This is a smallish municipal park with a player area, but what was really important to us is that…read moreit's an excellent place for a put-in for kayaking the Big Walnut Creek. Just north of here there is a low-head dam currently situated on the Creek. so we needed to avoid that structure, and selected this park as a starting point. there is a nice boat ramp, and although there have been quite a bit of rain the water level had receded overnight, so we had to walk the boats out to the center of the creek. After a little scooting around we were on our way. This is a great launching point, and it made for a great float of about 1-1/2 to 2 hours into downtown Gahanna. Our kayak takeout was Friendship Park, just south of the Creekside area, but you can read all about that and another one of my reviews.

Searching for parks on a hot day, for Baby K to play at, we went to half a dozen. We needed one…read morethat was not busy (at least, not crowded with kids at the playground), that had some shade on the playground so she didn't burn her legs on the slides, and where Dada didn't have to walk far from the parking lot. We got all that here, and so much more. There is a fair-sized playground with several slides, climbing areas, swings, etc. And: an obstacle course with logs, tunnels, little houses to play in, and more. Wow. Plus it's a great park otherwise: shade, plus green space, a shelter with bathrooms, tables, a rain garden, places to fish by a big pond, paths, basketball courts and playing fields, and more. Beautifully laid out, full of fun, we will definitely be back.

Very beautiful park with alot of amenities. Great shelter house with nice tables and counter space…read morefor party or events. Water fountains near the playgrounds. Bike free trails. Dog free park. Tennis courts and parking and a nice open field.

This is a nice park located behind the Jeffrey Mansion. There are quite a few amenities available,…read moreplus a nice sized greenspace. Near the parking area are the tennis courts and what looks like the pool area beyond that (closed this time of year - November - of course). If you head past the greenspace, you will find a very nice shelterhouse with restrooms (open during warmer parts of the year) and a lot of picnic tables, the playground, and the trailheads to stroll through the forest. The playground has limited weekday hours, as described on plentiful signage around it. Weekend hours were 8 am to dark right now. It offers a fenced-in area for the youngest kids with a climbing structure, a little house, and the like. The larger play area offers slides, climbing options, monkey bars, a moving balance beam, bridges, and more. There are also baby swings available. If you head into the woods, you will find great views of Alum Creek, which runs along the western side of the park. There's a nice boardwalk that takes you right down the hill up towards it to check it out and see any wildlife that might be nearby. The trees are overwhelmingly a bright yellow right now, which was a perfect pick-me-up on a cloudy day. There are benches and picnic tables also available near the woods and trailheads.

I took a stroll around Wolfe park one evening and really enjoyed the serenity. It was a breezy, 70…read moredegree day, so there were a few kids out playing and cyclists around. I also saw a few people fishing in this creek. I can't say that's mu vibe but if it's your thing, here's an option.

I parked here and had a road bike ride on the Alum Creek Trail. Altogether good although when I…read morewent south there was construction and the trail was closed so I had to go north and had a great ride. Good place to go riding!

As usual, this is mainly for the playground. But the park is nice, with lots of open, pleasant…read moregreen space, a huge shelter, ball fields and courts, plenty of parking, etc. The playground is great. Several areas, for all ages. One of those dance game machines, a toddler area, swings, areas for bigger kids, etc. It was a barely-warm late fall day so we couldn't stay long, but we will definitely be back.

It was really fun. There was a bathroom, but for that benches you need to reserve it's for like a…read moreparty and wedding. There's like a wedding happening. There's people fishing there with the 779 people.

Looking for playgrounds, this one turned up not far from our house, and man, it's an amazing…read moreplayground. The park has open space, and a few basketball courts, and a small building that I assume holds restrooms. But we were here for the playground, and it is huge, and diverse, and unusual, and fun. Baby K loooooved it, and we will be back. Nothing like other playgrounds, it seems to be unique. Lots of things to climb on, stuff that bounces, educational areas, plus swings and slides and all. A lot of it is accessible to kids of any age and ability. For the older kids there are cool climbing areas, etc. It was busy on a Saturday so in the interests of health we did not stay long, but hopefully on weekdays it is quieter. Nice sized parking lot, easy access, clean and fun.

This was my first time to this park and I was impressed!! It's great for kids of all ages and…read moreabilities!! One of the most handicap accessible playgrounds I have visited. There are restrooms available and covered seating areas. There isn't much shade so take that into consideration in hot days!

YE Gurl Says: Franklin Park Lit Up My Night (Literally)…read more Date: September 6, 2025 Place: Franklin Park - Water Lantern Festival (Yelp Contest Winner!) I've been to Franklin Park before for the African Festival, but little did I know there was a gorgeous man-made lake and walking area tucked behind the amphitheatre. Honestly, Columbus needs more events out here--imagine summer concerts lakeside. Come on, Cbus, don't sleep on this! Thanks to a Yelp contest win, I got two tickets to the Water Lantern Festival and was excited to experience it for the first time. I brought the beau, packed a sweater (because yes, sweater-and-jacket weather arrived), and we found a spot to settle in. The experience started with decorating our lanterns--super thoughtful packages that came with a deck of cards and conversation prompts to keep the evening flowing. The event itself was well organized: shuttles helped us avoid the parking madness, there were plenty of food trucks (though I ate beforehand), and the staff kept things moving. The only hiccup was the AV system--it was a little hard to hear, and the lantern launch was delayed due to the chill. But when those lanterns finally floated onto the water, the view was worth it. Beautiful, reflective, and something I can now check off my list as an artistic and soulful evening. YE Gurl checked the box and lit the night!

We love Franklin Park and love doing our family walk time with our doggie Ellie. Absolutely would…read morerecommend taking a stroll on a pretty day, or you could even have a picnic. It's a huge park with an amphitheater, cascade waterfalls, a community garden, an Asian-inspired garden, a playground, a picnic shelter, and ponds stocked for fishing. The park is also the home of the annual Columbus Asian Festival, the Franklin Park Adventure Center, and the amazing Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

This is an excellent place for a takeout when you're kayaking the Big Walnut Creek. There's an…read moreeasily identifiable location on River Left And when we visited it was well manicured with gravel, which made it easy to get up the small hill where we load the boats onto our car. After some time on the river, you might be hungry, and there are plenty of restaurants nearby with a variety of different foods available. Urban kayaking can be fun - And this is a great space to wind up your day on the river.

Nice little park in the heart of Gahanna. Some green space, a shelter, some tennis and basketball…read morecourts. But we were here for the playground, and it was great. Big, with many areas for different ages. Baby K loved the slides and climbing wall. There's a swing you can ride with them. Drums to beat on, many other interesting play items.

I love to walk this trail when I have some time to wonder. The weather's been nice lately so I've…read morebeen taking longer strolls. I appreciate how clean the park is and always see people enjoying themselves whether it's cycling, skating, running, or walking like me.

Great park with so many birds. Would love to see it more during day as I went in evening to enjoy…read morebeer and birds before sunset at Nocterra. I even saw a rainbow.

Its hard ti believe this park was once the horrible parking lot for COSI! Not sure whom decided…read moreto relocate parking to below ground and make the old lot a lovely park full of interactive elements... but THANK YOU! Parking is accessed in the middle of the park (which is also in front of COSI). There are musical interactive stations, two out door ping pong tables. Two sets of concrete corn hole and a large playground for the kiddos. There are even swinging benches facing then parks green and a few lounge chairs. Its a pretty cute city park. The Junto Hotel faces it as well and there is a great coffee house (Maudines) inside if you need a drink or a snack!

Our last visit, during the winter, didn't do full justice to how beautiful this area is in the…read morespring/summer. On our recent visit, a lot of stuff was in bloom, which gave us the opportunity to fully appreciate several of the gardens that are at their peak now: the pollinator garden, the butterfly garden, and the rain garden, all of which also have accompanying signage. There's a nice large play area with some more unique play sets than typically seen at a playground, though it does offer swings and plenty of things to climb on. There are also benches and bench swings and a number of umbrella tables on the plaza for picnicking. There is a fountain water play section, though the water was off on our recent visit. A music garden offers fun interactive opportunities to try out a wide variety of musical instruments. There's also a very neat dinosaur sculpture garden that showcases fossil sculptures of a variety of dinos! A game area offers the chance to do some ping pong/table tennis or play corn hole. The Science Spectrum sculpture, whose "leaves" move around and catch the light, creating rainbow-y looks is a fun addition. This is a fun area to explore, and it is conveniently located in front of COSI, near the Scioto Mile.

Blackburn Park and Recreation Center falls under The City of Columbus Recreation and Parks…read moreDepartment. Located on Bryden Road Blackburn Park is a great little community space in Olde Towne East. You can get here on Bryden Road, and also off East Main Street. The Blackburn Community Center located here as well, but that is a separate managed facility than the park and playgrounds. Being a neighborhood park, we love walking our dog here and around through Olde Towne East. It's a good little spot for a break. We always see here kids playing and adults hanging out enjoying the park too. Amenities include basketball and tennis courts, a playground, a "sprayground" on hot summer days, and pick-nick tables year round. Dog friendly and the park is open dusk to dark.

Mainly a review for the playground, as always…read more On the south side are tennis courts and a splash park, and we didn't see the playground at first. It is on the north side. Smallish but with plenty to do. A big green space nearby, and benches and tables handy. The rec center is right there. Kid K liked it, but no one else was out on Memorial Day weekend so we went in search of new friends at other parks. Nice to have in the neighborhood, with a variety of things to do. Surprised we haven't been sooner, since we pass it occasionally. Probably didn't stop because you can't really see the playground from the major streets. But it's here, and fun.