Columbus Square Park

This should be an easy 5-star park. It’s beautiful, newly renovated, and very clean. But the issue at this park is that access to the recreation fields (75% of the park) is so tightly policed that the space rarely gets used. There are a couple weeks long stretches each year with a youth baseball or soccer league, or an adult kickball league, but for the most part it just sits empty, locked up, with kids and their parents forced to climb the fences if they want to use a public park. It should be full and vibrant every day/ night and instead it’s just empty and unused. What a shame.

We recently had the pleasure of visiting Columbus Park for the first time, and it left quite an impression on us. The park offers ample space and is conveniently connected to a dog park, making it an ideal destination for both families and pet owners. One of the highlights of the park is the presence of two separate play areas, catering to both older and younger children. We were pleased to see that all the equipment was well-maintained and in great condition. Additionally, on hot days, they have a water fountain that sprays water from the ground, adding a fun element of refreshment. It's advisable to bring extra clothes for your children as they'll likely be enticed to cool off and get wet. We highly recommend a visit to Columbus Park, and we personally look forward to returning more frequently in the future.

Amazing park!!!!! We bring our dog and it's absolutely beautiful!! Has a big dog park and a smaller one within it for under 25 lbs. There's a playground and a soccer field. Plenty of seating, water for the dogs and beautiful sunlight and trees for us!!! Highly recommend.

Great place! Has a decent sized dog park and separates the small from the large dogs. They use canine "astroturf" and it appeared to me that they had responsible dog owners who kept their eyes on their dogs (not all parks have people like this!) I was there with my young child, so we went to the kids play area. There are 2 areas... One is for older kids (which on a Saturday was complete chaos, but the kids were having a blast playing on the slides, etc) In the back there's another sectioned off park for the younger kiddos with less equipment and easier to use. Smaller and much less wild. My son had a blast. The other people there (parents of kids or dogs) were very friendly, down-to - earth... For me personally, that's really important. Looking forward to going back with my Dog next time!

There don't seem to be any weekend hours for the big field. Hundreds of people gathered on a warm Sunday afternoon (3/3/24) and were all pushed to the perimeter while the huge field in the middle remained inaccessible. Can't someone from the nearby police or fire stations just stop by in the morning to unlock the gates to the field then come by later at night to lock them up again?

This is the type of park Philly should have everywhere (cough Chew Playground cough). Now I go into a small rant because this park is so awesome. It is such an amenity to everyone, rather than just focusing on a single group. There is plenty of seating for people to enjoy the park and being in fresh air, and I walk through here weekly and see everyone enjoying this space. It has an awesome playground, a field for sports, and even a dog park with two sections for big and small dogs. Did I mention the tons of benches and tables available to sit? The landscaping is also beautifully done. This is my top example of a park well done, and I've used this park trying to advocate for something similar on the west side of Broad (Chew Playground) because this park shows so well how you can accommodate dogs, children, and people. There's no alienating or saying one is more valuable than the other, or that they can't co-exist. I would argue that dog owners and more people enjoying a park makes it much safer for children, eyes are always everywhere keeping everyone safe. Cities are meant for diversity, this is why we all live in a city.

Great redesign, except path stops short and folks are walking on grass to continue around the park. It was so lush and green when it opened but sadly, TOO MANY dog owners are letting their pets pee all over the grass even in the "no pets" section and it is looking 😢 'No peeing' signs are up so hopefully that makes a difference but from what I'm seeing, not enough. Dog park stinks on hot days when walking by. Don't get me wrong. I love dogs. The field is closed off and inaccessible "to let the grass get established " but it's a major downer for kids who want to run around in some green and play. The grassy knoll is awesome. Park benches and tables are great. Playground for kids and water jets for hot days are a blast. Even a bottle filler!

Great place. Well thought-out design with roomy, designated spaces for dogs, kids. I was by myself and felt comfortable setting my backpack aside to walk through the spray park on a hot day. The water fountain had a place for me to fill my water bottle. I passed a 90 degree afternoon here by reading a book, cooling down with water, people and dog watching. The park is also very clean.

This is a lovely little park between Reed and Wharton and 12th and 13th. There are sports fields, a playground, and two small off-leash dog park areas (one for large dogs, one for small dogs) that are well maintained and popular with the surrounding residents and their owners. My dog absolutely loves coming here. Usually when we leave the house she heads straight in its direction!