[4] The park was built between 1933 and 1935 by manual laborers employed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs, turning a sandy arroyo filled with garbage into a rolling, grassy landscape planted with over 2,000 trees and bushes.

The park terrain consists of a series of irregular hollows, mostly sitting below the level of the surrounding streets, with a vertical relief of about 50 feet (15 m) between the lowest and highest points.

Tingley pieced together land for the project from one block of the Terrace Addition, which he persuaded the developer to donate, and an adjacent parcel belonging to Albuquerque Public Schools.

[6] Although one of Albuquerque's most popular gathering places, Roosevelt Park developed a reputation as a dangerous area during the 1960s and 70s, with numerous violent incidents as well as ongoing issues with drug use and underage drinking.

[10] Another much-publicized violent incident occurred in 1992, when three people were injured by gunfire during a barbecue being held by the well-known rapper MC Hammer and his entourage.

[13] This led the city to embark on a $2 million renovation project which included pruning trees, replacing the irrigation system, installing a playground and jogging path, and landscaping work.