Robert M. Watkins Regional Park covers 864 acres and was named for Robert Watkins, chairman of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission from 1951 to 1954, whose leadership advanced park acquisition and development in Prince George's County. The park became part of the public lands managed by M-NCPPC in 1964. The land had once been part of a large Belt family estate dating to the 1600s, where tobacco was the main crop and part of the farm remained wooded. William Seton Belt was the last family member to live there, and after his death in 1959, The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission bought part of the property to preserve the land and create a regional park. The original purchase from the William Seton Belt estate included two parcels totaling 437 acres, and since 1991 M-NCPPC has acquired ten additional parcels totaling 427 acres, nearly doubling the park's size. The park includes Watkins Nature Center, Old Maryland Farm, Chesapeake Carousel, an 18-hole miniature golf course, a miniature train, Watkins Tennis Bubble, two imagination playgrounds, picnic pavilions, and a variety of trails and natural areas. More than one million visitors come each year for recreation, festivals, and special events, and the park still contains large agricultural fields that reflect the county's agricultural heritage.
