Muskogee Investing $1M To Improve Green Country Park

One of the prettiest parks in Green Country will soon get even prettier as Muskogee is investing $1 million to improve Honor Heights Park.

Tens of thousands of people come to Muskogee's Honor Heights Park each year to see the annual Garden of Lights display and to see the beautiful azaleas blooming in the spring.

City leaders said reinvesting in the park will bring even more visitors.

Work begins this month on major improvements at the park. It will initially happen during the day when the park is closed, before opening each evening for the Garden of Lights display.

"We want to take Honor Heights Park to the next level," Parks & Recreation Director, Mark Wilkerson said.

It's the first phase of a million dollar improvement project.

The grant from the City of Muskogee Foundation will be used over two years. Much of it will go toward building new azalea beds and buying more azalea plants.

"You know, this park was devastated in the ice storm of 07, '07-'08," Wilkerson said.

Beds will be built in new locations more suitable for the plants, which need partial shade.

"This darker purple are the proposed new areas, for new azalea beds," said Wilkerson.

But Wilkerson said other plants will also be added.

"Plan to plant 10,000 daffodils, 200 flowering trees," he said. "We're going to try to create a park that's more of a year round, seasonal park to be an attraction to visitors."

Crews will also demolish and rebuild old facilities, and add more sidewalks and parking areas, to give visitors better access to the gardens.

Another feature that will be added, thanks to the grant money, is a children's educational garden.