Facilities

A portion of the playground structure and fence at Lyon Park are damaged and require repair. The remainder of the playground is safe for play. Please avoid marked areas while under construction.

Lyon Park

Lyon Park sits on 12.23 acres in West Central Durham.

Picnic Shelter

Visit the picnic shelter rentals page for complete details on renting the shelter at Lyon Park.

Athletic Rentals

Visit the athletic rentals page for complete details on renting a field or court at Lyon Park.

Park History

The original Lyon Park School (or Lyon’s Park as it was first named) was one of the Rosenwald Schools in Durham. This four-teacher school was built for the 1922-23 school year. It was constructed on two acres of land and cost $5,500.

The park itself was built on land that was once a City dump and incinerator at the outer edge of the City of Durham and later became a public school. The park was opened in 1964; it included a ball field at which local residents including Thomas Womble, Willie Haskins, and Frank Jacobs coached youth and junior league teams named the “Lyon Park Elites.” The site was also home to a slow-pitch softball teamed named the “Bombers.”

There have been Lyons in Durham’s history since Ed Lyon who is noted as a friend of Dr. Bartlett Durham. However, the neighborhood and school probably got their names from George Leonidas Lyon, a grandson of Washington Duke who built his home in the Morehead Hill neighborhood and built a community ball field on land across from the Maplewood Cemetery.

Park Plan
The overall purpose of this Lyon Park Plan is the establishment of a guide to direct the operations of the Department of Parks and Recreation in development decisions for Lyon Park. The plan is aligned with the City and the Department Strategic Plans as well as with the City and the Department mission and vision. Visit the following link to read the Lyon Park Draft Plan.

Lyon Park Renovations

Lyon Park is a multi-use community park in West Central Durham situated between West End, Morehead Hill, Forest Hills, and Lakewood Park neighborhoods. The Lyon Park Plan created in 2018 identified a variety of opportunities to add new features and increase positive activity throughout the park. Community engagement opportunities will begin Summer 2022 and construction is expected to be completed in Fall 2023. For more information, visit the General Services - Lyon Park Renovations page.