Centenary’s Backyard: Columbia Park
Photo by Siobahn Stanley
Welcome back to everyone’s favorite series from the Conglomerate! This issue I wanted to highlight a hidden gem: Columbia Park. This park is even closer to campus than Betty Virginia. But its location is more embedded in its neighborhood than Betty Virginia, so it’s easier to miss. Though this park is small, there are still many parts that make it a lovely pocket of land inside the chaos of the City of Shreveport. Let’s get into the review!
Distance from Centenary: 0.7 miles
Drive length: 2-3 minutes
Park amenities: parking, a playground, benches, a gazebo, a picnic area, a walking and biking path, and a big wooden bench swing within a covered porch area with many colorful columns.
Things you can do: channel your inner child and go back and forth on the little horses, go for a nice stroll, eat ice cream with friends, walk your pet, etc.
Rating: 8 swings/8
This park is located across the street from Creswell Elementary School, so it is very kid friendly. If you are a local with little siblings, maybe the next time you are with them, you could take them here! Or, if you babysit children in the area, you could bring them here to tire them out before you get them to their house. It is also pet friendly, so if you’re tired of walking the same parts of campus with yours, it would not be much of a hassle to go to Columbia Park and walk them there. There are lots of trees which means there might also be a lot of squirrels for your pet to chase while they’re there as well. Since this park is more secluded than others, it would probably be a good place for studying outside if you are someone who enjoys doing that. Maybe you can crack open a good book and sit at one of the benches for a while to wind down after a long week.
This week I visited the park with a couple friends after we got done studying at Randle’s because we just needed something lighthearted to do, and what’s more lighthearted than playing into your inner child? We got our drinks to go, and we quickly made our way over there. We had places to be later, so it was a quick trip, but it was fun nonetheless. Ian saw the roundabout and wanted to go for a spin, and he had a blast while Kyle and I stood and watched with amusement. I really wanted to swing, so we convinced Ian to stop spinning and come to the swings with us. I don’t know what it is, but swinging is just really calming for me. Maybe it’s because it is so methodical, but it relaxes me a lot. We had a chat while we were swinging and shared some jokes back and forth. I hadn’t seen either of them for very long this week, so it was nice to catch up with them and have some carefree recreation. For the last part of our little excursion, we decided to give the horses a ride. It is safe to say that we are not the recommended size for them anymore. We didn’t break them, though! Thank God. My student income would not be able to handle replacing park playground equipment. When we finished with the horses, we took our time walking back to the car because we knew we had to get back to business, but we were glad we had a bit of a break.
I hope y’all can find the time to check Columbia Park out! It really is great that there is so much outdoor recreation so close to our campus, so that way when you need a change of scenery, it won’t take hours to get it. Next time you want to go for a walk, you want to hang out with your friends, or you want a cute date idea, go to Columbia Park.
I’m in the Class of 2024 as a Biology major with a Political Science minor. I’ve got 5 Greek orgs/ honors societies to my name plus a few other clubs and jobs, but that doesn’t stop me from loving staff writing for the Congo!
