Named for its location in the heart of the city, Central Park is a 15-acre all-purpose park that includes a community center, a fishing pond, a walking trail and an open-air shelter for family picnics and other group functions. There's a wide variety of play equipment for kids, a landscaped pergola on the north end and a football field with a gravel track on the west side. Abundant large trees offer plenty of shade.

Central Park Community Center is located on the southwest corner of the park (16th and Clay). It includes three spacious meeting rooms, a large gymnasium with a hardwood floor, a game room and a weight room equipped with both free weights and a universal weight machine. Also located within the facility are the Parks and Recreation of Topeka’s Athletics office and Senior Adults office and the Shawnee County Maternal & Infant Clinic. The center's hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 to 11 a.m. and 2:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, closed Saturday and Sunday. Additional information is available at http://www.topeka.org/parksrec/central_park.shtml or by calling (785) 368-0100.