Jim Barnett Park

Spend a day at Jim Barnett Park and enjoy time in solitude or with friends and family. Our main park campus offers a par course fitness trail consisting of 18 exercise stations, paved walking trail with benches and story walk, playgrounds, and picnic pavilions with charcoal grills. The main park also includes horseshoe courts, a fishing lake, athletic fields, pickleball courts, a BMX track, dog park, and seasonal outdoor pool.

The Rec Center/War Memorial Building is located in Jim Barnett Park, between the ball fields and the outdoor pool.

Memorials

There are a number of memorials in the park, including the POW/MIA Memorial and Korean War Memorial, both located along Maple Drive near the Cork Street park entrance. Inside the Rec Center/War Memorial Building is a Veterans' Wall of Honor.

POW/MIA Memorial

Rolling Thunder, Inc. Virginia Chapter 1 built a memorial in Jim Barnett Park to honor and recognize Virginia soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines, who through their military service to their country, and their status as a POW-MIA, have yet to come home. The Memorial was dedicated in November of 2005 to honor all POWs and MIAs. The Memorial was selected as the Best New Recreation and Parks Facility in Virginia in 2005 for a city of its size.

Thus, we the living, may never forget, as a nation of free people, the sacrifices of the POW-MIAs.

Brochure(PDF, 1MB)

Korean War Memorial

Built and dedicated in 2013 by the Shenandoah Valley Chapter 313, Korean War Veterans Association.

Although the Korean War is often referred to as the "Forgotten War", the thousands of living Korean War Veterans across the country will never forget what they saw, accomplished and fought for during the war. The Korean War is far from over, but the short time of fighting took place from June 1950 to July 1953. During these three years, 33,741 U.S. men and women were killed in action. More than 103,000 were wounded and 7,140 were listed as prisoners of war. Approx. 8,000 still remain missing or unaccounted for.

This memorial in Jim Barnett Park is a way to remember those brave individuals in our community and surrounding counties who served during the bitter conflict. The Memorial consists of three granite sections. The large center piece features an engraving of the Korean peninsula and the two smaller sections, one on each side will randomly list 62 veterans killed in Korean from the following areas:

Winchester City (VA)
Frederick County (VA)
Clarke County (VA)
Warren County (VA)
Shenandoah County (VA)
Jefferson County (WV)
Berkeley County (WV)
Hardy County (WV)
Hampshire County (WV)
Morgan County (WV)

A walkway connects the POW-MIA Memorial to the Korean War Memorial and a brick "Path of Honor" leads the way to the large granite pieces and U.S. flag. Flanking both sides of the Path of Honor are five pair of bronze military boots representing the five military branches of service (i.e. Air Force, Navy, Army, Marines and Coast Guard).

For "Path of Honor" inscription inquires, contact the WPRD administrative offices.

Who was Jim Barnett?

Jim Barnett was both a dedicated and devoted director of the Winchester Parks & Recreation Department for more than thirty years. His leadership was instrumental during a period of unprecedented growth and development. He had unceasing energy, contagious enthusiasm and a positive attitude and presented throughout the years, by his generosity, personal involvement and self-sacrifice, what every citizen should be to their community. On August 26, 1987, the Winchester Parks & Recreation Board did unanimously resolve that the City Recreation Park shall be officially designated “Jim Barnett Park.”