The Henslee Park Splash Pad will close for the season Monday, Oct. 20.
As it has for its first two seasons, the Splash Pad will remain open through the Fall Break for Dickson County schools, which this year is Oct. 6-17, and close on the following Monday.
The Henslee Park Playground, Dog Park, 18-hole disc golf course, Storybook Trail, fishing ponds and four miles of walking/running/biking trails remain open year ‘round.
Opened June 17, 2023, at the site of the former Dickson Country Club at 800 Henslee Dr., the Henslee Park Splash Pad and Playground is a $3 million recreational facility that is one of the largest of its type in Tennessee. The 4,000-square-foot Splash Pad includes 20 water features while the 25,000-square-foot playground includes 26 features, many of them designed to be inclusive. The park includes bathrooms, a pavilion with picnic tables and extensive greenspace for picnicking and enjoying the sun.
Until its closing date, the Splash Pad will continue to operate under its standard hours:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 8:00 am-8:00 pm; and
- Wednesdays 4:00 pm-8:00 pm.
The Henslee Park Playground will remain open:
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays sunrise to 10:00 pm; and
- Wednesdays 4:00 pm-10:00 pm;
The Splash Pad and Playground are closed for maintenance and cleaning on Wednesdays until 4:00 pm.
The other features of Henslee Park remain open sunrise to 10:00 pm seven days a week and most holidays.
Henslee Park will host the second Haunting at Henslee with the Topless in Tennessee Jeep Club featuring trick-or-treating and more 6:00-8:00 pm Friday, Oct. 31.
PARK UPDATES
- Dan Buckner Park
The Dickson Parks and Recreation Department is nearing completion of Phase I of renovations to J. Dan Buckner Park. Using a $625,000 Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the city has replaced the tennis courts next to Weaver Drive with two basketball courts, two courts striped for tennis and pickleball, a playground, a pavilion, restrooms and new parking lot in a $2.9 million project.
Primary construction has been completed and contractor FTM Construction is addressing items identified on the punch-list inspection before the new facility opens.
“We’re hopeful for a mid-October opening and will share details soon about a Grand Opening Celebration that you won’t want to miss,” said Parks Superintendent Cherie Wilson.
The city has received a $4 million LPRF grant for Phase II at Buckner Park that is currently in the design review phase with plans to reconfigure some of the baseball/softball fields and include a new concessions stand/restroom facility, playground and covered batting cage.
Luther Lake
The Public Works Department has recently completed the installation of benches and poured pads for picnic tables around Luther Lake, a popular site for walking, jogging and biking. The manmade 13.5-acre lake was completed in 1958 in the development of the East Hills subdivision and donated to the City of Dickson by W.E. Luther’s heirs in 1972. The lake was drained and an island added as part of a project to reinforce the dam at the north end in 1984.
Parks and Recreation Master Plan
The Dickson City Council recently authorized engineering consultant Kimley-Horn and Associates to update the Parks and Recreation Department Master Plan. Kimley-Horn developed the current master plan in June 2017 before the city purchased and began developing Henslee Park. In order to continue applying for grants for developing recreation opportunities, the master plan has to be updated to include all park facilities.
In the coming weeks, the Parks and Recreation Department will open an online survey for public input on the master plan and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will hold a public meeting later this year for presentation of the draft master plan before it is presented to the Dickson City Council for final approval in early 2026. A schedule of dates for the review process will be announced soon.
Aquatic/Recreation Center
The city continues working with the Dickson County Family YMCA in a partnership to build and operate an aquatic/recreation center at Henslee Park. The city has signed a master services agreement with Southern Architecture Workshop LLC for design of the project and is working with Kimley-Horn and design company Gro in developing the facility concept. The estimated $30-$35 million project is proposed to include an indoor pool for year-round swimming, gymnasium, fitness area, classrooms and early childhood learning center. The City Council has approved a memorandum of understanding with the YMCA to operate the facility.
Lester D. Speyer Sports Park
In May 2025, the City and Tennsco Corp. completed a $2 million upgrade to the Lester D. Speyer Sports Park to include six tennis courts, two basketball courts, three pickleball courts and a new playground in addition to the four baseball/softball fields and Tennsco Community Center.
Parks Information
For more information on the City of Dickson’s Parks and Recreation Department facilities and activities, call (615) 446-1721, visit cityofdickson.com or the Parks and Recreation Department page on Facebook.
City of Dickson Parks and Recreation Department facilities include:
- J. Dan Buckner Park: six baseball/softball fields, eight soccer fields, one multipurpose field, two basketball courts, two tennis/pickleball courts, three concessions stands with restrooms, nature trail, certified arboretum, 18-hole disc golf course, three playgrounds, picnic areas, low-ropes challenge course, pavilion with restrooms, paved walking/running track, fishing lake and more;
- Henslee Park: splash pad, playground, dog park, Storybook Trail, 18-hole disc golf course, fishing ponds and four miles of walking/running/biking trails;
- Lester D. Speyer Sports Park: four baseball/softball fields; six tennis courts, three pickleball courts, two basketball courts, a playground and restrooms:
- Tennsco Community Center: available for rentals with tables, chairs, audio/visual system, small kitchen, restrooms and WiFi;
- Dickson Skate Park: 7,000-square-foot skate park with rails, ramps and bowls in downtown with restrooms currently under construction;
- Holland Park: covered stage, benches, fountain, Tennessee Music Pathway markers and greenspace in downtown next door to the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum;
- Luther Lake: popular for walking, running and biking with benches and picnic tables;
- Lakeview Park: two basketball courts, playground and a pavilion with restrooms;
- City Lake: 27-acre manmade lake with accessible fishing pier (originally built by the Works Progress Administration in 1935 as a 15-acre reservoir fed by Payne Spring);
- Tom H. Waychoff Memorial Park: greenspace with benches in downtown;
- War Memorial Building Stage: outdoor stage on the campus of the War Memorial Building; and
- Tice’s Springs Park: picnic tables (originally called Cave Spring, it was purchased by the city in 1925 as a water source).
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