Kiroli Park

ARTICLE BY SARA BLACKWELL AND COURTNEY HORNSBY
Photography SUBMITTED BY CITY OF WEST MONROE PARKS AND RECREATION

For a century, nestled in the heart of the City of West Monroe, Kiroli Park has stood as a cherished sanctuary, a place of peace, play and togetherness. Established in 1925 as a recreational site for the Boy Scouts, the site grew into a treasured community landmark. From Sunday strolls to first bicycle rides, Kiroli Park has been a part of the fabric of not only West Monroe, but Northeast Louisiana, for generations.

Throughout 2025, Kiroli Park has celebrated its 100th birthday with various special events and programs that have highlighted the park’s unique history. This year-long celebration will culminate with a large birthday party on Saturday, October 18th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the park’s grounds. The community is invited to gather with us as we share the legacy of what this beautiful sanctuary has meant to so many over the years.

Kiroli Park is one of the most magnificent parks in the state of Louisiana. Situated in the rolling hills of North Louisiana, the park is a historical icon. With its 150 acres of nature’s beauty, Kiroli Park offers something for everyone – scenic trails, tranquil ponds, vibrant gardens as well as a dog park, tennis and pickleball courts, picnic areas, an amphitheater and mountain bike trails. Of course, multiple playgrounds can be found scattered throughout the park, most notably the Civitan Smiles Park, an all-inclusive playground that opened to the public in 2017, led by the West Monroe Civitan Club. Most of the park is wooded and accessible through paved roadways and trails that hold surprises such as a suspension bridge, covered bridge, observation tower, and elevated walkways. The park also boasts a band stand for performances and a climate-controlled lodge which is utilized for receptions, family reunions and other special events. 

Kiroli Park is an ecologically rich area that provides visitors a chance to connect with nature. There are various streams, small valleys and ridges hidden throughout the park that draw a large variety of birds and other wildlife. 

Owned and operated by the City of West Monroe, Kiroli Park has experienced recent upgrades that have enhanced its offerings to the public. A complete rehabilitation of existing paved walking trails is currently underway. New tennis and pickleball courts opened to the public within the past year. Construction just began on improvements to the park’s amphitheater and the former swimming pool area used by many Boy Scouts is now known as the Sunken Gardens, having recently been transformed as a beautiful outdoor garden with tranquil streams and fountains running through it.

The park is supported in numerous ways including through grants, private contributions and funds raised through the Kiroli Foundation, a nonprofit 501c (3) organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for all Ouachita Parish residents through the enhancement of Kiroli Park and all other parks within the City of West Monroe. The Kiroli Foundation puts on several special events and festivals during the year including the Northeast Louisiana Celtic Festival the first Saturday in October and Christmas at Kiroli during the holiday season at Kiroli Park.

As the park celebrates its 100th anniversary, Monroe Parker, former park director from 1977 to 1987, City of West Monroe Mayor Staci Albritton Mitchell and City of West Monroe Director of Events Facilities Chris Post recently had the opportunity to reflect on Kiroli Park’s unique history. 

The current Kiroli Park started as the Ouachita Valley Boy Scout Camp. The present-day location of the park was the beginning of scouting in Ouachita Parish. Camp Kiroli was purchased by 40 early scout pioneers on October 14, 1925. Led by TO Brown, CC Bell and Robert M. Breard Jr. of Monroe, 40 members of the Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions Club put up $100 each for the purchase price of the roughly 130 acres of land that would eventually become Kiroli Park. The name “Kiroli” came from the first two letters of each group’s name that secured the $4,000 needed to purchase the property.

During its early history, the scout council focused their efforts to provide the finest camp programs possible. This resulted in various recognitions for Kiroli Camp, and it was often recognized for being the premier scout camp in the region. In its early years, scout attendance records were set, and these records were never broken. 

Early construction in 1925 included a playing field, a camp-fire area (theater area), a headquarters building (where the current fishing pier is located) and a swimming hole. A swimming pool was added in the 1950’s. 

During the catastrophic Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, Camp Kiroli was utilized as a refugee and work camp for flood victims and their families. The Ouachita Parish governing body along with the Red Cross used Camp Kiroli as a refugee camp from April to August of 1927. Wooden buildings were constructed and used for relief workers and declared surplus afterwards. These structures later became the first Boy Scout cabins. The historic Boy Scout cabins still stand in Kiroli Park today. These cabins serve as a legacy of Kiroli Park’s vital role in the relief efforts for a disaster that displaced 700,000 people and affected a vast area of the United States.

For many years, scouts continued to use the area for summer camps. During World War II, Kiroli served as a training ground for the military. The unique combination of different terrains within the park made it an ideal location for military training during the war. 

Camp Kiroli was used by the Boy Scouts until the summer of 1974 as the official scout camp. Eventually, the scouts outgrew the camp, and leadership put the property up for sale. With the leadership of Dorothy Norris and many others, the Police Jury began the Kiroli Woods Acquisition Project to save Camp Kiroli for the use of a natural park and recreation area for the people of Ouachita Parish. The Police Jury secured a matching grant from the Department of Interior Outdoor Recreation from the Louisiana Office of State Parks for half of the purchase price of $465,834.00.

Through a collective effort of different fundraisers with groups like the Kiwanis, Rotary, Greater Ouachita Lions Club, North Louisiana Shriners, Area Boy Scout troops, West Monroe Jaycees, West Monroe Optimist Club, Altrusa Club, Ouachita Parish Junior Leader Club, and school 4-H Club a special “Save Camp Kiroli Day” was held on October 25, 1975 to emphasize public interest in saving Camp Kiroli as a park for all of North Louisiana to use. 

The Police Jury was able to secure the matching portion of the state grant of over $230,000 to purchase Camp Kiroli and turn the land into Kiroli Park. Kiroli Park secured several developmental grants from the state with the help of State Rep. Shady Wall who took an interest in keeping the land and area for the community.

In 1986, after several funding issues with the Police Jury and a failed tax support issue in October of 1986, the Police Jury made major cuts to the operation hours and staffing due to lack of funds. Negotiations began with the City of West Monroe concerning the operation of the park as a city service.

On March 2, 1987, an ordinance by the Police Jury authorized the complete donation and conveyance of all the property of Kiroli Park to the City of West Monroe to operate the park as a city service. On March 10, 1987, the City of West Monroe accepted the conveyance of the act of donation of Kiroli Park. Kiroli Park officially became the property of the City of West Monroe on April 2, 1987.

“Kiroli Park holds a significant amount of history with it being a Boy Scout camp, refugee camp, and training site before becoming a park,” said Chris Post. “We are proud of the role the park has played throughout history and its ability to be a safe space for people from all walks of life.” 

Every year over 160,000 people visit the park which is operated by the City of West Monroe. People come from all over the area to enjoy the amenities of the park. People walk the trails, walk their dogs, fish, play games, attend festivals and sports tournaments, or they come to the park just to enjoy nature. On any given day one can see hundreds of people enjoying the great outdoors. Kiroli Park offers a wide variety of activities for people of all ages and is the perfect place to spend a day with friends and family. 

Kiroli Park remains a vital part of West Monroe life. Mayor Mitchell called Kiroli “the largest municipally-owned park in Northeast Louisiana,” highlighting its value in enhancing local quality of life. “It’s what makes people want to live, stay, or return to West Monroe,” she said.

Mayor Mitchell hopes that people will appreciate the importance of Kiroli Park and its rich heritage. “I want people to know that this park exists because of 40 individuals who believed in this community enough to invest in it,” she said. “That legacy continues, and it’s up to us to preserve and grow it.”

Post emphasized the importance of moving the park forward in the future. “Kiroli has always been a place where nature and people come together. Every generation has added something meaningful – from new structures to new programs -without losing the park’s original heart,” he said. “Seeing it continue to evolve while honoring its history is something really special.”