Parks, Recreation & Cemeteries

Department Overview

Vision:

Our community works together to provide for life-long opportunities for active living and wise stewardship of natural resources. Keene has beautiful, well-maintained parks and cemerteries, a citizenry that incorporates physical activity itno their daily lives, and a connected system of open space, parks and trails.

Mission:
The Keene Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries Department seeks to provide the citizens of Keene with municipal facilities that are safe, clean and efficiently operating. The Department also seeks to provide a set of leisure activities and park facilities that are current and varied, and respond to the wants of the general public. The Department additionally strives to maintain municipal burial grounds and the associated services at a continued high level. 

The Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries Department consists of three service divisions: Recreation Programming, Park Maintenance and Cemeteries Management.

The Recreation Programming involves scheduling of events and programs at both the Recreation Center and in the parks that dot Keene’s landscape. Community programs such as youth basketball, summer playground camps and a safe indoor walking program, are directly operated by the Program Division, while others including Keene Knights Football, Keene Cal Ripkin Youth Baseball, Allyson Barden Girls Youth Softball and adult softball leagues are conducted by volunteer groups with the Program Supervisor serving as a liaison. Information about current programs and a list of contact people is available through the main office of Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries Department.

The Parks and Cemeteries’ maintenance division crews are kept busy preparing ballfields in summer and ice skating areas in winter, keeping cemeteries groomed and handling a myriad of other tasks adding to the beauty and usefulness of Keene’s open spaces. Additionally, the Supervisor oversees the sale of cemetery lots and burial arrangements year ‘round. Arrangements for lot sales may be made at the Parks, Recreation and Cemeteries Department's main office. All cemetery records are retained there also and the staff will help with genealogical research.

Contact Information

Staff

Current Programs

Events Coming Up