Hulen Park Finally Connects Across Buffalo Creek, Just Ahead of Whistle Stop's 30th Season

"Right after I got elected, two little boys came and knocked on my door and said, 'Are you really the mayor? Could you get us a skate park?'" Mayor Scott Cain told the Cleburne Times-Review when Hulen Skatepark opened on June 11.

The story fits the moment, and the skatepark earned its ribbon cutting. Still, the skatepark was one of four parts of the Hulen Park Improvement Project. The part that finished last, and the part the city says the design was built around, is a pedestrian bridge over Buffalo Creek. It opened in late September. Assistant City Manager Aaron Dobson described the project as designed "to connect both sides of the park while honoring the site's railroad heritage."

So for anyone who has spent years walking a park split by a creek, this fall is new. Hulen Park now works as one park, and Whistle Stop Christmas lights it up eight weeks from now.

The Bridge Was the Last Piece, Not an Extra

On September 25, 2026, the City of Cleburne announced that the Hulen Park Improvement Project is officially complete, now that the new pedestrian bridge across Buffalo Creek is open. The city called the bridge "the final piece of the improvement project," which also included the new skatepark, expanded trails around Don Moore Field and improvements to the restroom near the field.

The order matters. When the skatepark opened in June, the Times-Review noted that landscaping, trails, parking areas, restroom facilities and electrical work were still underway around the site. A summer visit showed you a finished skatepark inside an unfinished project. According to the city, the bridge and every other improvement are now open.

The city also says the bridge lets visitors "more easily move between both sides of the park" and reach its trails, recreation areas and other amenities. Per Dobson, its design reflects the area's railroad history, which suits a park already home to the historic Santa Fe Steam Engine 3417.

How a Two-Bank Park Took Three Years to Stitch Together

Here is the project's timeline, pieced together from city and Times-Review records. It also explains why the finish line moved.

1. May 2023: Cleburne City Council approves a design agreement with MESA Design Group for Hulen Park, funded through the city's 4B bond program.
2. July 2024: The city approves the final design after two public meetings, online surveys and feedback from local skateboarders.
3. September 2025: All construction bids come in over the projected budget, and council rejects them.
4. December 2025: Using cooperative purchasing agreements, the council and the 4B Economic Development Corp. approve contracts with American Ramp Co. for the skatepark and Kraftsman Commercial Playground & Waterpark for the bridge.
5. February 2026: Construction begins.
6. June 11, 2026: Hulen Skatepark opens to the public.
7. September 25, 2026: The bridge opens and the city declares the project complete.

Once the 2025 bids were rejected and the project was rebuilt through cooperative purchasing, it went from new contracts to an open bridge in about nine months. The city hasn't published a final construction cost for the finished project.

What Sits on Either Side of Buffalo Creek

Before the bridge, Hulen Park's amenities were already a lot for a single park. The Times-Review lists Splash Station, playgrounds, walking trails, pavilions and Steam Engine 3417. It also notes that the Texas Parks & Recreation Society named Hulen a Lone Star Legacy Park in 2021, one of the highest honors a Texas park can receive.

The city's facility listings add named structures and features:

• Heritage Pavilion, Kimbro Heritage Pavilion and the Heritage Gazebo, the covered gathering spots
• Don Moore Field, a baseball and softball field with field lights, bleachers, a scoreboard, benches, picnic tables and restrooms, available for reservations
• A basketball court, playground equipment, picnic areas, a walking trail and parking

The new work groups around Don Moore Field. The project expanded the trails around the ballfield and upgraded the restroom that the Times-Review says serves both Don Moore Field and skatepark visitors. That puts the newest amenities next to one of the park's oldest uses, and the bridge now links that cluster to the rest of the park across the creek.

One practical note: the park's address varies by listing. Visit Cleburne lists 201 W. Westhill Dr., while Whistle Stop Christmas lists 1010 Hillsboro St. If you're meeting someone, name the landmark you mean, such as the skatepark, Don Moore Field or the steam engine, not just the street.

The Skatepark Rules Worth Knowing Before You Drop Off a Kid

Hulen Skatepark is open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. It's built for skateboards, inline skates, roller skates and scooters. Bicycles are allowed only with plastic or covered pegs, and motorized vehicles are prohibited.

The design took local conditions into account. The skatepark sits at grade to help drainage and cut down on standing water, according to the Times-Review. Mayor Cain described what it replaced: "Until today, skaters had to use makeshift parks on abandoned lots that were dangerous. Today, they have a quality park that is safe and beautiful."

"The skatepark represents those communications with our community." Aaron Dobson, Assistant City Manager, on the public meetings and surveys that shaped the design

With the bridge open, a skatepark session no longer has to be a separate trip from the rest of the park. The trail expansion and the new crossing mean an afternoon can go from the ramps to the far bank on foot.

Whistle Stop's 30th Year Is the First Test of the Connected Park

The Cleburne Chamber of Commerce Foundation is billing Whistle Stop Christmas 2026 as "30 Years in the Making." It runs from November 23, 2026 through January 3, 2027, at Hulen Park and in downtown Cleburne, and invites visitors to wander Hulen Park "beneath thousands of twinkling lights and festive holiday displays."

The organizers say the parade may be canceled if the weather is bad.

This is the 30th lighting, and it's the first one since the bridge opened. Past Whistle Stop visitors walked a park divided by Buffalo Creek. This year the crossing is open eight weeks before the November 23 ceremony. The Chamber hasn't said whether the light displays will extend over the new bridge, so the layout is something to see in person on lighting night.

Making a Fall Afternoon of It

October and early November are the quiet stretch between the September completion and the holiday crowds. That makes this the easiest time to walk the expanded trails around Don Moore Field, cross the bridge and get to know the connected park before Whistle Stop fills it.

For coffee, 7 Brew at 1211 West Henderson Street says on its location page that it's near Hulen Park and invites customers to stop by after time at the park. Then head back to see Steam Engine 3417 and the Heritage Pavilion before the lights go up.

The city keeps project details on its Current Park Projects page, and the full completion announcement is on the City of Cleburne news page. Lighting ceremony and parade updates are on the Whistle Stop Christmas site.

If you live near Hulen Park and want to know how a finished park project and a 30-year holiday tradition fit into your home's story, the team at Joy Michelle Realty Group would love to walk you through it. Schedule a Free Home Valuation, and we'll talk Cleburne the way neighbors do.