The park also has a beautiful gazebo that provides shade and a lovely place to sit.
Another thing that I love about Wilson park is that the Baba Boudan – one of my fav cafes – is only a short walk away. You can check out my link to get a quick overview of what it’s like over at Baba Boudan.
A Brief History of Wilson Park
The first known owner of Wilson Park was A.L. Trent, who owned and maintained it as his private property. Mr. Trent wanted to create a place where families could gather for recreational activities. He even had a pond named Trent Pond that became the local swimming pool, boating area, and hangout spot.
Trent sold the park to Dr. Noah Drake and a group of local businessmen. The new owners were the first to build a proper permanent swimming pool in the park. They also made a tourist camp.
In 1944 Fayetteville city became the owner of the area with the swimming pool and the camp. The park received more land from Charles Morrow Wilson, the famous author. He gave the city 17 acres (6.88 hectares), which is how the park got its name.
Similar Businesses
Fayetteville is full of family parks that add to the city’s beauty. Many of these parks are near Wilson Park. Some of the most-visited ones are:
- Gregory Park
- Clarence Craft Park
- Jefferson Park
- Walker Park
- Underwood Park
However, out of the bunch, I really like the amazing Ozark co-op. It features gorgeous landscapes with locally sourced products and tons of hangout spots making it an awesome family hangout destination. You can read all about it in my overview of the Ozark co-op.
Each park has its attractions, trademarks, and recreational facilities. Some parks came to the city as donations from different organizations. The primary purpose was to provide a leisure spot for the citizens and preserve nature.
Final Thoughts
Fayetteville parks are beautiful and provide an excellent recreational spot for families and social gatherings. Wilson Park, the first and oldest park in Fayetteville, is the city’s most visited and famous park. It has many facilities for sports activities, picnics, sightseeing, and a pool for swimming.