MINNEAPOLIS — The parks in Minneapolis have been named the best in the country at an annual national park and recreation conference in Atlanta.
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) was recognized with the 2024 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. It was announced Wednesday by the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration at the annual National Recreation and Park Association Conference.
A panel of five park and recreation professionals select the winner based on a "broad range of topics, focusing primarily on initiatives undertaken or completed in the last three years," according to the news release.
The only other time the MPRB won this distinguished award was in 1989. The MPRB was named finalists in 1988, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021.
The Gold Medal Awards, founded in 1965, are separated into several classes. The MPRB competes in Class I, for park and rec boards serving cities "with a population of 400,001 and over."
"The Gold Medal confirms what many who work, live, or play in Minneapolis know to be true – Minneapolis has one of the best park systems in the world," MPRB President Meg Forney said in a news release. "This award is for MPRB park professionals, whom I am so grateful that they inspire, create and serve public spaces for all."
