At Home In Houston County 2023

GET OUTSIDE
Ted Wright Park
Warner Robins’ Premier Green Space
By Tyler Meister
Ted Wright Park is a well-known location along Moody
Road in Warner Robins. Parents and grandparents
can remember growing up in the area, playing on the
playground and then later bringing their children there to
do the same.
Recently, however, the park that was once known for
baseball fields, softball and a touch of tennis, saw
some updates.
A park well known for the giant metal caterpillar greeting
new visitors, Ted Wright Park, according to Department
Head of Parks and Recreation Jarred Reneau, will now
serve much more of the community.
“We can bring the whole the community together in one
area now,” Reneau said. “Just to watch the diversity, the
different activities, birthday parties and all the events that
have gone on so far, it’s awesome for the county.”
The park now features a number of amenities, including
12 pickleball courts, an ADA-accessible playground
boasting the county’s first 3D climber and AstroTurf,
as well as a splash pad for the summer, a walking trail
and spaces for small or medium-size gatherings. The
caterpillar is still there, too — it’s just got a new coat of
paint now.
area — but the park’s new amenities have also attracted
people all over Houston County, as well as from areas
outside of the county.
Ted Wright has such a history in Warner Robins — it’s
had kids playing on it since at least the 1970s, Reneau
confirmed — that it’s become integral to the city.
Municipal parks like this one have many purposes,
such as giving children a place to play, giving a free,
easy access location for parents to share time with their
children and generally beautifying the area.
“Being a big [Air Force] base town, obviously we have
people who are in and out of here a lot,” Reneau said. “I
think to be able to provide something unique, to be able to
provide quality of life living in and out of here, and also
for the residents who have been here for a long time —
it’s upgrades.
“For so long the parks have needed upgrades, and this
was one that was center of town. I think it’s important for
municipalities to keep up their parks. It’s about quality of
life and getting people out and moving.”
This is just beginning. Reneau hopes that when the next
SPLOST comes, the city can dedicate even more funding
to updating their parks.
Ted Wright Park rests in the center of Warner Robins, and
is settled in the midst of a residential, walking community.
The children playing there are often ones in the immediate
118 AT HOME IN HOUSTON COUNTY