Town of Pulaski

Places To Visit

Calfee Park - 700 South Washington Avenue

Calfee Park was built in 1935 by the WPA work force, and named after the Town of Pulaski Mayor of the time, Ernest W. Calfee. The original structures still standing are the covered stands and the rock ticket gate at the north end. Over the years, the park has been used for horse shows, fairs, concerts, exhibitions, and of course, athletic events.

Although initially intended for horse shows, civic events and high school sports, the park became identified almost exclusively with minor league baseball. Beginning with the Pulaski Counts in 1936, Calfee Park became the home for several major league farm teams associated with the Appalachian League. The teams represented over the years include: the Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners. Calfee Park is currently home to its newest franchise, the Pulaski Yankees of the New York Yankees farm system.

Calfee has also been host to high school and college baseball games and tournaments, and prior to consolidation of the Dublin and Pulaski High Schools, was the home football and baseball field for the Pulaski Yankees. The park is used for recreation league football and baseball, and continues to be a focal point in the community, hosting other large Town gatherings and events.

Following a major renovation in 1999, and due largely to its community value and significance, Calfee Park was named to the National and State Historic Landmarks Register, and after the 1999 season, was named the Appalachian League Facility of the Year. This unique ballpark has been featured and pictured in Sports Illustrated, National Geographic, Life and Virginia Living magazines. 

Although the Minor League Baseball season was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Calfee Park is enthusiastic about the return of baseball in a new form. After changes to the Appalachian League made by Minor League Baseball, the league will now be classified as a Summer Wood Bat League, in which top college baseball talent from around our region will compete to show they have the skills to make it to the Major Leagues. The Yankees will no longer be the affiliated partner for Calfee Park baseball, but stay tuned to our website and social media channels for updates!

Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley - 21 West Main Street

The Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley was incorporated in 1978 in Pulaski, Virginia having an original location in the Fairview Home, which was a 1928 Alms House located across from Pulaski County High School.  In 1982 the Center moved to its present location of 21 W. Main Street, Pulaski, Virginia, locating in the former Cato’s clothing store.  The two-story brick building, reminiscent of Victorian era commercial architecture, was built in 1898 and is part of the Downtown Historic Landmark District.

The Fine Arts Center was created out of a need to augment the arts education offered in the school systems and to provide a vehicle for the arts presentation to the residents of the New River Valley.  In more than 40 years of operation, the Fine Arts Center has touched the lives of an estimated 900,000 people through classes, gallery visits, performances, and special events.  The Center has hosted a combination of more than 5,500 classes or programs involving 30,000 plus artists.

In 2019, the Board of Directors approved the naming of the art gallery in the Center after one of the Fine Arts Center’s founders, Mrs. Edna Love.
To find out more about the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley, check out their website or Facebook page.

After the completion of the Pulaski Train Station, the Town turned its attention to re-establishing the Raymond F. Ratcliffe Museum. Using the proceeds from a state grant, the Town erected a pre-engineered free standing building to house the new museum. As required by the grant, the museum highlights the significant role that transportation, in particular rail transport, played in the early and middle stages of the Towns history. 

The museum features exhibits including antique fire engines, transportation memorabilia, and other exhibits detailing the emergence of the Town as a transportation hub and industrial center. 

The centerpiece of the new museum is the Brockmeyer-Ryan scale reconstruction of Downtown Pulaski as it appeared in the early 1950's. The 80' x 20' scale layout, built between 1945 and 1985 features scale reproductions of buildings created from the actual blueprints of original structures from that time period. The display also incorporates over 170 model railroad cars and engines that are also to scale with the miniature Town. 

At the Virginia Municipal League Conference in 2014, the Town of Pulaski received the organization's Achievement Award for the 5,000-10,000 population category. The award recognized the Town's extraordinary effort to bring about rebuilding of it historic train station, as well as construction of the Raymond F. Ratcliffe Memorial Transportation Museum. Tremendous care and coordination with many partners and volunteers were the core of the construction, which involved salvaging, cleaning and curating objects damaged by the fire. An additional challenge was added to this already tall order by the F-2 tornado which struck Pulaski on April 8, 2011. Visitors to the museum are encouraged to check out the display board entitled "A Story of Resilience", which describes how the community juggled rebuilding of the train station, restoration of museum contents, and damage from the tornado. As noted in the Virginia Town & City article about the Town's achievement, "The complexity of the project, including many hands - both volunteers and contractors alike - made its execution a significant challenge and its success all the more sweet."

To find out more about the museum, its exhibits and what it has to offer, click here.

Gatewood Park - 100 Gatewood Park Road

A 400 acre scenic park providing rest and relaxation through camping, boating, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. With 22 miles of shoreline and water depths ranging up to 50 feet, Gatewood is ideal for the growth of many trophy size large mouth bass, along with a good number of crappie, catfish, blue gill, muskie and small mouth bass. Because the reservoir is a source of water supply for the citizens of the Town of Pulaski, no boat with petroleum motors are allowed. However, canoes and boats with electric motors are available for rent on an hourly or daily basis. Campers at Gatewood can choose from 42 level campsites along the shoreline, all equipped with water and electrical hook-ups.

To read the Gatewood Reservoir Angler Report click here.

To learn more about Gatewood or to make reservations online, please visit www.gatewoodpark.com

For some helpful information regarding safety and health when enjoying the great outdoors, check out this guide by the Safety, Health and Consumer Council.

For more information, you can contact Gatewood Park directly at (540) 230-2023.

For some handy tips on how to stay safe while you're enjoying the outdoors, check out this Outdoor Safety and Health Guide.

Public Parks

The Town of Pulaski manages over 800 acres of parkland, several recreational facilities and the New River Trail Extension.

Pulaski is home to a number of parks throughout the town, which provide opportunities for walking, jogging, biking, recreation, and family-friendly activities.

Sixth Street Park 

Located at the intersection of Washington Avenue and 6th Street Northwest, Sixth Street Park features tennis and basketball courts, children's play equipment and picnic tables. A popular spot, this is also a summer playground site. 

Dora Highway Park

Located on Dora Highway near the train station, features children's play equipment, benches, volleyball, basketball and the Tad Steger Walking Trail. The park is also home to a renovated N&W caboose, compliments of the Pulaski Kiwanis Club. 

Jackson Park

Located in front of the municipal building on First Street, features the gazebo, which is available for rent for weddings and more. The park also has a fountain, benches, space for volleyball, and is bordered on three sides by sidewalks. The park is a popular walking area, and is also used for many special events and festivals, such as Depot Days and the Summer Park Concert Series.

Cool Springs

Located on Dora Highway and Birch Street, features a softball/baseball field that may be rented for tournament use. The field is primarily used for football practice. Future plans have the area connecting to the New River Trail. 

Valley Road Park

Located at Valley and Pulaski Streets, Valley Road Park contains play equipment for children and one picnic table.

New River Trail State Park

Virginia's only linear state park is a rails-to-trails project following an abandoned railroad line through tunnels, over bridges and along the New River from downtown Pulaski to Galax. The Trail is 57 miles long and parallels the New River for 29 miles providing excellent water activities. The state park is excellent for hiking, horseback riding and bicycling.

For some helpful information regarding safety and health when enjoying the great outdoors, check out this guide provided by the Safety, Health and Consumer Council.

Bike, canoe, and guide services are available.
Call (540) 674-5202 or (540) 699-6778 

New River Valley Bike Association

Our friends at the New River Bike Association poured an incredible amount of hard work into creating a mountain bike trail system on Draper Mountain. To check out the trail click here!

To learn more about the New River Bike Association and what they do, click here.