For a history buff like Eric Hall, living next to Dallas’ oldest park feels almost surreal.

“It’s a lot of Dallas history in one place and it’s also a point of pride,” Hall said.

Old City Park is located in The Cedars neighborhood of South Dallas. It holds more than just some of North Texas’ oldest homes. For Hall, it’s the place where the past comes alive.

“It’s a wonderful assortment and showcase of our heritage, our cultures, artistic building styles, architecture, it goes on and on. So living this close to the park has always been one of my favorite things about living in The Cedars,” Hall said.

In 2024, Dallas County Heritage Society’s contract to manage the park ended. The city of Dallas took over. Hall said that change also led to a change in upkeep and preventative maintenance.

“The buildings are all closed, so no one goes in them. So, no one knows what’s going on inside a building,” said Hall.

He pointed to the doctor’s office, a historic building on the property.

“They covered it and now you can see that the covers have rotted away on the roof,” Hall said. “I can see how it’s being ignored. It’s real depressing.”

However, Dallas Park and Recreation said they have not forgotten about this park.

“We want to really make sure that we are continuing with the historic traditions as well and making sure that we’re taking care of the properties that we have on site,” Park and Recreation Assistant Director Keshia Randle said.

Starting with the restoration of four properties, Randle said the city is investing $2.7 million into the park, and that the city has been conducting site assessments and working on site plans.

“Celebrating our 150 years this year we are super excited to kind of be able to restore, um, that, that feeling here in Dallas, especially at Old City Park,” Randle said.

She said residents could start seeing those efforts sometime this year and in 2027.

As a frequent visitor, Hall said he doesn’t want to lose what years of history gained.

“What we’d like to see is some forward movement. We’d like to see some action,” Hall said.