I love Payne Park…read more I do NOT like too many of the people that use it. Recently, the number of unsupervised kids that are riding their bikes, scooters, and electric do dads are inconsiderate with their use of the sidewalks, their total lack of attention to their surroundings and other people. These kids need more adult supervision and parents need to take more time teaching them manners. I also am taking exception to the growing number of pet owners that think THEIR dogs don't need to be properly trained, leashed, or picked up after. The 5 O'Clock group of owners that let their dogs off theie leads and let them just take over a section of the park is non-sense. Read the signs. That is not acceptable. On several occasions, while just walking I have been run up on by dogs showing their teeth. I stop, sayd nice doggy and then move on. But some day, if I do get bit by one of these unruly monsters, their entiled owners will owe me money they haven't even made yet. I would like to see more of a park police presence for a while to get the kids and dog owners back to being decent people. And to the people that are feeding the ducks and squirrels, STOP. Read the signs. You aren't doing the wildlife any favors by feeding them and you aren't doing the other people that use the park any favors either. Payne Park is beautiful; a great place to enjoy the out of doors and the wonderful weather in Sarasota. Kids and Pet owners don't have the right to ruin the experience for everyone else. Oh, and teenagers, we know you are smoking pot there. Move away from the popular walking areas. Your weed smell like skunk butt.

4 stars because the bathrooms are closed currently due to a leak . But other than that this is a…read moresuper cute place to go to and bring your toddler. This park has a variety of activities / slides , tjings to climb oh and there's a skate park on the other side. Plus the trails are nice walking here.

Always a fun place to take the kids to get out all of their energy. Games of hide and seek, Nerf…read morewars, and "did you see Cheeto?" are always fun. If you don't know, Cheeto is the raccoon who likes to steal snacks from the park rangers. 02.02.25

Bright as the day is, but a new addition to a new addition to Bradenton! My heart breaks slightly…read morefor the older houses and undeveloped land that used to be here, but progress shines brightly on Bradenton, and this park is a wonderful example of that! There's doggy poo bags, and I'm not sure why, but across the street is another unlabeled park with a smaller playground in the shade and it's absolutely strange. They have astroturf and fake mounds, I cannot fathom why. It's only lacking a hole and some golfers... Either way, untapped park that I've never noticed before!

This beach was very clean with a lot to offer: a big parking lot, showers, bathrooms, changing…read morestations, grills, picnic tables, chair rentals, and a bar with drinks. The beach itself was also very clean and well-kept. I highly recommend stopping here if you want a relaxing beach day. I came around noon, and there was still plenty of parking.

A really nice white sand beach. The beach is very clean and well maintained. The water was clean…read moreand warm. While there there was a police/security presence which passed by on a regular basis ensuring beach goers were able to enjoy the beach without anyone creating any issues. In the section we were at, we did not notice any lifeguards, but basically everyone was very careful.

A 2 mile long Riverwalk along the Manatee River. We walked past a skate park, over train tracks,…read moresplash water park, playgrounds, an amphitheater & some art installations. This is an expansion of Rossi Park between the Green and DeSoto bridges. There were clean shady seating & lots of signage about the Riverwalk. There were cameras & we felt very safe.

Bradenton river walk is a 1.5 mile wood and concrete path along the water with swings, chairs, a…read moresplash pad and a skate park along the way. There's artwork and great views of the river.

Several easy hiking trails make this a handy place to take a stroll. The terrain isn't very scenic…read morebut there is an observation tower that affords good views of the surrounding area. Unisex restrooms available at the parking lot. Free parking and admission.

What an amazing place to spend the day wandering trails, observing nature & the beauty of God's…read morecreation! 10/10 & will be back!

We were looking for something different for my 2.5 year old son to do and came across this play…read moregym.... And it's amazing! There were children younger and older than him, all thoroughly enjoying themselves. The check in staff were very friendly. We bought a small package for while we're in town and thought the price was fair. They have lots of different areas: toddler/infants (play kitchens, small toys, blocks, etc), art (including smocks), calming room (if it's too much stimulation) and LOTS of gross motor skill activities (exercise equipment, trampoline, rock climbing wall, zip line, swings, etc). The whole gym as foam floors and there are foam pits under larger things (zip line, jungle gym, rock wall, etc). Everything seemed clean, bathrooms were clean too! There's also a large party room... what a great place for a party. They are inclusive for all kids including neuro & physical diversities.

I am always looking for new, fun places to take my 2 1/2-year-old daughter. I am so happy to have…read morefound this play place! I am a certified school teacher, and have taught special ed in the past. I have worked with OTs for many of my students as well. It is so amazing to have all these sensory tools at your disposal at this playground. There are multiple types of swings, for toddlers and big kids alike. There is a rock climbing wall, and extremely safe, spring-less trampoline with yoga balls in it for play. There is also a zip line into a padded pit, and monkey bars with pads underneath, and tons of other activities. There is a toddler/baby area blocked off by a half wall, so they will not be overwhelmed by the activity in the main room. There are dramatic play toys there such as a kitchen, grocery store and baby dolls. My daughter surprisingly loved the car ramp! There are tons of other age appropriate toys there as well. The entire place is padded with the foam type of pads you would put underneath home workout gyms. There is a dimly lit calm down room, with a beautiful blue bubble wall, and jellyfish tent and headphones. My younger daughter is a little quieter and more cautious. She loved being there all by herself and had plenty of time to get acclimated to her surroundings. She was able to run freely around and feel confident. I would definitely recommend checking out the website to see everything that this place has to offer. You can tell that a lot of thought was put into the creation of this indoor playspace, from a very educated perspective!

This is one of the most beautiful, publicly maintained beach I have ever been to!…read more Here is what to expect: - Free and abundant parking - Clean bathrooms - Picnic tables, grills - Playground And the main star of the show .... the beach! The fine, white sand is made of quartz so it actually stays cools in the summer heat. If your children like hunting for seashells or building sand castles, this place can't be beat. This beach borders Longboat Key and the views going over the bridge of the undeveloped, stretches of pure white sand, and aquamarine water is breathtaking. This truly is one of my favorite places in the US to be.

Amazing beach! Spacious, quiet, not too far of a walk to the ocean. Lots of parking and cafe as…read morewell. Would recommend.

Doing some research on Long Boat Key, and this park came up. It was perfect for what I was looking…read morefor. It is a dog friendly park, has inter-coastal water views and is perfect if you are looking for a place to walk and take in nature. Since it has been quite windy this week, even with the nicer weather, the wind is too intense for me at the beach. Plus it's not dog friendly. They have a boardwalk and gravel trails so it's easiest to wear gym shoes. There's a number of trails but some entries were closed. The trail that we took took you on the board walk where there were an abundance of benches along the way as well as garbages and poop bags for your fur baby. It was so clean and organized. There are also signs that say to Pavillion and parking lot. So don't think you will get lost bc that will always take you back. There are picnic tables, bathrooms and a playground a a nice adult swing to swing on as well as the kiddy swings. It was super peaceful, and away from the hustle and bustle of the beaches. Definitely check it out for that ideal quiet chill spot with nature and your family and fur babies!

A few years ago, while on my morning walk from White Sand of Longboat, along Gulf of Mexico Drive,…read moreI took a short detour into this park. At the time, I thought it was a small pocket park and that I had seen the whole thing. It was nice, but unimpressive. Well, during our annual week in Longboat Key, we decided to explore the park a little more. Boy, was I wrong with my first impression! The park's 34 acres wrap around homes, utilities, the firehouse, many municipal buildings and a few retail establishments, with paths weaving through dense mangroves to Sarasota Bay. You can drive in to a parking area, adjacent to a pond, Pavilion and playground. Behind the pavilion is a large, well groomed grassy field. There are cleared dirt and gravel paths and in the wetland, mangrove areas, boardwalks weaving through the trees, over ponds and streams. The scenic overlooks on the bay were comfortable. Benches were in many places along the trails. And to my delight, there were birds everywhere. We spent a delightful couple of hours there and will be back.