Burns Park in North Little Rock is one of the largest city-owned parks in the nation. The park acreage has a history of private ownership and, subsequently, federal, state and municipal government ownership. The land has been used over the years for farming, timber and military operations as well as for a public park.
In 1893, the citizens of Little Rock gave a 1,100-acre tract of land north of the Arkansas River to the federal government, receiving in exchange the U.S. Army Arsenal grounds for use as a public park, later named MacArthur Park. The property acquired by the federal government north of the river included the area atop Big Rock and additional land to the west. The mountaintop property was used for a small U.S. Army training facility named Fort Logan H. Roots.
In 1917, the Little Rock Board of Commerce raised $325,000 in public donations to buy additional acreage to give to the government to induce the army to establish a new army training camp adjacent to Fort Roots. The 6,000-acre training base was named Camp Pike in honor of Gen. Zebulon Montgomery Pike, who had first explored the headwaters of the Arkansas River, and was in 1937 renamed Camp Joseph T. Robinson after Arkansas' recently deceased U.S. senator.
After World War I, the Camp Pike property was turned over to the Arkansas National Guard. The War Department turned the Fort Roots property over to the Public Health Agency in 1921, and in 1922 it was given to the Veterans Affairs Department.
In 1939, with World War II starting in Europe, Camp Robinson was expanded to 48,188 acres. After the war, some of the Camp Robinson acreage was declared surplus property. In 1948, hearing that the federal government was disposing of some of the Camp Robinson land, Dr. William M. Burns, who had previously served as mayor of North Little Rock, urged city leaders to buy some of the surplus land for a park, as the city then lacked such an amenity. The city acquired 871 acres of surplus property in 1949. Having dedicated the property as a park, the city named it in honor of Burns.
In 1955, with the help of U.S. Rep. Brooks Hays, the city was given an additional 656 adjoining acres of surplus government property. Park acreage grew after the addition of more property from the government in 1976, along with donations from private property owners. Acreage was lost to a power line easement and to the Interstate 40 easement, but the park eventually grew to 1,600 acres, the majority of which is still forest. The park extends west to Cook's Landing and the Big Dam Bridge. The southern boundary is the Arkansas River, where it is across from Little Rock's Murray Park and Rebsamen Golf Course.
Park improvements began in 1950 and have continued. The diverse attractions include 15 miles of natural-surface, multiuse trails, including a horse trail, and 6 miles of paved multiuse trails. It is part of the bike and pedestrian Arkansas River Trail, which connects the two cities in a large loop. A small amusement park was established after a miniature railroad was added in 1957. Called Funland, it eventually had 16 children's attractions such as rides, slides and a small Ferris wheel. Burns Park also features a camping area, dog parks, playground and picnic areas, pavilions and more.
Sports facilities in the park include an archery range, soccer fields, tennis courts, pickleball courts, softball fields, youth baseball fields, regulation baseball fields for high schools, two 18-hole golf courses, two 18-hole disc golf courses, and three outdoor basketball courts. In addition, there's a fishing lake, river frontage and a boat launch. Sightseeing features include a covered bridge over the east fork of White Oak Bayou, a Union Pacific Railroad caboose, a World War II army tank, an old log cabin and an iron jail cell that the city once used. The cost of operating the park is paid using proceeds from a city advertising and promotion sales tax, supplemented by fees for use of certain facilities.
A tornado devastated the park on March 31, 2023. An estimated 10,000 trees were downed, and many structures were damaged or destroyed, including Funland. The park was closed for months for debris cleanup, repairs and reconstruction. The Federal Emergency Management Agency committed to pay 75% of the lost value, and the city's share of the restoration was estimated at $10 million. On Dec. 27, the North Little Rock City Council voted unanimously to enter into a contract for the rebuilding of Funland. -- W.W. Satterfield
This story is adapted by Guy Lancaster from the online Encyclopedia of Arkansas, a project of the Central Arkansas Library System. Visit the site at encyclopediaofarkansas.net.
Miniature cars at Burns Park, North Little Rock (Pulaski County); 1960 (Courtesy of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Central Arkansas Library System)