1976 First gift of 204 acres is donated from descendants of Arlington pioneer James Gibbins, Berta Rose Brown and Margaret Rose May.

1985 Additional 171 acres is donated by the Ryan Companies, Perry R. Bass and Texas Industries.
Private donations of $100,000 are received, reflecting the vision of forward-thinking citizens who could see the value of the parks.

1987 Grants totaling $2.45 million are secured to begin development of the land.

1988 River Legacy Foundation is established – a unique public/private partnership between the nonprofit organization and the city of Arlington. The name River Legacy Parks is adopted to indicate the importance of conserving resources for future generations. Marketing and fund-raising efforts begin.
Construction gets underway.

1990 The first phase of visitor-ready parkland opens to the public.
First visitors to Phase I of River Legacy Parks explore trails, river overlooks, picnic areas and a playground.

1992 Phase II is completed, with a grand picnic pavilion, shade and trail enhancements. Many trees are planted.
River Legacy Parks East is constructed, adding 49 acres to the park.

1996 The River Legacy Living Science Center opens, an example of sustainable design. Setting is on River Legacy Parks’ edge to preserve and protect areas critical for wildlife habitat and plants. Location respects natural systems and existing topography.

1998 The Living Science Center’s Nature School program earns accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

1999 Offering GEMS™, Great Explorations in Math and Science, Professional Development and other services, the Living Science Center is named an official GEMS™ site.

2002 Total area of the parks reaches 1,308 acres, the result of land donations over the years. Now a GEMS™ Center, the Living Science Center provides sustained support to teachers across North Texas.

2003 River Legacy Foundation receives the Margaret Galloway "Organization of the Year" Award from the Star-Telegram and celebrates the 15th Anniversary of its founding.

2004 Construction is completed on a $2.4 million capital improvement project, which included four miles of paved trail stretching from Highway 157 east to Highway 360, a pedestrian bridge over the Trinity River linking River Legacy Parks' existing paved trails on the south side of the river with the new trails on the north side, and a new park entrance and parking lot off of Collins Street.

2005 Distance Learning is added to the Living Science Center's array of education programs.
The Center becomes one of 6 centers nationwide and the only one in Texas to partner with the Education Development Center in Newton, Massachusetts, and the University of California Lawrence Hall of Science to help community-based organizations implement science and engineering into their after-school programs. This effort is being funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

2006 The Science Center celebrates its 10th anniversary.

2008 The first of a series of canoe launches along Arlington's portion of the Trinity River is completed. The first launch is located underneath the pedestrian bridge. Additional launches are planned near Greenbelt bridge and Texas 360.