San Antonio’s Parks and Recreation has earned the recognition it deserves for their outstanding programming and a special historic park. The Texas Recreation and Park Society (TRAPS) presented the department with two prestigious awards during their annual conference in Frisco, Texas.

The Lonestar Recreation Programming Achievement Award was the first award the city took home. The recognition is for SeaPerch, San Antonio’s underwater robotics program that connected 150 young participants to STEM fields at nine community centers all around the city. The RoboNation-partnered program was offered simultaneously with the department’s Summer Youth Program. Members were able to construct “underwater remotely operated vehicles” by studying basic engineering, design, and science.

The second achievement the city received was TRAP’s designation of Brackenridge Park as a Lone Star Legacy Park. Brackenridge is a 349-acre public park located just north of downtown. The classification is one of the highest distinctions that could be granted to a park. Brackenridge received the designation thanks to its exceptional prestige and history in the state and local community.

To qualify for a Lone Star Legacy Park designation, parks must be at least 50 years old and fulfill one of the following requirements:

• It has a distinctive design and/or construction.
• It’s associated with historic events or sites.
• It’s hosts local community or state-specific events.
• It has unique natural characteristics.

Three San Antonio parks also have Lone Star Legacy Park designations: San Pedro Springs Park (2012), Travis Park (2015), and Woodlawn Lake Park (2018). Six other parks in addition to Brackenridge Park received the prestigious designations for 2023.

The full list of Lone Star Legacy Park winners can be found at traps.org.