The Harrisburg Parks Department is in charge of all city parks including the community garden and dog park.
City Parks
- Ellis Larson Park - 507 E Maple Street
- Hugh Robinson Park - 203 Prairie Street
- Heartland Park - 503 Troy Avenue
- Knights Crossing - 201 Almond Avenue
- Grand Gardens - 801 S Grand Avenue
- Rover Range (Dog Park) - 805 Kent Street
- Lions Park - 310 N Perry Lane
- Central Park - 150 Columbia Street North
Central Park Plans and Improvements
Central Park is at the forefront of planning initiatives by staff the Parks, Recreation, & Forestry board. The vision is to activate Central Park through core values of Community, Health & Wellness, Park Stewardship, and Inclusiveness to create a Place of Play for Harrisburg. Central Park will be a community asset for the current generation and the future Harrisburg Community.
In the past few years, rough grading and seeding of the event lawn was completed, along with installation of several thousand feet of sidewalk, and new tee ball fields. Students at the Harrisburg High School Home Builders Academy constructed and donated a concessions building located at baseball fields B & C that was installed in 2022. Through hard work and generous donations by the Harrisburg Community Foundation, the championship baseball field received a separate new concessions building with announcer booth on the second level that will be completed in summer 2023. Additional improvements in 2023 include installation of a well at Lake Ole that will support irrigation at Central Park. Completion of the irrigation system will happen in 2024.
Additional amenities will be installed as funding becomes available. Staff and board members are working to identify additional funding mechanisms such as grants and private donations. Interested donors should contact Mayor Derick Wenck at (605)-767-5012 or by email at MayorWenck@HarrisburgSD.gov.
Community Activity Guide
The parks and recreation staff are committed to providing quality recreation and programming. We welcome your feedback and input!
Harrisburg Community Gardens
Our community garden, Grand Gardens, brings a sense of small-town camaraderie to local gardeners. A large gardening area with 44 individual gardening plots is available to all Harrisburg residents for the price of $35.00 per plot (Check or Cash - exact change only). Garden plot applications are available at City Offices or may be downloaded here.
Compost Site
The compost site is open seasonally to Harrisburg residents. Please click here for more information regarding open/close dates, times, and items allowed or prohibited.
Harrisburg Baseball
Baseball is big for all ages in Harrisburg. Information and applications can be found at www.harrisburgtigersbaseball.com
Tiger Softball Club ("TSC")
The Tiger Softball Club (TSC) is a non profit organization that specializes in providing competitive softball experiences for youth ages 5-16. TSC is dedicated to providing the youth of Harrisburg and surrounding communities enjoyable softball experiences with opportunities to compete and build skills. Registration is available for the 8u teams www.tigersoftballclub.com
The Harrisburg Park Board is an advisory board that meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Liberty Elementary Board Room located at 200 E. Willow St. Below are the current Park Board members as well as their meeting minutes, ordinances, and plans:
Name |
Term Expiration Date |
| Alderman Maxwell | City Council Liaison |
| Jason Thurston | City Liaison |
| Scott Langerock (Chairperson) | 2027 |
| Shannon Gustafson (Secretary) | 2025 |
| Chris Kuntz | 2025 |
| Taylor Berg (Vice Chairperson) |
2025 |
| Ryan Berg | 2027 |
| Jason Nelson | 2025 |
| Heather Stolsmark | 2027 |
| Elizabeth Heidinger | 2027 |
Park Board Agendas
Park Board Meeting Minutes
Park Board Ordinances
Have a question or concern? Please fill out the form below
Contact Information
Jason Thurston - Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Supervisor Phone (Office): 605.498.4949, Email: Jason.Thurston@HarrisburgSD.gov
Magenta Hammond - Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, Phone (Office): 605.498.4949, Email: Magenta.Hammond@HarrisburgSD.gov
Chris Kullander - Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, Phone (Office): 605.498.4949, Email: Chris.Kullander@HarrisburgSD.gov
Brad Hedlund - Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, Phone (Office): 605.498.4949, Email: Brad.Hedlund@HarrisburgSD.gov
Marc Pickelman - Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, Phone (Office) 605.498.4949, Email: Marc.Pickelman@HarrisburgSD.gov
Bret McCarthy - Parks, Recreation, and Forestry, Phone (Office) 605.498.4949, Email: Bret.McCarthy@HarrisburgSD.Gov
Part-time Parks, Recreation, and Forestry employee: Larry Plucker, Phone (Office): 605.498.4949