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Visitor Guide
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Beaverton Area 2012-2013
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www.Beaverton.org
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503-644-0123
Parks
“Man is most nearly himself when
he achieves the seriousness of a
child at play.”
Herodotus
There’s plenty to do in Beaverton, and you
can thank
Elsie Stuhr
for that.
She and other citizens decided more
than 50 years ago that the Beaverton area
would grow and sought the creation of park
and recreation services for children, adults
and families. Stuhr, a PE instructor, and
supporters pushed for an initiative to create
a recreation district.
“Parents soon realized that while
there was a more informal atmosphere
in the suburbs, there was also a lack of
recreational facilities for families, and no
one seemed to be planning for future open
space,” Stuhr wrote.
In 1955, voters approved the initiative for
the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District.
Today, THPRD serves approximately 220,000
residents. The district’s features include six
recreation centers, a sport complex, two
nature parks, eight swim centers, three
historic sites, a senior center, nearly 500
athletic fields and courts, two skate parks,
and three lakes. The district also sponsors
recreational and competitive league sports,
and special-interest classes.
THPRD manages 200 parks encompassing
2,100 acres, with a park located within a half
mile of every home. It also boasts 60 miles
of trails and a lot more in recreation and
other facilities.
While THPRD provides a regional network
of parks and recreational facilities, the
city also provides places for children
and families to stretch and enjoy life
in Beaverton. One of those is Memorial
Park, located in a two-block area between
Seventh and Ninth streets, and Washington
and Watson avenues.
The hugely, popular City Park Fountain,
located in Beaverton’s City Park (between
Watson Avenue and Hall Boulevard, and
Fourth and Fifth streets, and across from
Beaverton City Library) opens at the same
time, in May, as the Beaverton Farmers
Market. Fountain hours are daily, 8 a.m.
to dark, and it shuts down for the season
either in tandem with the Farmers Market or
when the weather cools off significantly.
Continued > > >
2011 Picnic in the Park.
CITY OF BEAVERTON
SUSAN GOULD