Mary Waters Park ⁣ ⁣…read moreI'm not gonna lie. I've had a sweet spot for this park for a long time. It just has everything. ⁣ ⁣ Tons of shade on the play equipment, swings, a basketball court, splash pad, and a big open area to walk around, play and even just to sit on the benches and enjoy the sounds and sights of our beautiful earth. ⁣ ⁣ It's a great spot for kids (or adults, we won't judge ) to run and even kick a ball around! It would make a fantastic spot to picnic too! ⁣ ⁣ This would make for a fun couple hours out of the house next time you're in the Belknap Lookout neighborhood!

Nestled in a historic neighborhood next to Aquinas College, Wilcox Park is a gathering space for…read moreneighbors. Here's why you should visit: 1) Space: It's a large park with lots of green space, a playground, a community center, courts and a mural. There are restrooms and working drinking fountains,. 2) Amenities: My toddler loved the playground. There are two parts to it and a merry-go-round and swings. 3) Art: The mural depicts Michigan's wildlife adding color to the space and entertainment for kids. 4) Cleanliness: I find the park clean. On a Saturday morning, we saw staff diligently pick up trash and empty the cans.

Great local park for a casual walk. There's tons of trails that lead you to an almost dried up…read morecreek, lots of wildlife, saw plenty of deer, chipmunks, squirrels. There's also a paved roads to drive to different areas of the park as it's huge. So many trees and will definitely look stunning in the fall as well. Lots of great backdrops for a photoshoot as well. Other amenities: golf course, kids playgrounds, large shelters for picnic, picnic tables, baseball stadium.

An underrated place to picnic and walk around. Giant trees, gorgeous leaves in the fall, ample…read morespace, and dog friendly. Really enjoyed coming here for the first time and will keep it in mind for future picnics. There's plenty of parking, too.

I attended a friend's baby's birthday party at this park this fall and I was really impressed with…read morehow cute it was! The playground area was colorful, clean, and new, with slides and towers and swings for ages 2-6 I would say. The pavilion was large enough to hold the birthday group and had plenty of tables for food, as well as outlets for crockpots. I only noticed one trash bin, but there could have been others around that I missed. I didn't use the restroom facilities, but they were nearby and seemed new as well. There was plenty of parking, and overall it is a very nice neighborhood park. I don't have kids of my own but it's a great spot for littles!

Really nice sized park that I enjoy taking my kids to. There are tons of picnic tables, lots of…read moreshade & two different playgrounds. Families or groups can rent several spaces throughout the park & there's a really nice pavilion for parties or weddings. Well maintained grounds with clean bathrooms!

Love how many soccer fields they have at this park. There is also a lot of open space. There is a…read morepavilion you can rent out. I wish the playground was a little bigger

Happy Earth Day! We decided to visit this beautiful park where our kids played, explored and took a…read morenature walk! The park is clean and family friendly! Parking is very close to the play area and pavilion. It was recently updated with some great new play area features and has a beautiful grassy area for picnics! We enjoyed our day here. The park also has a lighted baseball, soccer and football field with stands! I believe they also have an area for volleyball and other sports. Close to the playground they have a porta potty which I don't know if it's going to always be there. They do have restrooms and drinking fountains next to the fields. My only request would be to add more benches on all sides of the play area!

My boyfriend and I have a tradition to ice skate at a new place each year once finals are over…read more This year we did some research on the Christkindl Market/Rosa Parks Circle and decided to make a GR day out of it. The rink was very fun and I will always love skating but there were a few things that made the experience not merit 5 stars. We wanted to make reservations beforehand since we have trauma from Detroit's ice skating lines being INSANE. But, you have to make a reservation over a few days in advance, and don't try to call their office because they won't answer. Thankfully it wasn't busy the day we went so there was no wait, but something to keep in mind when planning your visit. Parking is tragic and that's coming from an Ann Arbor local who is constantly fighting for a spot (and her life) on State street. What we thought to be an easy parking garage turned out to charge a nightmare price of $14 for only being there a little over an hour. Not to mention, the place was a bit of a walk on unsalted and very slippery sidewalks to the park. Compared to other outdoor skating rinks, this one was quite small. The path to the rink is downhill and dangerous to walk in regular shoes, let alone your skates when you've put them on! I counted so many people who almost ate it coming to and from the rink because of the icy path. I'm aware it's an ice attraction, but no one wants to be skating before they actually get to the rink... The ice rink itself has a wall of snow all around like it's carved out of snow, which is cool, but results in snow falling on the ice and it being pretty rough to skate on. There were also a bunch of kids digging at the snow and creating snowballs and throwing it at skaters passing by. PTL I wasn't one of the ones targeted but still, a safety hazard in itself! They were given several warnings by the employees but were never taken off the ice despite being told multiple times not to. I will say that for the cons, there are a few pros. The cost of skates and skating is a combined price of $6 per person so you don't have to worry about bringing your own skates. They have plenty of cubbies to hold your shoes/belongings that are within eyesight in case you're worried about things getting stolen. (Even if it was stolen, the thief would break his back trying to run away because of how slippery it is!) There is a nice area where parents/non-skaters can sit looking over the rink. For it only being $6, the ice skating does it's job, but doesn't stand out in comparison to other outdoor rinks I've been to.

Rosa Parks Circle is a community gathering place in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids. It features…read morea large open concrete area/amphitheater where people can gather for an outdoor lunch during the day, and it also acts as a stage for festivals, swing dancing, musicians, and more throughout the year. You can sometimes find food trucks parked here in the summer. In the winter months, it's transformed into a public ice skating rink. This park was designed by artist Maya Lin and is formally known as Ecliptic, which refers to the path the sun follows in the sky among the constellations over the course of a year. The park includes features that portray water in its three states: The central ice skating rink is water in its solid form, a mist fountain represents water in its vapor form, and finally, the table-like fountain represents water in its liquid form. Another unique feature of the park are the lights beneath the ice rink's surface. 166 tiny fiber-optic lights shine at night, depicting the millennial constellation of the sky over Grand Rapids on January 1, 2000, the start of the new millennium. Currently the park is under construction, with plans to refurbish the bandstand and restrooms, add a bus shelter and more shade trees, benches, drinking fountain, and additional trash receptacles. I'm excited to see the updated park and encourage anyone visiting to visit once it's completed.

This is my second time taking my 5th graders to this TreeRunner Adventure park. I am so impressed…read morewith the organization as well as professionalize of the staff. From the start to the finish of our time, even in the the planning phase, everyone was so knowledgeable, prepared, and kind. During our climb time, all of the staff worked so hard to make sure each kid felt safe and had fun. They were extremely helpful, fun, and friendly. It made the whole experience less stressful and so fun for us all! 10 out of 10 would reccommend to anyone trying to plan a fun outdoor group outing!

The kids had a blast & the staff explained everything very well for them to understand. It would be…read morenice if more staff were placed throughout the courses as a few kids with my group called "staff" and no one heard them until I went to get someone. I agree with another post. It would be nice to have an emergency spot in the course to discontinue if it's beyond your ability. A kid in my group leveled up and once we was half way though a blue course he mentally couldn't go any further. He had to complete it to get down.