NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Burns Park in North Little Rock is a popular area amongst Arkansans.
"This park will never look the same in my lifetime," North Little Rock Fire Department Capt. Dustin Free said.
The park has been closed since March 31 after tornadoes tore through the state. Free said the park isn't safe for public access as crews continue the clean-up process.
"It has become an area to house all the work that needs to take place with all the debris that's being brought out," Free said.
We are the only television crew North Little Rock officials have allowed inside to see the widespread destruction.
"The baseball field where the North Little Rock High School baseball team plays, it's been destroyed," Free said. "It's not usable."
Funland, which opened new rides one day before the tornado, is also destroyed.
Crews have areas within the park where mounds of metal, tree limbs and even mattresses sit. They'll be working to sort and remove them to another site where they can properly be disposed of.
In just one week, recovery crews have made much progress with clearing debris from roads and bike trails.
Free isn't sure when the park will reopen. Fortunately, the cover bridge is still intact.
Although the community is stunned, they aren't letting the tornado's aftermath stop them from rebuilding.
"It's not gonna look the same," Free said. "It's going to have a totally different face to it. We can't change that, but we can try to go forward and try to make it a better Park."