I saw this park from an Instagram reel and decided to try it out today with my grandson. I love that it is almost completely shaded. The park has a variety of play equipment, a huge sand area that even has toys that regular people probably have brought there and left. There is natural features for kids to explore, like rocks and stumps, and they also have a small handmade stream, but the time that I went, there was no water going through it. There is a baseball diamond and a walking trail around the park. There is also covered picnic area and an open picnic area and there are also even children picnic tables and some nice bathrooms. I would definitely go back because of all the natural features and the abundant shade. read more

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Gotta like Franklin Park, it's a classic. Spanning three decades I've found myself here for baseball practices, frisbee with friends, running, and playing with my own kids. It might be facing some stiff competition from the fancy Meadowbrook Park down the road, but it stills holds its own. Sometime over the last 5-7 years, they added a little "play creek" type of area that is a lot of fun in the summer time for my girls. It's shaded and a unique way to get their hands dirty. The little track around it is better suited for walking vs running, in my opinion. It's not that big, and it can be a bit crowded on a nice spring day. They also have nice restrooms and a few water fountains, so this was a good turnaround spot for me when I was doing long distance runs. I'm always in favor of good parks and this is one of many throughout Kansas City! read more

The amount of shade is amazing! Other park perks: --event shelter --plenty of seating tables & benches --playground space & variety --walking path --open field for other activities --baseball field --trash cans throughout --recycling containers --clean & open restrooms (baby changing table) read more

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Love how shaded this park is! Even in the heat of summer, it's definitely bearable. There's a little water creek that runs in the summer for kids to play in! Bring some water toys and have your kids be entertained for hours! There are different set of swings- 2 baby swings, 2 normal swings, and a tire swing. There are two sets of play areas- one area for smaller children and one with more advanced equipment for older kids. There is also a sandbox with all sorts of buckets and toys to play in the sand. The ground surface of the playground consist of wood chips. Not the best for little ones who aren't walking/ are starting to walk. There are also walking/ biking paths around the playground. There are several picnic tables spread around the park- we've brought our lunch/ dinner there before and it's always an enjoyable time! There are also nice bathrooms! read more

Franklin Park - Parks Near Me - Prairie Village, Kansas

A fellow Elite recommended Franklin park one day when we were getting our girls together for a play date. Our usual spot at Meadowbrook Park is so new there isn't much shade, and let's be real about how hot it's getting during these summer afternoons. I feel like Franklin Park could easily get overlooked since Meadowbrook is just down the street and is newer, and flashier. But what you don't get at Meadowbrook you get here, and that being some mature tree cover, and more outdoor space for kids to run and play in. Yes it's a bit less manicured, but the playground equipment is well maintained, there is a sandbox which is a big hit with my kid, and and honestly cannot stress how wonderfully shady this place is. Only downside is the park restrooms are dated and not the best. They work in a pinch - and if you have a young kid like me, you'll probably end up using them, so be prepared. They aren't the worst, but they also certainly could use some updating. read more

I visited Franklin Park for the first time during a birthday party and was pleasantly surprised by how much it offers. The park features numerous picnic tables, a diverse playground designed for imaginative play, a nature park, a manmade stream, sand play areas, musical play stations, and more. It's a fantastic alternative to Meadowbrook, especially when you want to avoid the big crowds, providing a similar level of enjoyment for all the littles. read more

This is our current favorite park to spend beautiful Autumn mornings! It is incredibly hard to find the perfect park for 2 toddlers, but Franklin Park checks almost all our boxes. Plenty of picnic tables, lots and lots of shade, equipment for small ones, nice people, clean bathrooms, open fields, plenty of parking, a fun creek to play in ... the one and only thing is that it's not fenced in ... but the street is far enough away that you have time to catch your littles. Find us here, playing, and enjoying the weather! read more

All ages and abilities will find something to enjoy with plenty of shade and amenities! read more

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If you're looking for a park with lots of shade this summer, this is the place. The trees are huge and they provide shade for the whole playground. It's perfect when the sun is just too much! The playground is pretty big. One for older kids and one for the littles. There are swings and a sandbox too. There's a nature playground in the back with a little man made stream and logs for climbing on. There is a large covered picnic shelter and bathrooms available. There are plenty of benches and picnic tables around the playground too. A large paved walking trail surrounds the park. It's always busy! Add this park to your summer bucket list. You won't regret it! read more

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You know that you're in a posh enclave when kids making mud pies at the park are wearing white tutus and red velvet frocks. Those of us without disposable wardrobes should pack a set of play clothes when taking the kiddos to Franklin Park, a meticulously manicured spot of green in the tony Town & Country Estates. Franklin Park was already a great family hangout with a large, flat walking trail perfect for beginning bike riders, petite play structures for the toddler set, plenty of parking and a public restroom. Prairie Village recently upped their game by adding a wonderful water feature to the shady playground area. I'm guessing that the waterfall and shallow stone stream are powered by storm water runoff. So, the park upgrade probably ticked some eco-friendly boxes as well. We hit the park for a play date on a drizzly Saturday afternoon. The stream and marvelously muddy "sand pond" kept both of my kids occupied for a full two hours! If you have children under the age of 7, this a cheap thrill that you cannot afford to miss. P.S. I wasn't joking about the tutus and frilly frocks! Unfortunately, my crappy camera phone pics are too blurry to see them. read more

Came here to explore another park close to my apartment. I have been looking for parks with running trails/paths and noticed this one had a loop. I was able to get a spot in the parking lot, although it was a pretty small lot (but an acceptable size for the park size). It was a nice day when I visited, so there were a lot of families there with young kids taking advantage of the facilities. I felt a little awkward running the loop because there were only a few people walking and a ton of potential gawkers, so I decided to run in the nearby neighborhoods instead. I think this is a good park for families who live nearby, but not a great park for running. I did have a nice run exploring the beautiful houses in the neighborhood, though! read more

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I went to Franklin Park for a Crohn's disease walk. The pork was very nice it is a park that I would take my grandchildren to so that they can play read more

This is one of my favorite parks in the city. They have created a little "stream" with a waterfall for the children to play in. My kid, of course, treated it as a pool. He had a blast sitting in the water, pushing trucks down the stream, and watching things float downstream. There is a large sand box, and the city has provided all manner of construction trucks and digging toys for the children to use. There are two equipment areas: one is appropriate for younger children, and one for older. There are benches and swings, including a tire swing. There is a baseball field and a flat walking trail that is perfect for tiny training bikes. The best part? There are tons of very tall trees, shading the entire play area. It was positively cool under the shade of the trees as I watched my two year old run around delightedly, his attention captured for hours by all the different ways to play. read more

Franklin Park is a great park for children on a good day. There are two playgrounds (one for smaller children and one for slightly older children) and a "natural" play area with water feature. The whole area is well shaded by trees, and the covered picnic area has a set of men's and women's restrooms (a very handy when your children are small and their bladders are unpredictable). The playground's features include many of the expected items, such as slides and swings and a sandbox, and my four year olds enjoy each of the play areas well. If you are coming to this park with multiple small children, be aware that the potential for them to want to play in different areas is very possible and likely. My greatest complaint is that I often find it hard to keep both of my daughters in my sightlines at once. If you are an adult looking for a place to exercise, the path that goes around the park is quite serviceable for walking or running; however, there are not as many joggers here as you will find at Loose Park or other locations, so it is perhaps not the best place for the self conscious to run. The park is well kept and the lavatories have met expectations (neither pristine nor filthy) every time that I have gone in. The park is located within an upscale residential neighborhood, which gives a strong impression of safety. The playgrounds are nicely within the boundaries of the park, so--despite the lack of a fence around the playground--it is unlikely that a toddler might wander into traffic. There is ample parking in a lot directly adjacent to the playground, as well as several parking options around the park (which I have never used because I'm with my kids, but I could see the appeal if I were here to jog by myself). read more

Man do I love this park. I was so excited about the new water feature and then was totally bummed when they took out all the sand pits and filled them with mulch. Guess the planning committee doesn't have children and was shocked when people used the mini stream running next to the sand pit to wash of the kids thereby clogging up the pumping system of the waterfall. Still despite my sadness at the loss of the sandy/muddy pit fun that thrilled my kids for hours - I love this park. It has large play areas separated by age appropriateness so I don't have to worry about my toddler getting pushed over by an overzealous 8yo. Also my 5yo can challenge herself on play equipment she might not try otherwise because she wants to play with the older kids. I wish they had a few more swings. The bike/walking trails are are great and there is a huge open space that is often being used for soccer or ultimate frisbee. They also have a baseball diamond. My favorite addition to this park is actual bathrooms and grills/shelters. Although they still smell like port-a-potties. This park has great trees all around so the equipment doesn't get searing hot even in July. This is our go-to park! read more