I apologize in advance for not taking more pictures.Mu son and I love this park. He goes more than…read moreI do to shoot hoops or simply ride his bike. I personally feel that it is safe for him to go alone. This park has plenty of parking, the grounds have always been kept super clean and o absolutely love that Northside Pool is located right in the middle of the park. We love to swim and lovely to have a indoor pool close to home

Really huge recreational area with monstrous shade trees throughout. it has swings for various…read morechildren's age, groups, and many jungle gym areas. There are lot of strategically placed benches. There is a large skate park. I'm not positive, but it may contain a swimming pool (locked today). It has a tennis court. The bathrooms were also locked. At 1PM today, April 18, 2025, it was a breezy 74°. It was a perfect day to watch grandchildren play.

This is a great place for indoor fun! Unfortunately it is…read moreclosing. The whole mall is closing ,and being torn down. What a shame Norfolk did not do more to keep this place viable.It could have been saved with lower rents,and incentives,but as usual we build,and tear down viable structures. Wish the whole play area could be transported somewhere else.

I went here when I was about 4 or 5 and it was SO fun. I could've sworn it was smaller than this…read more.. anyways this is a top tier playplace, but I'm sad that McArthur closed down. it's a shame that I won't be able to experience everything I did in here!

A very nice relaxing park with amenities to boot. Spent all day outside cooking out and relaxing…read moreunder huge oaks and pine trees! Lots of room for activities and games. The perfect gathering spot for large families!

Lakewood Park offers much more than meets the eye. It may not be the most scenic, but I bet it's…read morethe most functional. This is one park if unfamiliar you should know more about. More over if you reside in Norfolk this should be a recreation area that you frequent. The park is in one word expansive and stretches wide and long. I think you will love hearing more about this Norfolk gem. Although not a new park by any stretch, as a matter of fact it's a petty old park. Located off of Tidewater Dr. a quarter of a mile in a residential area. However, it is well maintained with newer equipment and some extras in the rear that I will elaborate on. I will work myself from front to back of property for this review. Parking is huge! I have never seen it even a quarter full even with events. It is well maintained, but usually has some amount of debris around. The park office is also located up front too. You will find older clean restrooms that are used by not only park goers, but during the week it acts like a rest stop. There are two ball fields to the right. Two all purpose fields to the left used for football and soccer. Both are used for Norfolk Recreation League. Since I am not a resident of Norfolk I am unsure how the sign up process works, however there is info at the park office. All the way to the left is a full court basketball court, however the surface is in horrid condition.. Directly to the rear is the huge tennis center with nine courts, you read correctly NINE and it's lit. There is also league play for adults. The court is kept in great condition. In the center are the playgrounds which have anything but regular equipment. Slides, swings and unique items you will NOT find in any other park. One of my daughters favorite is one that you get on and slide back and forth. Another one twirls you around, so hold on tight. There are also three nice shelters with bbq grills. All of this is in close proximity of each other. Now let's move to the rear of the property close to the water. The Lakewood Dance and Music Studio offers classes, clinics etc. through the Norfolk Parks and Recreation system. If you are not a Norfolk resident there is an up charge. My daughter who is a dancer at a VB studio attends clinics. The Tidewater Rowing Center is at the very rear of the grounds. It's main build is very large and two stories. This is also home to ODU Rowing. Two good size out buildings house rigging and row equipment for the club and ODU. Two drawbacks to this park are debris, it seems like no matter how hard the staff clean up its around. On a visit tonight someone had pushed over a can apparently on purpose. Another issue is an element of homeless/transients. They have never bothered me, but I don't like it. Lakewood has a lot to offer and is a terrific facility in the Norfolk park system. Come see for yourself.

This playground is big with many kids. If your kid is super active, please pay a close eye. It's…read morevery easy to lose your kid while other children are running due to different obstacles they have in the playground. There are also areas where kids can hide under a slide and steps. I've seen one kid hide under a little cave for about 15m. Besides the broken slide, I'll come when it's less crowded. Maybe early morning or after 6. Too much of a risk to bring my highly active 3yr old to this park. 4 stars!

We love Kids Cove! The city really leveled up by adding the…read moreplayground to the side of the hill! This park has something for all ages, with lots of park benches & covered picnic areas for families!

Absolutely love this place! It's the perfect place to go for a walk or run, there is plenty of…read morespace for walkers, runners and even bikers! ‍ There's a decent size playground. Oak Grove is definitely on the pretty side, and even if it's hot out, you are mostly in shade! There are smaller, shorter trails inside the woods you can walk through too if you'd like. Plenty of fishing spots!

Free Parking. Porta Potties available. This park has a cement walk way leading up to the…read moreplayground, porta potty, and a picnic area that would be great for wheelchairs. This park is great for adults, kids and dogs. The views are of a crystal clear lake NO swimming and NO boating. Plenty of trees. Great for bird watching. They have a nice size children's playground. Covered picnic tables throughout the park. a few fitness stations on the 1 1/2 mile hike. VERY easy loop hike. Starts out with a cement trail and turns into fine gravel trail around the lake. Lots of people running, kids playing and dogs walking. My favorite thing I found a bench dedicated to their sweet dog Savanna. And they offer doggy poop bags. Encouraging a nice clean park. Nice easy walk and if you time it right there are a lot of great places in that area to eat and a nice shopping area

Lafayette Park continues to be a sad park even with monthly volunteer efforts to keep it clean. On…read moremy recent visit debris was scattered from one end of this 7+ acre park to the next. I participated in clean up for two days in the Fall. I have been a volunteer for city parks for years. There is so much potential here with beautiful grounds, even new play equipment and shelters. The grounds are maintained by City of Norfolk. The location is in front of the Virginia Zoo and they have there own parking. Unfortunately a large homeless element can be seen early mornings and later in the evening so be aware. Not a park I now frequent with older children, but an option for many Norfolk residents since it's one off the largest.

I have been visiting Lafayette Park since I was a kid growing up in the 60's and 70's. The park is…read morewell maintained and usually clean. They have plenty of activities for children and adults to enjoy from playing basketball to just enjoying a quiet walk around the park. The park offers grilling areas set up for family cookouts that are well sheltered against the elements. If you are looking for a wonderful place to spend some time getting away from the fast pace of every day life, do yourself a favor and visit Lafayette Park in Norfolk.

I took the grandkids out for a little adventure at Chesapeake City Park near the corner of…read moreKempsville Road and Greenbrier Parkway. They keep this place well maintained and the kids had a great time playing on the swings, and other equipment.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon on a nice day in VA. It was about 15 minutes away from the hotel…read more My first impression was damn that's a huge flag! Then, I was like, where do I park? I ended up parking near the basketball courts. There were many people at the park but there was still lots of available parking around. I saw people playing basketball, soccer, kites, football, etc. I was surprised they had a horse shoe court that looked like they could have a tournament as there were so many lanes. I walked through the park at first, walked to the dog park, then the pond, then circled back to the forest playground, which was huge! If my kids were little they would have loved this place! They had a stage that could have a small outdoor concert. After checking out the kids' playground, I went for a full walk around the park and realized there were 9-11 memorials, military gold star family memorials, and other patriotic displays along with huge flag in the middle of the park. There were areas to have picnics, exercise areas, and lots of open space for pets and kids and any outdoor activities. There were two bathroom areas at opposite sides of the park. One near the kids playground and the other near the skate park. I did about 1.5 loops around the park before leaving. I didn't like that there were people smoking weed in their cars and the smell was pretty strong. But overall the park is nice and perfect for family outings and a day out in the sunshine.

Wow! How'd I not know this place existed? Acres of athletic space, zoned by sport: soccer fields…read morewith goals/nets, lined baseball/softball fields with bases, volleyball courts with nets and horse shoe pits. Additionally, there are covered picnic areas with grills in addition to playgrounds with slides. A person I met said you can actually reserve these pavilions ahead of time or chance same day availability for free. They also offer inflatable rentals/delivery too. FYI, gender specific restrooms are strategically and centrally placed throughout.

Awesome park! Came here for a family friends BBQ. Very clean and well kept. All of us were up…read moremoving. Bring your balls!! There's: -shelters -playgrounds -grills -men & women's bathrooms -volleyball nets -soccer fields with nets -baseball field -horseshoe racks

There is so much potential for this the space that is The Plot and the Neon District. There is buzz…read morearound the plans that the City of Norfolk has to revitalize the area. It's a shame that a lot of established business in the Neon District has either left or have plans to move. The murals, the tables and chairs, and the potted plants that hang on the walls of the painted containers are all very nice to see, but wish that people utilized it more. At the time of my visit, the concrete in the Plot seems to be in pretty rough shape! More shade would be nice so that if people purchase food from surrounding businesses could have a place to eat their food out in the nice outdoors! If you're in the area, you should definitely check out the space and the murals in the area. There is a giant one of fish by a well known muralist in the area known as Onie Tonie. I also liked the one with "LOVE VA" that is one street over from The Plot, right in front of the Sanctuary, a local taco spot. Enjoy, Friends and never stop exploring!

I have now had well over a dozen visits to The Plot. An idea developed from the folks who own The…read moreParlor restaurant across the street a few years back. The goal to do something with the vacant lot which was an eye sore. So it may not appear to be much and maybe it isn't to many. However, it's the nucleus of the Neon District and that's enough for me to dub it pretty darn special. The location of The Plot is the intersection of Granby and Olney. There is a sign that was once for a car lot I believe. This is not a city owned lot like many believe. The City of Norfolk pays rent to the owner. Parking will be off street. The half block is repurposed land that has a few cargo containers for storage, a stage for performances and some art pieces. There are also plantings. You can find a newspaper mailbox made into a cell phone charging station, who came up with that fantastic idea. There is also station to get air for your bike tires. This more of a meeting type place than a park. There are a few benches. Small events are held here. The largest even for the area will be October 15&16 when the area holds it's first annual Neon Festival. There has been a lot of activity taking place in the 2-3 block area such as wall murals and construction of the new wheel house glass studio. I am excited and hope to attend the event. So what does the future hold for The Plot. For most this will be a shock. The Plot's land is actually for sale, if sold it will be moved one block over into a City of Norfolk lot of around the same square footage. This could always change I suppose, but this is information that I just recently got from a store owner. Come check The Plot you will love it. Walk around and enjoy the shops, restaurants and nearby Chrysler Museum of Art. It goes with out saying enjoy the art...it's every where. I applaud all involved in the Neon District, It is something Norfolk has needed and is beginning to take off.

I recently visited Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton and it was a great experience. It is free to enter…read moreand offers a fun, educational environment for all ages. They have a wide variety of animals, including goats, cows, horses, alpacas, peacocks, and ducks. The grounds are well-maintained and the facilities are clean. For groups, there is a covered pavilion with BBQ grills and picnic tables, as well as a playground for children. There is also a vending machine area located by the welcome center. It was not crowded and served as a great way to decompress in nature. I highly recommend visiting this hidden gem.

This petting farm is Free to visit! Has good parking space. They have a great variety of animals,…read moreincluding sheep, goats, llamas, donkeys, horses, pigs, chickens, birds, and even a beautiful white peacock. There's also a nice play area for kids, plenty of picnic tables, clean bathrooms, and a lovely garden. It's a wonderful place to spend the day with family, enjoy a picnic, and get up close with the animals. Overall, a beautiful and well maintained place. Highly recommend!