Whether walking a dog, taking a breezy walk through the green grass, enjoying a warm summer day with family or kicking a soccer ball around, Duncanville provides the best parks around.

Totaling more than 200 acres, Duncanville's cornucopia of parks is the ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts and those needing a day away from the home or office.

A day doesn't go by when a football, Frisbee, basketball or soccer ball isn't kicked, passed or tossed at Duncanville's lush parks.

Armstrong Park, located by the library, city hall, community and recreation centers, is home to the Poe-Hobden Amphitheater, which is site to the summer concert series and the Shakespeare Under the Stars program.

Kidsville is no misnomer. The facility is a labyrinth of swings, cubby holes and jungle gym poles for kids to climb in at Armstrong Park.

Duncanville also is home to several botanical treasures.

Located at Armstrong Park and in conjunction with the Texas A&M Horticultural Extension service, Duncanville horticulturist Frank Allen maintains several gardens to obtain research and understanding about how to grow healthy plants without chemicals.

The purpose of the program is to provide everyone with the knowledge on how to implement their own successful garden.

Allen maintains the Iris Garden, Perennial Garden and Rose Garden at the park.

The gardens are open seven days a week and is convenient for those parents who want to drop their children off by the near by Kidsville and enjoy the splendor of the wonderful flora.

Currently, the garden contains more than 150 different varieties of roses and no pesticides were used in their maturation.

In addition, the garden's feature "Texas Superstars," designated as the "best of the best" by Allen.

Need an escape from the summer heat? Jump in the family wagon and visit Joe Pool Lake, where on 7,500 acres visitors can sail, ski, swim, sunbathe and fish the day away.

In addition, Joe Pool Lake is surrounded by four parks where hiking trails meander through the timbers and grasslands. The parks also include 10 miles of mountain bike trails.

The Duncanville Community Library and Recreation Center are perfect relief for those seeking an indoor retreat. The library provides families, students and business professionals with a wealth of research and educational resources, including a wide range of print and multi-media publications.

The facility features two quiet study rooms, a children's area and genealogy and local history areas.

The recreation center has a vast range of activities for people of all ages including a comprehensive workout facility, indoor walking trails, basketball courts, pool tables, ping pong tables and more.

The complex includes two gyms, a teen room with games and television, meeting rooms and a conference area.

The D.L. Hopkins Senior Center is experiencing a wealth of change. In 2003, more than 200 seniors witnessed the groundbreaking of a 4,500-square-foot expansion, which should be finished in the spring. This $1 million expansion includes a new kitchen, multi-purpose room, stage, deck and gallery, and allow the center host a number of new classes and events including dances.