The Central Park of Culture and Recreation named after Pyotr Belousov is Tula's main green space, a large wooded park in the southern part of the city that was established in the late 19th century. Belousov himself was a local doctor who campaigned for the park as a public health measure, arguing that the city's factory workers needed fresh air — an unusually enlightened civic project for its time.
Today the park offers pleasant walking paths through mature trees, a small lake, rowing boats for hire in summer, and the usual Russian park amenities of ice cream kiosks, fairground rides, and outdoor chess tables. In winter it transforms into a cross-country skiing area. It is a good place to spend an afternoon away from the museums, and gives a sense of how the city's own residents actually use their free time.