The Recreation Park Complex is located in Chehalis, Washington in the city's South Market district near the Green Hill School.

The venue, also known as the Chehalis Sports Complex,[1] contains four distinct parks within its borders, providing recreation for athletics, walking, swimming, and playground activities.

The city council pursued the idea, in part due to difficulties in funding of the swimming pool, and the proposal received some local support.

[3][5] The complex was the end point of the Centralia to Chehalis Bike Ride, a bicycle event for local riders that was held continuously from the late 20th century into the 3rd millennium.

The first early efforts to convert the area to a park began in 1946 with the construction of a baseball field[7] and renovations to the grounds continued into the 1950s, adding restrooms and more ballfields, specifically for Little League.

Meant to honor service members of all branches of the United States military who perished during wartime, it included a 13 foot (4.0 metres) spiral monument with an inscribed plaque.

[25][26] The cost of the plan was $4 million, with significant funding coming from the Chehalis Foundation, the National Park Service, and a Youth Athletic Facilities grant from Washington state.

[25] The project consisted of adding artificial turf to the ballfields, sod replacement, fixing drainage issues, a new irrigation system, installing all-weather walkways, and upgrading the concession stand and dugouts.

[29] New funding from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) in late 2023 provided the opportunity to upgrade the restrooms on the grounds, including the facilities at the spray park.

[31] The effort to build Penny Playground began in 1992 through community initiative and fundraising, with a non-profit corporation created to oversee the project that year.

[33][36][37] A restoration of the park was necessary by 2019 as the original timber equipment, having surpassed its 20-year lifespan, had begun to deteriorate from dry rot, with additional concerns over the toxic chemicals in the treated wood, a lack of spare parts, and not meeting current safety requirements.

[41][42] The new ADA compliant playground was furnished with all-weather equipment, a perimeter path, cushioning artificial turf, and sculptures, with a new parking lot and improved sidewalks around the area.

[45] The breadth of the proposal increased further due in large part to considerable donations from the local community, and an influx of a combined grant and budget item of $750,000 from the state government.

[46] Additional financial support soon followed by prominent Chehalis people and businesses, notably Orin C. Smith and the center's moniker, Gail and Carolyn Shaw.

Completed in 2007, local fundraisers produced $120,000 for the project that was built as a "fun and safe space for young children’s outdoor water play".

[53] Despite the Ol' Swimmin' Hole and sandy beach that existed at Lintott-Alexander Park,[54][55] several attempts had been made by the city of Chehalis to build a community pool in the early part of the 20th century.

[57] Construction began that year but, despite rallies and support from the Chehalis High School student body,[57] finalizing the build ended inauspiciously in December, with a lack of funding and community participation in completing the $125,000 project.

[68] A planned renovation, estimated to cost $2.2 million,[57] was begun in the 2010s, but due to age and lack of ADA amenities, the pool and facilities were demolished and replaced by the Gail and Carolyn Shaw Aquatics Center beginning in 2012.