1910 Bishop St, Reno, NV 89512

Pat Baker Park

Park Description:

Pat Baker Park is a 40-acre Reno park with year-round restrooms.

Park Amenities:

Playground, picnic shelter, rentable shelter, barbeque area, basketball court, exercise area, water play feature, and tables/benches.

Park Contact Information:

City of Reno - Parks & Facilities (775) 334-2417

Park Highlights

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Park History

Click the image to read each topic's full text!

Pat Baker and the Park's Conception

What would you say if someone said to you, “Let’s build a park this weekend.” You might have other weekend activities planned or you might say, like the dynamo Pat Baker, whose idea it was, “Let’s do it!”

And so the park that bears her name was born in three days, in a part of Reno/Sparks that cried out for a park—for a place for kids to run free in a safe atmosphere.

The diamond-shaped park is bounded by Montello, Bishop, Reed and Fife Streets and as in-depth planning continued, it became a cause to celebrate, bringing together all kinds of folks including building contractors, architects, landscapers and engineers, among many other craftsmen and lay people, all who donated their time, expertise and materials to get the job finished in record time.

The Park is Built

In total, 799 people signed on in the late 1960s to transform the dry, dusty 1.3-acre vacant lot into a modest neighborhood park. People worked day and night to transform the land—they poured cement, laid sod, installed a sprinkler system and planted myriad flowers and shrubs.

Although it took just 3 days to finish the project, countless hours were spent behind the scene in negotiation with all the various stakeholders to ensure that when the appointed time to begin the project was in sight all the bases were covered.

You can read about this amazing feat in a book written by Charles Kuralt, entitled “On the Road with Charles Kuralt.”

The Park Today

Although at this writing, the park has seen its share of problems, when it was first constructed, it was a major testament to the resilience and fortitude of the people who recognized a need and saw it through to the end.

Present Day

Get Involved!

Donate:

Make a donation to support the Parks Project or your favorite Parks Foundation program, project, or wherever its needed! Click here to donate today.

Volunteer:

Support our parks by volunteering with the Parks Foundation! Attend a volunteer event or choose an ongoing role. Click here to explore opportunities.

iNaturalist:

Out in our parks or open spaces? Try cataloguing the biodiversity around you with iNaturalist! All it takes is downloading the iNaturalist app onto your phone to get started.

Curious what's been seen in this park? Click the link below to see what species other have spotted!

Pat Baker Park on iNaturalist

Contact:

Have a question about our parks or the Parks Project? Email us at parksproject@tmparksfoundation.org!

Want To Learn More?

References & Further Info:

City of Reno Parks & Facilities Directory - Pat Baker Fields

Contributor(s):

Linda Fine Conaboy (history & history photos)

Haley McGuire

Alex Shahbazi

Last Updated:

September 15, 2022 at 7:38:34 PM

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