Come here annually for the Hope in Motion cancer walk. When you walk in, you see a beautifully fixed up riverbank, lots of native plants, and winding paths that are perfect for walking, biking, or just relaxing. The park has an inspiring story too; it used to be a dirty, concrete river channel but was turned into a lively green space. It even won awards like the American Planning Association's "Great Places in America." It has a modern carousel pavilion that's great for families, along with a sparkling fountain and an ice skating rink. There's lots of benches scattered along the path by trees. You can hear the water flowing over rocks or enjoy community events such as outdoor movies, fitness classes, or summer concerts. Whether you're seeking calm by the river or the energy of a weekend event, the park offers a little escape right in the heart of Stamford. read more

Mill River Park - Parks Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

See all

Sue McGraw Friendship Playground is an inclusive playground that opened at Mill River Park in Stratford, Connecticut in June 2025. It was founded by the Mill River Park Collaborative. Funding for the revamped playground was provided by Suzanne McGraw Foundation, a private organization that supports causes related to early childhood education, animal welfare, and other community initiatives, with additional support from the Connecticut State Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. A playground had originally been built at the park in 2006 by 1,500 volunteers over just five days. However, 15 years later, the equipment and landscape showed signs of wear, and the traditional forms of the structure no longer aligned with the larger vision for the park. The new playground includes natural play areas with logs, boulders, and plantings aimed at inspiring creative and adventurous play experiences. There were also efforts made to ensure that the space is more inclusive through the installation of adaptive swings, wheelchair-accessible ramps, and sensory play zones designed for children of all abilities. My family and I recently visited the Sue McGraw Friendship Playground while we were visiting family in Stamford. The playground has been beautifully designed and meticulously landscaped. My two sons really enjoyed how the playground took inspiration from the creatures that reside in and along the Rippowam River, including two friendly turtle-shaped climbing structures that anchor the main play area and Tot Lot on either side of the playground. There's even two public bathrooms that resemble gigantic frogs. There were several opportunities for my sons to spin, swing, touch, wobble, bounce, and balance. We all really enjoyed our visit to the playground and we highly recommend it to families with small children! read more

See all

Really nice park with fresh clean air. I love the stream that runs around the park aswell. It's peacful, clean and serene. What more can you want from a park? I would recommend anyone to come here and enjoy the day. Seating is available throughout the park aswell. And they have a small garden too that looks really nice. read more

Mill River Park - Parks Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

This place is ideal for taking in the beauty of cherry blossoms. We visited on a weekend afternoon. Although we went during peak season, the park was surprisingly not crowded. The park's compact size allows for a quick walk-through, but it boasts picturesque scenery with lush greenery and a serene stream. Notably, there is no designated parking lot, but ample parking spaces are available in the surrounding area, particularly on Mill River Street. It's a must-visit destination. read more

Mill River Park - Duck and Canada Goose - Parks Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

This is such an amazing free park. Whether you are in the mood for tranquility, sparking your creative juices, or family adventure time this is the place. I brought my children on a whim. We enjoyed walking along the creek with our 'borrowed' adventure pack searching for bugs in their natural habitat. The kids thoroughly enjoyed catching and releasing whatever they could find. I can't believe the discovery center is included free and has long hours. I went on a Friday and they were open until 8 pm!!!!! My kids (7&8) truly took time to read the indoor exhibits. They were most interested the lifecycles of stream animals. And enjoyed looking over the rooftop balcony before walking through the sprinklers. The large rocks near the stream almost gives little ones a sense of rock climbing which is added fun. And the scenery gives so many photo opportunities. I highly recommend this park if you are in the area. If you aren't nearby it's worth a day trip and add some other nearby attractions to your itinerary. Next time I go I hope to choose a different adventure pack from the discovery center and pack a nice picnic lunch to truly take in the natural beauty of the day. We went during the week so we didn't get to ride the carrousel. read more

See all

Do not forget to swing by if you are near the area. Beautiful park. Stroll friendly. Greens. Stream. Carousel. Flowers. Lighted pathway. Beautiful landscape. Safe surroundings. Free Exhibits. Nice walking trail. What else can you ask from a free park? Parking is a challenge. Luckily it is a walking distance from our hotel. Stop by and you'll enjoy the time you spend here. read more

See all

Super underrated in my opinion. Park is kept spotless and staff is professional. Do nothing some funny things in the summer when kids go swimming in the water body nearby. They also host various events like music festival and food trucks. Def a nice play to go for a walk or stroll. You can circle around and then head to a playground that is farther west which is new. If you live at Smyth, Vela, Atlantic Station, this is the place to rest if you want a breath of fresh air. read more

A nice park in the neighborhood. Well maintained, nice plantings, friendly staff when we asked some questions about the plants. Compared to where we came from, this park is super clean, has beautiful seasonal plantings, and there are events. We haven't been to those yet since we moved but we'll be soon. Appreciate this being so accessible in downtown Stamford. read more

Lovely little FREE park. Though I don't think there is a parking "lot" there are many spaces surrounding the park, especially on the Mill River Street side. The park is pretty small and can be walked through quickly, but offer some lovely scenery of greenery and the stream. There are some seating throughout the park, a dog run area, and a giant sprinkler area in the center. Ofcourse there are signs that say "do not run in sprinkler" but on a 90-degree day...there wasn't one person there that wasn't. There is also an indoor carousel area which had two food trucks (one food, one beer) there at the time I visited on a Sunday afternoon. There was also a local school putting on a band performance that day as well! A Dunkin Donut is right behind the carousel which is convenient. Lots of large grassy areas throughout the park to sit down, spread a blanket and relax! read more

See all

Tiffany and the staff are all wonderful at Mill River. My son use to attend the after school program and currently attends the vacation camps. When I pick him up he always has a big smile on his face and goes on and on about the activities he partakes in. He loves the cooking classes and throwing rocks by the stream. During early winter they gave us free tickets to the annual holiday Christmas light stroll which was really cool. We also received family tickets to go ice skating and they also teach the kids how to skate while attending the after school program. Also inside Whittingham Discovery Center everything is so bright and clean. We are always greeted with friendly faces. My husband and I feel comfortable leaving our son here because we know he's in good hands. read more

Great park, the babbling brook is nice, but avoid, This place for the rip off they call the Holiday Stroll. Lack lust about if light displays this year it was much better last year can the mud. They took out the carnival style rides and have an ice rink now and some food trucks. read more

The photos do not do it justice, it's a beautiful creek to go listen to the water flowing and relax, bring a small beach chair too, you can also Swim in it if you dare. The trees give it a nice shade as well and the park is beautifully landscaped where they have several garden areas for the garden spectators and a trail of other wildflowers in season. You almost forget you're in Stamford downtown until you look up... almost like the Other Yelper had said being like a Central Park without the bicycle trail. read more

Mill River Park - Mill river in Stamford - Parks Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

See all

This park is absolutely gorgeous! I loved hearing the birds chirping and seeing the wildlife. It feels miles away from the noise of the city even though it's smack dab in the middle of it. There's a cute fenced off dog park/playground, carousel, and ice rink (during the season). I feel really lucky to have this retreat nearby. read more

See all

This park is definitely a work in progress right now, it's intended to be a new central park type of park for the city, and they're doing a lot of work to make it really nice, upgrading a lot of the features. The river has been nicely landscaped through the park, and there are paths that invite you to come close to the water. There's a plaza with some grand steps that go down to the water, and a number of things, both present (a carousel) and planned (an ice rink.) One thing I wish is that they would integrate it with a wider sort of bicycle infrastructure, a way to get more people here in their cars. But they are definitely trying to create something special here in Stamford, and it's quite pretty so far. read more

See all

Found all of these clothes pins in the water fountain are where all of the kids run and play. BE CAREFUL!!!! read more

Mill River Park - Found all of these clothes pins in the water fountain play area. BE CAREFUL!!!! - Parks Near Me - Stamford, Connecticut

This is an up and coming park. They're cleaning it up and doing more activities here. The plants need trimming and tidying up but Stamford doesn't have so much in the budget for that kind of upkeep. The creek is nice and in the winter, there's an ice rink. read more

I adore this park, the only issue is the splash pad that is apparently not a splash pad but a giant fountain with no walls in the middle of the park...which is an ice rink in winter. But don't let your kids play in it because that is not what it's designed for! Otherwise the park is beautiful and they work really hard to make it that way. read more

Good start for those who stay at the zero degree hotel. Afterwards, the walking could be taken to a different and bigger park

So I had a party at the Mill River Park Carousel for my daughter. It was a very unique experience. Although I had some issues with the staff I spoke to the head of the Party planing Amanda and she completely rectified the situation. I was insured that the staff would be spoken to and it would not happen to anyone in the future. read more