Located at the top of the Lake Mirror Amphitheater, Barnett Family Park was cutting edge when it…read moreopened in 2004. The $2 million park was a gift to the City of Lakeland from Carol Jenkins Barnett and Barney Barnett. Carol Jenkins Barnett (September 30, 1956 - December 7, 2021) was a Lakeland resident and the daughter of George W. Jenkins, the founder of Publix Super Markets. She served as president of Publix Super Markets Charities and as a member of the board of directors of Publix Super Markets. The Barnett Family Park playground features a whimsical nature themed playground with climbing net and an interactive fountain and splash pad that spouts columns of water into the air at random intervals to encourage children to play. The park also has the Sunflower Preschool Playground designed for ages 2 to 5, a labyrinth, a covered picnic area, restrooms, and a multipurpose field. I really enjoyed all of the public art surrounding the play area. If you have children this is a must stop in downtown Lakeland. Whether you're looking for a place to relax, take the kids to play, enjoy a picnic, or engage in sports activities, this park provides a little something for everyone.

Barnett family park is my families favorite park we have gone to in Lakeland. There is a huge…read moreparking lot, as well as street parking which provides plenty of places to park. The location is situated on a beautiful lake that has several walkways for a lovely stroll. The park itself is centered around a humongous shade tree that has a ton of picnic table seating. Each playground is separated by age and is gated, which is a huge relief for parents with runners! There is an infants area, toddlers age 2-5 and big kids area. On the opposite side of the playground is the splash pad which is spread out nicely so parents can keep a good eye on their children as they run and cool down. This park has something for everyone and is a must go to!

Munn Park is located in the Munn Park Historic District, a designated U.S. historic district in…read moreLakeland, Florida. It is named in honor of the city's founder, Louisville, Kentucky businessman Abraham Munn. Munn purchased 80 acres of land that now comprises the Lakeland downtown business district. Munn Park was the first open space in the city. It was dedicated in 1884, as a town square. In 1889 the park was developed with sidewalks, a bandstand, and a well. Lakeland's first train station was located at the park's northern border. Early in the 20th century the park served as an outdoor meeting place. In 1910 the Daughters of the Confederacy erected a monument dedicated to those who died in the Civil War. Later ponds and gardens were added. In 1961, angular pattern walkways replaced the circle and a gazebo and fountain were added. In 1989 the park was redesigned to go back to the more simple town square design. The Confederate monument was removed in 2019. Today Munn Park is a great place to relax in downtown Lakeland. Surrounding the park are historic buildings, restaurants, bars, and businesses. I enjoyed sitting on a bench as the hustle and bustle of the city went on around me. At night the trees are lit with meteor shower lights. One of my favorite sculptures, Live Large by Keith Williams has found a permanent home in the park. During the holiday season the city decorates the park with lights and a Christmas tree and the park is used for pop events, food trucks, and farmers markets throughout the year. Future plans for Munn Park call for a shade pavilion at the north end of the park, restroom, swan themed splash pad, dog park, open lawn, gardens, and children's play area. The City of Lakeland has approved the new design but the city has been working on securing funding and plans for the new park have been moving forward slowly.

A perfect little park full of Xmas Spirit. This park is located in the middle of downtown Lakeland…read more Downtown Lakeland is a quaint perfect area full of restaurants, sidewalk cafes, and some cute shops to stroll! It was also a perfect spot for many to be in the middle of the Lakeland Xmas Parade action. The Xmas lights spread cheer and happiness and Munn Park is a great place to bring the family for some fun free Xmas fun and take sparkling festive holiday pics!

We drove all the way to Circle B find it closed. No mention of it on their website so we…read morestumbled upon Holloway as we wanted to go for a nature walk. The map shows lots of trails, and it looked like the paths had been freshly mowed. We walked for awhile, but honestly it was boring. There wasn't anything to see so we turned around and went home. Maybe we missed something, I don't know, but when you have your heart set on Circle B and it doesn't happen, most places will fall short.

Went to Holloway Park to check out the disk golf course. Its has some difficulty in that it's very…read moreeasy to lose your disks in the brush if you dont have proper aim (like me...lol) but it has a great sequence to the baskets and well kept mowed paths. There are also hiking and jogging trails and pets are allowed on leash. There is 1 portable restroom on site and plenty of parking. Overall, it's a beautiful little park with a nice disk golf course but I recommend you protect yourself and bring some mosquito repellent or you will get eaten up out there.

Kiwanis Park is a great local park in Winter Haven, Florida. It's in a neighborhood area across the…read morestreet from a lake and a great walking trail. We were staying at an airbnb nearby so we walked there one morning. There are swings, slides, climbing structures, and it is also accessible for kids with disabilities. There's a little shade from the shade structures but there are not many trees. A small pavilion is another option for some shade and rest. The water fountains could use some work. Kiwanis Park is a nice way for kids to burn off some energy with a great view of a lake!

This park is loaded with challenging equipment and two age appropriate areas of play. There is a…read morebathroom, picnic tables, pavilion and a dock. The play equipment is well maintained. The dock is safe and goes out a good distance into the water. No swimming is allowed. While we were playing a collection of homeless people started to migrate to the pavilion. The pavilion loaded up with their belongings as they set up camp. I'm not sure if this is normal but since we are not from the neighborhood we will not be returning.

Lake Wailes Park takes it's name from Lake Wailes on whose shore it lies. The land that makes up…read moreLake Wales was first surveyed in 1879 by Sidney Irving Wailes. He changed the name of Watts Lake to Lake Wailes after himself. The city of Lake Wales was established near the lake in 1911-12 by the Lake Wales Land Company. The spelling Wales was used for the city, although the lake is still spelled Lake Wailes. The park is visually stunning. Under old oak trees dripping in Spanish moss sit picnic tables. On the north side of the lake is a boat ramp. There is a fishing pier on the west side of the lake with an observation gazebo that offers a beautiful view of the lake. The 2.5 mile Lake Wailes Trail, a lighted and paved hike/bike path winds through the park for exercise enthusiasts. It leads around the lake from the south side to Kiwanis Park on the northeast corner at N. Lake Shore Blvd. and Cephia St. It should be noted that there are no restrooms in the park. This passive park that is perfect for a stroll or a picnic lunch. It is also a great place for bird watchers. Migrating song birds can be spotted in the trees in spring and fall. Around the edge of the lake are Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds. On the shore are Least Bitterns, White Ibises, Anhingas, Florida Sandhill Cranes and winter ducks. Common Loons inhabit the area in winter. The stately trees add to the old Florida look of the area and it easy to see why Mr. Wailes fell in love with the lake and view.

Lake Wailes Park is a peaceful and older park with picnic areas and a 2.5 mile hike along the lake…read more It also has a pier, boat ramp, basketball court, play ground, soccer field and more. It is open from 7am to 7 pm daily and is dog friendly. During my visit there was a large festival going on with lots of family fun activities.

These are NOT tennis courts, they are tiny pickle ball courts. False advertising. And the toilet…read morewas broken and filled to the brim with p00p.

I was looking for a small and shaded park to take my toddler, and I found this one about 3-4 miles…read morefrom my house. It seemed relatively clean, and it was not busy at all. There were enough swings for everyone, and two separate playgrounds... One for the younger kids, and one for the older kids. They also have a basketball court, a baseball field, and tennis courts! This would be a great place to have a kid's birthday party.

What a wonderful, beautifully maintained, park! We were awed on the hiking trail we looped around…read moreon. The wildlife we saw was pure joy. There are interpretive signs, as well as warning signs (alligators, snakes, etc) along the way which was an added bonus. Although there was a huge number of vehicles in the parking lot, we barely ran across other hikers. The pathway we took, about a 2.5 mile loop, had minimal foot traffic. The paths are wide, wide enough for worker or emergency vehicles. We enjoyed this park very much and plan to return, albeit most likely NOT in the dead of the Florida summer heat/humidity. We are not that "adventurous" hahaha. We are very blessed with the County and State parks we have here, that's for sure!

This place never ceases to amaze me! Every time I come here, I have a different kind of experience…read more That's what I love about it, you never know what you're going to get. I can't wait for my one day where I get the shot to see an alligator sunning himself on the walkway. My children and I still come here on a regular basis to see all the different kinds of wildlife we can count while we're there. It's quite a fun experience!

I was actually surprised at the trails here. At first glance you don't see them and then there they…read moreare hidden from the parking area and fishing "lakes". Pretty trails which wind around more water area and under canopies of trees. Unfortunately there is trash lying around and some of the people I encountered seemed to not be there for nature, so that's why I only rated it three stars. Signs are almost unreadable and area doesn't seem to be taken care of. I will go back as I didn't get to explore the whole length of the trails. I advise being aware of your surroundings out here. Also enjoy nature and the beauty this park has to offer

Worked at Saddle Creek in Lakeland, Florida in Building 18…read more Here is my experience: 1. Arrived at building 18 and made contact with Kathy in dispatch. Kathy instructed me to wait on another driver who could train me on a CNG tractor. 2. Waited for 2 hours in the breakroom. Finally introduced to Omar (CNG trainer) who showed me how to operate CNG. Kathy then assigned a truck to me which was not CNG but regular tractor day cab. (wasted almost 2 hours). 3. Assigned a trailer and handed the BOL by Kathy. On pre trip of assigned trailer, found license plate light was out. Informed kathy of defect and was instructed to repair the light at the shop. 4 At repair shop, light was fixed and finally dispatched at around 12:30 noon. Had been in touch with kathy and ELD logs documenting this defective light and the late dispatch. Receiving: Arrived at 1st receiver (Ft. Lauderdale). Discovered that the trailer was loaded incorrectly by Saddle Creek warehouse. Had to physically remove all packages from the trailer to get the 1st stop's load. Then had to reload the trailer to head to the second stop (West Palm Beach). Received numerous calls from Kathy in dispatch asking about my ETA to Palm Beach. Notified her and dispatch that the unloading took a lot of time and DOT hours were dwindling. Made it to the 2nd stop with an irate and rude warehouse manager. Asked me "what my The problem was" because I was late. Explained about the trailer error but didn't care. Notified dispatch( Kathy and Scott) that manager was rude and in my face. Leaving 2nd stop, notified Scott in dispatch that DOT hours were running out. (had to make it back from Palm Beach to Lakeland in 3 hours). This was not happening. Was instructed by Scott to take the 16 hour exception and proceed. Asked specifically about other options but received 0 feedback from Scott. Arrived back at Saddle creek building 18 and violated DOT driving rule (had to drive 1 hour illegally) Next Day Summary of Events Report was sent by both Scott and Kathy in dispatch to warehouse supervisor Chris Sands of the following: 1. Driver (me) dispatched late (completely ignoring the license plate light issue-item 3 above) 2. Driver took tractor to shop without authorization (was approved and instructed by Kathy to take the truck to the shop (item 3 above) 3. Driver took to long to unload (completely ignoring that the trailer was loaded incorrectly from warehouse) 4. Driver violated DOT driving hours: Scott stated to Chris Sands that he "told me, the driver, that if I run out of DOT time, to call him. This was false and Scott never mentioned those words to me. I do however take full responsibility for the illegal dot driving. In Summary I have found that the two personnel, Kathy and Scott (who was in direct contact with me during the entire load) reported false and inaccurate statements to management to either mitigate risk from the operations standpoint or to shift blame more on the driver. Met with Chris Sands (manager at building 18) in person and had a good meeting. Chris was attentive, direct, and a good listener. his major issue was with the illegal drive time (which is completely understood). Had no other comments or feedback when I explained that his dispatch team (kathy and Scott) falsified and accurately described the load events and details.