Columbus, Georgia, once the site of a Creek Indian Village, is one of the few cities in the United States to be planned on advance of its founding.  Established in 1828 as a trading post to strengthen the western border of Georgia, Columbus was the last "frontier town" of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Columbus Parks and Recreation Department came into existence with an amendment to the Charter of the City of Columbus in Muscogee County, creating a Board of Commissioners known as the Parks and Playground Commission.  This was approved on August 1, 1921 making this the second oldest Parks and Recreation Department in the State of Georgia.  An ordinance adopted February 16, 1925 provided a Parks and Recreation board with five resident citizens of the City striving in an advisory capacity for the advancement of recreational programs an facilities.

From  the establishment of Columbus Parks and Recreation Department in 1921until the present, there have been a series of planning efforts providing comprehensive recreational facilities and programs.  The original survey of Columbus provided for simple types of recreational activities by setting aside land for a "greenbelt" and the "commons" since then recreation land has been acquired through purchases, donations, watershed sites and federal surplus land.

Between 1926, with the adoption of the Nolen Plan which stressed retaining open space and the 1975 Fifteen Year Comprehensive Plan, there has been no less than seven major Master Plans for the city of Columbus.  In April of 1975, the Fifteen Year Comprehensive Recreation Plan for Columbus, Georgia, 1975-1990 was adopted.  The 15-year Plan, divided into three five year stages, is a document that includes development of existing parks and acquisition of park land for the future population needs.  A financial analysis section was included to show how funding could be accomplished in a practical manner and delved into the socio-economic makeup.  The planning established a broad base of public participation at an early state which resulted in the resolution of many issues prior to adoption.

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