We spent hours at Young's Creek Park in downtown Franklin with our granddaughters this weekend!…read moreThey had a blast on the colorful and creative climbing structures, slides and swings. My granddaughters really like the "merry-go-round". The equipment is arranged by age group for toddlers up to 12 years old (although I climbed on a few things myself). Everything is clean with a ton of soft surface padding so the kids don't get hurt. There are drinking fountains, nearby restroom facilities and lots of picnic tables. Benches and small pavilions are scattered throughout the play area. The parking lots are huge with plenty of accessible spaces. The splash pad was closed for the season, but looked like fun. There is a paved walking trail that crosses the creek. Pet cleanup stations are available. A pickle ball court with 8 courts is really nice with covered seating area for spectators. A nice stage for concerts is across a large green space. This is a great little community park!

Youngs Creek Park is definitely worth the drive! It's located in Franklin, a little town in Johnson…read moreCounty, and not only is the park and playground amazing, but there are lots of little shops and restaurants around the area, so you could literally make a whole day of the visit. It was a hot day, so the splash pad was going and kids were having a great time. The splash pad has water features that come up from the ground, buckets of water that fall down over your head, and lots of benches (with shade!) for people to sit at. The playground is huge! It has multiple structures for kids of all ages, with a separate area for babies and toddlers. This is a great playground for kids who like to climb and parkour, because there is so so so much to play on. My kid was trying to get from one part of the playground to the other without touching the ground, and he was doing monkey bars, climbing on walls, going through rope obstacle courses and lots more. There are multiple slides, swings (with two-person swings where a grown up can swing with their kid) and musical instruments. The whole playground has a rubberized ground for soft landings. One of the best things about the playground at Youngs Creek Park is that there are lots of places with shade! This was especially appreciated because when we visited, it was a super sunny and hot day. There are lots of clean restrooms located near the amphitheater on the other side of the park. A little ways further are the pickle ball courts.

This is a very nice park. It has an adequate parking lot, but it could be a bit bigger though. The…read morepark is 55 acres and the wetlands is 300 acres. The park was created to filter municipal runoff water. Talk about a good use for a wonderful place. The park has two playgrounds. The one near the front of the park has more modern equipment that includes a merry go round, a saucer swing, a percussion play set, traditional swings, expression swings, a roller slide, a spinning chair, a Sway fun glider and a huge jungle gym with monkey bars and slides. The ground is lined with the rubber matting found at most newer playgrounds and it is accessible. There are some glider swings around the perimeter of the playground area, along with two picnic pavilions with picnic tables under them. The other playground area has an older jungle gym with slides. That area is prone to flooding and the walkway leading to it was flooded during my visit. You will find picnic tables under nearby trees to sit, relax, and or eat. The park does not have a shortage of green space to do field activities like play catch, fly a kite, have a picnic, lay out, or run around. You will also find a decent full basketball court back by the older playground area. There is a large pavilion in the center of the park with picnic tables under it and overlooks a decent sized lake. The pavilion and the shelters can be reserved and rented. The park is home to a 25-hole disk golf course. It is a nice course, but can get a little soggy/muddy in some areas, so, I recommend you don't wear your favorite shoes. The park is also part of the Historic Greenway Trails system which is 17 miles. It is an awesome trail that is well maintained. My only gripe is that it is prone to flooding and water can really pool up in some areas. Once again, I would not were my favorite shoes here. I did not spend much time in the wetlands area, but it is home to numerous birds and wildlife, including sandhill cranes, herons, egrets, otters and alligators. This is a very nice park. It blends the best of a nature park with the best of a modern park. I was not a fan of the flooding though. My shoes were a muddy mess. But my little enjoyed herself, so it was worth the visit.

Took the kids here yesterday to play and they had so much fun! Love that the ground is a different…read morematerial and not mulch or grass and mud haha

This is a very nice traditional park located near the Masonic House and the Franklin Park and Recs…read moreoffice. It is huge, spanning 50 acres and has a lot to offer. First, there is an awesome water park located right outside of it. It is classified as a nature park and has many shady trees. The park has two playgrounds, one near the entrance and one near the exit. The one near the entrance is newer and consists primarily of a large green and brown jungle gym with slides, monkey bars, hanging spinners and bridges. There is a bank of expression swings and a bank of traditional/toddler swings over there. This playground area is on a bed of wood chips and has benches on the perimeter for parents to sit while their littles play. You will see a few picnic tables spread out in this area and a set of nice outdoor corn hole boards. The shelter nearest that area doubles as a rest room facility. The park has a few nice shelters with picnic tables under them and grills just outside of them. I counted at least four of them. The other playground area is fenced in and a little older. It has a jungle gym with slides, monkey bars, and bridges. There is a bench under a canopy for parents to sit and the area is on a bed of wood chips. Like the other playground area, there is a bank of expression swings and a bank of traditional/toddler swings. Other park amenities include a gazebo, a small creek for fishing, and an old graveyard, yes a graveyard. The park is home to a nice paved trail, the Franklin Greenway, that runs right through it. The park is pretty spread out and I like it. There is lots of space to roam. There is not much open green space for field activities such as soccer and football though. This is a very nice option for a nature park in the Franklin area. It is a diamond and the rough and can keep you busy. It does have a somewhat peaceful vibe with it. This could possibly be a destination park and I recomend checking it out.

This park is a true gem. Located just a short walk from downtown Franklin, it features several…read morepicnic shelters, multiple playgrounds, and beautiful views. It's a fun place to explore with your pet or family, and easy to connect with a creek side trail if you want to get in a good walk or run. This park is well maintained and great to visit any time of year, but it particularly shines in spring thanks to flowering trees and colorful flowers!

Although there isn't much to look at yet, this park has a lot of potential and should be a place of…read moregreat benefit to Franklin as years go by. South of downtown (in a space across South Street from the cemetery), three blocks of lawn with a few mature trees have been planted with numerous trees and had trails put in to wander through. Though most of the trees are relatively small now, I can see this being a tremendous wooded area with room for each tree to grow while offering shaded paths for visitors to wander. Currently, there are just a few parallel parking places on the north end of the park along South St. One of the amenities that has been added is the addition of a Story Walk along one of the looping trails in the middle block. As you walk along the trail, there are numbered stands that feature the pages of a story. I am not sure how often the story is changed. To add a bit of color, islands of flowers have been planted along the trails to break up the green lawn. I hope I live long enough to see this park reach maturity and take advantage of the clever idea of this park. Review #1004

This is a cute little pocket park that is located along an active railroad track. There is a small…read morewhite gazebo and a couple of picnic tables in the grass. The park features a train car that is in pretty good shape. The car has painted silhouettes in the window and even though you cannot go into the car, you can climb on it. It is a very clean park and there is free street and lot parking within a reasonable walking distance. I had my little with me and he badly wanted to see a train go through. Unfortunately, on weekends there may be two trains to go through at the most. Weekdays may give you a better opportunity to see a train roll through. As I mentioned, this is a very small park. I would say about a quarter of an acre. You also probably wont spend a lot of time here, but I still like it. It is a very nice place to take a load off while in Franklin's business district or if you want to see a train go by, up close and personal.

This charming little park is not a destination location but definitely worthy of a visit. There is…read morestreet parking along the side streets and further down Jefferson Street plus a lot across the street. It is a nice resting point if you're walking to the various shops along Jefferson Street. The park lawn and landscaping is well maintained with hostas, flowering plants and grasses, a cute white gazebo and a locked caboose to visit. Fun photo op for kids or adults. The caboose has fun silhouettes of passengers in the windows. If you'd like to enjoy a beverage while you rest there is a convenient shop right next door across the tracks to grab a beverage and snack. A perfect small town park to take a break at or entertain the kids for a few minutes.

This is a small garden located across from Young's Creek Park and was created in 2015. It is open…read more24 hours a day/7 days a week and can be accessed through Richard's Brick Oven Pizza's parking lot. That is where I parked. The garden is owned and maintained by Meg Jones and Richard Goss, the owners of the Brick Oven Pizza. The garden is small and is a nice concept, but it looks as if it is scarcely maintained. There are a couple of tables and chairs out there on somewhat of a patio are, along with a bench. This garden is in a circular formation and has a few weather sculptures. Some of the art located in the garden include the Baltic Wheel Labyrinth, and an origami crane sculpture. The Labyrinth is intended for the visitor to meditate as they are going through the maze and then end at a kinetic sculpture in the center. The bushes that make up the maze have seen better days. The Labyrinth has a sign explaining a little bit about it, but it is rusted and very hard to read. In total, I counted only 3 sculptures in the garden. Some of them are kind of camouflaged into the landscaping and were hard for me to find. There is also a painted rock garden by one of the benches, with a bunch of colorful rocks. They look relatively new. Also, there were a bunch of trash on one of the benches in the garden. Some people just have no respect. I love projects that allow the community opportunities to beautify their neighborhoods. I seems that the place is not getting the respect and support that it deserves and the maintenance is slipping a bit. Hopefully, it will pick back up soon.

As much as I like visiting parks and looking at public art, I have to admit I was surprised that I…read morehad never seen, nor heard of, this park in Franklin. It was created in 2015 by the owners of Richard's Oven Brick Pizza who, along with some financial help, helped design and install this art garden. The park is located on the land east of the Richard's parking lot. The south half of the park is filled with flowering shrubs, several art installations (metal sculptures), some seating, and a paved walkway to navigate the area. The north half of the park is made into a Baltic Wheel Labyrinth using shrubs to make a single winding path that leads from the opening near the center of the park, to the large, spinning wheel type sculpture in the middle of the labyrinth. (Note that there is a short direct route to the center, but otherwise, you are encouraged to walk the winding path and meditate while you do to literally become centered as you walk. The shrubs have been maintained well and the owners hope that visitors don't damage the shrubs trying to cut through. (It took me just over 250 steps to walk through to the center using the labyrinth.) I really enjoyed the fresh flowers, the art, and the labyrinth. The only suggestion I would make is that the signage by improved. The one for the labyrinth has rusted and is difficult to read. The art work doesn't have any signs, so have small markers identifying the art piece and artist would be helpful. Overall, I appreciate that a local couple made a difference in their community by providing a greenspace downtown that is open year round. Review #2853

This is a nice neighborhood park with limited street parking on the opposite side of the two cross…read morestreets. The park was built on the site of a former school. There is a playground, a basketball court, a small shelter, a garden and some sidewalks through the park. The park is tree lined and has a central planting in the middle circle of the park. Pretty standard stuff for a neighborhood park. Review #1005

If you're like me and like to see actual pictures and videos of places this is it! Here is a video…read moretour of Booker T. Washington Community Center / Palmer Park. I had a 1 year old birthday party here and it was a great space for it! It was $154.29 after taxes for the whole day 10am-10pm. I rented it with Franklin Parks and Recreation

This is a nice little park located in Franklin, IN. It is managed by the Franklin Parks and Rec…read more There is free street parking within a reasonable walking distance to/from this park. This park features a tennis court, a full basketball court, picnic area, and playground. There is also a decent area of green space to play things like catch. Filed sports would probably not work too well here unless you play ones with short fields. The tennis court and basketball court have seen better days, but they are both playable. The picnic area is shaded and has picnic tables and grills. The playground area is on a bed of wood chips and has a play set that has a few slides and a canopy. It is in great shape. There is also a bench that caregivers can sit on while the littles play. You will also find a bank of traditional/toddler swings. You will find a community center/meeting space at the park. It was recently renamed the Booker T. Washington Community Center. It is available to be rented for community events. The park has a historic background as the historical marker located at the park notes, it is the site of the former Booker T Washington Elementary School, Franklin's grade school for children of color from 1873-1951. In addition to the historical marker in the front on the community center, you will find informational placards throughout the park featuring prominent figures during the time of the school's operation. Thus is a nice no frills park. It is very clean and well maintained, but could use a little updating. It is definitely a cool place to hold a low-key family picnic or birthday party.

At the heart of the Franklin College campus is a bronze of Benjamin Franklin seated on a park bench…read morelooking over the Declaration of Independence. A pair of small birds sit opposite him on the left. The bronze was produced by George Lundeen (Lundeen Sculpture) in 2004. The bronze is masterfully rendered and is maintained. The life-sized figure doesn't represent any actual moment (Can you imagine sitting on a park bench reading the most important document of our country?), but suggests the connection between Franklin and the founding of the country. Though the piece was not a unique sculpture, the quality of reproduction is excellent and fits the setting quite well. Review #1267