Buildings of architectural note include the 1920s Carnegie Arts Center, formerly the town's library, and the Parsons Municipal Auditorium, which hosts concerts, theater productions and civic gatherings. The First Presbyterian Church's turrets and stained-glass windows make it a much-photographed structure. Hundreds of Civil War veterans are buried at Oakwood Cemetery, known for its wartime monuments and memorials.
The Parsons Arboretum, S. 21st Street and Briggs Avenue adjacent to Glenwood Park, includes a visitor center, wetlands area, observation deck and an 18-hole disc golf course; phone (620) 421-7088. Nearby, both Pearson-Skubitz Big Hill Lake and Neosho State Fishing Lake offer camping and fishing facilities.