Airline Highway Park

Airline Highway Park is a substantial recreational area located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Spanning over 133 acres, this park serves as a major green space for the developing subdivisions in the southeast area of East Baton Rouge Parish. The park is situated at the southern boundary of the parish, where Ward Creek meets the historic Bayou Manchac.

The park's landscape experiences regular nuisance flooding due to its proximity to waterways. To address this, the park has undergone redesign efforts to incorporate green infrastructure and restore historic ecologies. These changes aim to mitigate stormwater runoff and protect century-old trees while preserving space for flexible programming and environmental education.

Airline Highway Park hosts various parish-wide events throughout the year. Most notably, it is the venue for the annual Greater Baton Rouge State Fair, which takes place each fall. The park also accommodates other special events such as Family Day, company and family picnics, and scouting activities.

The park features diverse recreational facilities catering to different interests. It includes multiple baseball fields, providing ample space for sports enthusiasts. For those interested in water activities, the park offers access to Bayou Manchac and Wards Creek, anchoring the site to a proposed 'waterway trail' that will connect several regional waterways.

Environmental education is a key focus of the park. An existing oxidation pond has been decommissioned and replaced by a restored pond, wetland, and stream meander. Visitors can learn about local flora and fauna in an outdoor classroom and boardwalk.

Recent improvements to the park include the addition of new facilities such as sports courts, event and multi-purpose lawns, a splash pad, a dog park, an adventure play zone, and a zip line and ropes course. These additions aim to provide a renovated open space network and new recreational opportunities for residents of East Baton Rouge Parish and beyond.