During the Second Seminole War n 1836, the US Army established Camp Monroe on the shore of Lake Monroe to unload troops and supplies. On February 8, 1837, a force of Seminole Indians led by Emathla and his son, Coacoochee, attacked the camp, resulting in the Battle of Camp Monroe. Captain Charles Mellon died defending the fort and 14 soldiers were injured. The fort was renamed in his honor. Mellon was said to be buried near where he was killed under a large tree. Over the following months, the other soldiers killed at Fort Mellon were buried at a cemetery nearby the fort. Later on Mellon was reinterred in a cemetery in St. Augustine but not all of the bodies were moved. The remaining dead, about 20-26, who were buried at Fort Mellon are still there and nobody knows exactly where. Over time, the fort was abandoned and the cemetery was lost. The area around the fort developed into the city of Mellonville which was eventually annexed by Sanford. In January of 1938, the city commission voted to name a new park after Fort Mellon. Today the park is a popular gathering spot for outdoor recreation for the City of Sanford. Over 17 acres the community can enjoy basketball courts, outdoor exercise equipment, a fort themed playground, eight picnic pavilions equipped with tables and grills, and Central Florida's largest splash pad. The history, waterfront views, and well kept facilities have made this park a beloved destination for family fun in Sanford for decades. This park is a destination for family community gatherings, play, and fitness. Fort Mellon Park connects to the Sanford Riverwalk for even more recreational opportunities. . read more

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This park is located right by the water in downtown Sanford. We were exploring the downtown area and had to stop when we saw the huge park. The park has has two sides. One for bigger kids and then a side for smaller kids. Perfect for families of different aged children. Both sides have really fun features for the kids. The older side resembles a castle with lots climbing, slides and a draw bridge. The younger side resembles a ship. It has rocking boats, shorter steps, and baby swings. This park has a nice padded floor but it is not covered. With the water near by and the direct sunlight it can be very hot for children so pay attention to this. Next to the park is the splash pad which is very large and fun for kids. The bathroom is located between the two. Some parts of the park seem unfinished or under construction. Overall it's a nice park with a lot to offer for locals or visitors. read more

Fort Mellon Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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Fort Mellon Park is a wonderful park in Downtown Sanford. There are a lot of fun amenities so it is worth a visit. The playground is large with some great climbing structures, swings, and slides. There is not much shade in the playground but right next to it is a large splash pad. The splash pad is not fenced in so keep that in mind if you have little children. There is a small fee for the splash pad. Pro tip: splash pad admission is free on the first Friday of every month! There are covered pavilions, bbq grills, a tennis court, and a basketball court. Restrooms are conveniently right next to the splash pad. Lake Monroe is right across the street from Fort Mellon Park, which provides some wonderful views of boats and a breeze from the lake. There is also a beautiful walking/biking trail along the lake. I love Fort Mellon Park and go almost every time I visit Sanford! read more

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Fort Mellon Park is crazy crowded on the weekends. With one large pavilion and seven smaller pavilions it is not unusual for several parties to be going on at one time. The property is big enough to absorb it all and give everyone adequate space. In addition to the pavilions they have basketball courts, huge playground, splash pad, green space, tennis courts, bathrooms, fitness trail and more. The park overlooks water and is open 8am to sunset. read more

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A wonderful surprise find after a fun meal in the area nearby. We were walking down to the water, and actually just happened to see this space in passing. We had our little one with us and she was super excited to get outta the stroller and go play in the fun areas. They had a couple of different areas, including a splash pad area (that's $2 per child), a larger play area (free), and a smaller kid play area (free). There were also several picnic tables for sitting and some featured small BBQ for any meals you may want to cook up and enjoy. I strongly recommend bringing a grille mat or some foil to avoid direct contact as they are probably not cleaned appropriately, but can still easily be enjoyed!! Our little one played on the play set and enjoyed herself! She needed direct supervision for most of the time as it's just a touch big for her age group, but was still very fun and helped her work off some energy. They do NOT have any vending machines in the area, so be sure to bring your own refreshments on hot days!! Overall: A A fun space for kids of most ages and adults to have a fun picnic / cookout. Be sure to bring refreshments of your own and a grille mat or foil for the BBQs. read more

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Downtown Sanford while the walk alongside the water is beautiful the park isn't ! First let's talk about smell I fell like I was back in the Bronx where it smelt like trash and piss on the streets , the garbage was full and while the area could potentially be fun for kids I invited my friend and her kids kept slipping and getting hurt in the splash pad area so I took my kiddos out only to walk in the splash pad is concrete and super slippery - also the playground has no coverage from the sun and Florida weather you can imagine how hot the playground was for the kids . We live 20 minutes away and will not return here ! Disappointed read more

This is genuinely a pork designed for a neighborhood. I will say that it serves the neighborhood well and utilizes its land well. There is nothing here to warrant a special trip, however if you are in the neighborhood and looking for a place to chill for a minute or eat your lunch this is a great spot. read more

Fort Mellon Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Sanford, Florida

Beautiful park , well kept my kids loved it! With a splash pad... we didn't get to enjoy the splash pad because we didn't bring bathing suites ,but it was open and a must try , will return read more

Fort Mellon Park - Here! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Sanford, Florida

This is one of my favorite parks to take my boys! It's huge and has a lot of big playsets built to climb and slide down. If I was kid- this would be my favorite. It's perfect for a moms meet up play date with friends and has a beautiful view of the lake. The only downside is that it's not gated and because it's so big, it's hard to keep track of your little ones. I would say it's definitely recommended for ages 4+. However, there is a section with a smaller playset for the littles, but who would want to play there when they can climb two stories and slide down a huge tunnel slide? Bathrooms are on site and are clean and in the summer they have a huge gated splash pad. read more

Nice park. Clean. But moms need to pay attention to their kids. We had to leave because kids wouldn't let my grandchildren go down the slide. Their moms were standing and talking in a circle. This is the kind of stuff that causes unnecessary problems. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BRATS! read more

A nice park near downtown Sanford, with splash areas, a playground, basketball courts and a great view of the lake. Free parking on both sides. There's also a historical marker that reads: Fort Mellon Park, 1837-1937 To commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the first settlement on the shores of Lake Monroe named Fort Mellon in memory of Captain Charles Mellon who died in defense of the fort: subsequently known as Mellonville and later Sanford. read more

Fort Mellon Park - Fort Mellon Park Historical Marker - Amusement Parks Near Me - Sanford, Florida

We've been here several times but today it was special because of the Sanford Police community event party. They held several activities for the children to enjoy to include: food, drink, candy, bounce houses, drawings, petting zoos, demonstrations, and other community information for the adults. Just another family event to show case the judicial help and safety of the community. The basketball courts and playgrounds were open in spite of the flooding on E Seminole Blvd next to Lake Monroe. You're still able to use E 1st Street to Fort Mellon Park. The community did a great job in making everything accessible with other detour routes for everyone to safely drive. We look forward to visit the park more often during this time of year. The cooler season, hopefully soon enough the water will start receding quickly! read more

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Amazing park. Ran a 5k (Be Healthy Kids Run) and the course, post race, was absolutely perfect . They have a nice splash pad and playground for the kids. Great location to have a picnic, family outing, etc. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

A great park by a cool lake Fort Mellon Park is a wonderful park that is parked right on the shores of lovely Lake Monroe. It's not a particular large park but it has lots of cool things jammed into a relatively small space. It has tons of picnic tables and benches to hang out and enjoy the cool views and paved walking trails in all directions. I'm not sure where the park officially ends but a great walking path goes for quite a ways along the lake. Where lots of cool birds and possibly even a gator or two might be seen. In the park there are very nice hoop courts, pavilions, a very elaborate playground and nice fitness trail that are available. Even a thing called a splash park for hyperactive kids to burn off some energy and cool off. To the side there is a large open field that people can play football or whatever. Certainly a lot of things to do. The thing that struck me was how clean everything was. I'm not sure how old the park is but it looks brand new. Nothing broken or crummy looking, and all the equipment is in working order. Even the crappers, which obviously get a lot of use were extremely clean. A very cool park with lots of things to do and great views of Lake Monroe that just don't quit. An urban park just doesn't get much better than this. read more

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Fort Mellon Park is my awesome new discovery that anyone with kids would love. It is in downtown Sanford right along the shores of Lake Monroe. The park is HUGE and has a cool lay out with open green space, basketball courts, a huge playground with big and little kid play areas and our favorite, a SPLASH PARK! There are lots of trees, benches, pavilions and bathrooms too. The splash park is completely encircled with a fence and has only one way in or out so you can keep track of your kids. It is $2 for a wrist band that grants you access to the splash pad. There are lots of little jets that squirt randomly; it is fun just to watch the kids running and squealing and occasionally getting squirted right in the face! The playground is right next to the splash pad (it's free) and is solidly constructed with many different play elements. One downer was that some of the equipment was roped off (the things the kids sit and bounce on). We were so impressed with the park that we are going to book it for my son's 3rd birthday party. Another thing we really like is that the park is within walking distance of Willow Tree Café, our favorite German restaurant. There is nothing that playing in the sun and water and following it up with some Schnitzel and beer for the grown ups! read more

Fort Mellon Park - Overview of the park- courtesy of their website - Amusement Parks Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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Fun park with a playground for the kids. Near the waterfront too. The bathrooms were decent. We enjoyed it here!

Nice, clean park if you can endure the heat with very limited shade. Will return in the fall.

This is a great park with a playground, splash pad, swings, and a beautiful walking path along the water. The 4th of July Fireworks held here were absolutely stunning. I just completed a Turkey 5K here a few days ago and the park was extremely clean. During 4th of July the bathroom was out of toilet paper. However during the Turkey 5K the bathroom seemed well stock on toilet paper but was out of soup. It seems like the bathrooms sometimes need a bit of assistance on their stock. However the park itself is very nice and seems to have a variety of activities throughout the year. It's a great place to take a walk and relax. read more

Great park! Huge playground for the kids. Water park is nice only $2 per person. Kids had a great time and will definitely go back. Sanford downtown is few mins walk with great stores and restaurants. We took sunrail from winter park and it made for a nice family day and inexpensive. We spent total of $49 for roundtrip train tickets for 2 adults , 1 free child, lunch at Corner Cafe, and the playground was free and $2 water park. read more

This is a pretty decent-sized park in the heart of downtown Sanford. The main attractions include a large playground and kiddie splash park. They're relatively crowded, of course, on the weekends and during after school hours. There's also a large lawn where they hold annual events, such as an Easter egg hunt, tennis and basketball courts and a short fitness trail. The fitness trail is rather low key so it's used mainly by senior citizens. The main feature for me, though, is the Sanford River Walk, which is actually across the street. The walk is a 1.1mile trail that runs along side Lake Monroe from 17-92 to Mellonville Ave . It's nice and broad, leaving plenty of room for walkers, joggers and cyclists, though don't expect people to keep to the right, as they should. Monument Park is a pier you'll pass featuring, you guessed it, monuments to all the wars the U.S. has participated in, including lesser knowns like The Barbary Wars, and the names of Sanford area veterans who did not return. There's also historical markers with concise yet detailed information regarding past events of the Sanford waterfront and, at a few places, remnant pilings of long gone docks that once welcomed ferry boat travellers from Jacksonville as well as various commercial traffic. There are benches, drinking fountains (which even feature a doggy spout and bowl) and distance markers, making it a great place to exercise. Public bathrooms are located near the splash park and along the way you'll pass a small coffee shop and pizza parlor, if you need to carbo-load. There's beautiful landscaping along the trail and a few pavilions which have swinging benches and binoculars to view the yachts and boats floating around the lake or the woods of Deltona off in the distance. Check out the top of the colums supporting the pavilions as they feature carvings relevant to the history of Sanford, including celery stalks (Sanford was the celery capital of the world until the 1920's). Parking is easy - there's parallel parking on both sides of the 1.1 mile trek as well as on the south side of the park and a parking lot at Mellonville Ave. If parallel parking scares you (and unless you have one of those new fangled cars that parks itself, it probably does), don't worry - there's so much available parking that you never have to worry about wedging your monster truck in between two other monster trucks. A perk: the trail runs east to west, so if you're out at sunrise or sunset you can time your jog so as to not face the blinding sun. The earlier mentioned landscaping features plenty of trees for shade, though, so no worries if your timing is off. One warning, there's a patch of grass between the walk and lake that's rather popular with fishermen, so beware whipping fishing poles and bad casting. read more

Love this park! Lots of different level activities for kids of various ages. My 4 year old had so much fun. There are pavilions and bathrooms and a splash pad. If it wasn't a little distance from our home we'd probably go more often. read more

Fort Mellon Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Sanford, Florida

Beautiful place to relax! It's right on the lake and the afternoons/evenings are usually pretty quiet and relaxing. Only reason I gave it 4 stars is because a) love bug season- there's literally millions around Fort Mellon Park and b) summer mosquito season- it's right on the lake where they're the worst! read more

Great area to stop and enjoy the lake. You can play in the water fountains or you can enjoy the peacefulness alongside the lake shore. Best part? Free parking read more

This is a great park in Downtown Sanford, right on the lake. You can pull into any parking spot, take a walk along the waterfront, see osprey catching fish, and watch the boats go by. I also like feeding the ducks at the little inland pond. They also have a huge jungle gym setup, and fountains that always seem to have kids running around. People like to play basketball here into the wee hours of the night. It's a well kept up park, and there always seems to be something going on here! read more

This once impeccable park is stay to show significant wear and tear. Still a great place for the kids to play and have fun. read more

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I just recently moved to Lake Mary and my daughters been begging to go to the park so after seeing the reviews on Fort Mellon Park I decided to take her here. The park itself is okay....I've seen much nicer. Being across the street from the lake is absolutely beautiful. The neighborhood we are in is not good. I feel like I'm in the ghetto!!! I made sure to lock my purse up in the trunk because I didn't feel too secure carrying it around being its just my daughter and I here. I'm going to see if I could find another park in a better area for the next time. read more

Fort Mellon Park - Lake View from the park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Sanford, Florida

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Great place for families and people watchers. There's BBQ's covered pavilions, playground, large splash pad area, tennis, basketball courts and jogging area. Across the street is Lake Monroe where you can ride bikes or walk along the water. Lots of people also go fishing right off the lake. We walk or ride bikes down there several times a week. There's always people out there running, playing, fishing, relaxing, cooking out or whatever you may want to do. Nice place to spend the day and bring a blanket and have a picnic. Low budget full family enjoyment! read more

Fort Mellon Park - View of Lake Monroe from Fort Mellon Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Sanford, Florida

I would rate this higher if I wasn't required to pay to supervise my child under age 5 at the splash pad. Skip it and head to Lake Mary splash pad, it's more interesting and they don't charge you to watch your own kid. read more

I visit many parks with my children and Fort Mellon Park is on the top of our list. It is in Sanford which makes for a nice family field trip not too far from Orlando. The location of the park is breathtaking. It is across the street from Lake Monroe near the marina with a beautiful view, local restaurants, the sanford museum and much more, which keeps a cool breeze flowing throughout your visit and makes for a great walk to wind down after playing in the park. The playground features a huge wooden fort playground constructed with clean and modern materials. There are plenty of slides, crawl areas, hangouts etc. There is also a huge ship style playground with two stories and lots of room for many kids to play simultaneously. In addition there is a number of smaller spring based riding toys attached to the rubber ground. If you are still not impressed, Fort Mellon Park has a humongous Slash Pad located within the park that is open seasonally for about $1 per person. As a parent, I truly appreciate the attention to shaded sitting & picnic areas located throughout the entire park. Parking is also always a breeze, there are both metered and free parking spaces surrounding the entire park. The facilities are always clean and in great condition. The park is attended at all times. I love this park, my family and I always look forward to a day at Fort Mellon Park. read more

Many people rented gazebos with the intent to have a splash pad, for bday parties. They won't let the children play on the splash pad today because yesterday someone supposedly pooped on the splash pad. Very unhappy children and parents who payed for a park that included a splash pad. I won't ever pay for a party here. read more

Nice park! $2 entry to splashpad?! ...should be free, but hey water does cost money as well as maintence, so no complaint there, my daughter enjoyed which is what matters!!Huge playground!! I cannot wait to go back! read more

Came here with my mom before she passed when I first moved to Heathrow. It's beautiful and has great things to see.

The playground was cool, lots to choose from and the ground was padded, yet there is hardly any shade and the equipment gets VERY HOT in the Florida sun. Since that was the case we decided to head to the splash pad. I was with my friend and total it ended up being $20 to play for all of us since they insisted that the adults and infants who were not even going in the water ALSO had to pay admission for the THREE toddlers to splash a little. I've lived in Florida for 10 years and have first NEVER had to pay for a splash pad, much less $20. They also insisted that my POTTY TRAINED children wear swim diapers and if I didn't have any I could buy them for another $4... Luckily my friend had a few extra they I could stuff my children into. The park also rests between two major roads, so while there is plenty of room to run and play, one look away could be big trouble. I've heard great things about this park, but all in all our experience was not super great and I don't think I will be heading back any time soon.. Maybe in the few weeks of winter that we get when the equipment is cooler and we don't need to play in the water. read more

Spectacular park on the shores Lake Monroe. Great for picnics and kids

Almost too large of a play structure, it becomes somewhat difficult to monitor the whereabouts of your brood. Very nice facility.

eye think that they could have done a better job fore the kids area but its a good place to just come and have a place to come when you need sum air so yea its all good have a good day and if you guys have been here before well hopefully you wont be mad at me fore saying this since they just redid this park with thin the last 5 yrs read more