Any corporation heretofore or hereafter formed for the purpose of creating and maintaining public parks and drives shall have full power and authority to lay out, manage, and control parks and drives within the State, under any rules and regulations as the corporation may prescribe and shall have power to purchase and hold property and take gifts or donations for such purpose.  It may hold property and exercise such powers and trust for any town, city, township, or county, in connection with which the parks and drives shall be maintained.  Any city, town, township, or county, holding such property, may vest and transfer the same to any such corporation for the purpose of controlling and maintaining the same as public parks and drives under any regulations and subject to any conditions as may be determined upon by the city, town, township, or county.  All such lands as the corporation may acquire shall be held in trust as public parks and drives, and shall be held open to the public under any rules, laws, and regulations as the corporation may adopt through its board of directors, and it shall have power and authority to make and adopt all laws and regulations as it may determine upon for the reasonable management of such parks and drives.  The terms “public parks and drives” as used in this section shall be construed so as to include playgrounds, recreational centers, and other recreational activities and facilities which may be provided and established under the sponsorship of any county, city, town, township, or school district in North Carolina and constructed or established with the assistance of the government of the United States or any agency thereof. (1955, c. 1230; 1973, c. 695, s. 9; 1993, c. 398, s. 1.)