Park Address: 2751 Packard Rd, Ann Arbor MI 48104
Hours and Rules
Open 6 a.m.-midnight with quiet hours beginning at 10 p.m. Refer to
Chapter 39 of the City of Ann Arbor Code of Ordinances for park regulations and rules. Contact
park rentals for policies and rules related to rentals and special uses and always refer to posted park signage in the park.
Smoking is prohibited, alcohol is prohibited, and
dogs must be on leash.
Overview
Buhr Park is a large 39 acre park in southeastern Ann Arbor with a variety of activities to offer. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. The park contains softball diamonds, tennis courts, playground, open fields, sledding hill, picnic facilities with grills, rain gardens, an outdoor pool with a family activity pool and a seasonal ice rink. Parking lots are located near most activities. Buhr contains a variety of stormwater features including rain gardens and wet meadows, with the goal of having the park be a zero-runoff area. View the specific features at Buhr here, read more about raingardens here, or learn more about creating your own raingardens here. Buhr is connected to Cobblestone Farm and Allen Elementary School.
Access and Parking
There are multiple parking lots in the park- one near the playground and tennis courts, a large parking lot by Cobblestone Farm and two of the ball diamonds, one in front of the pool and ice arena facilities and a dirt parking lot extending off of the facility parking lot. There are wayfinding signs directing toward the pool and ice arena and Cobblestone Farm.
The park is accessible on foot and bicycle by walking and biking along Packard Road or the nearby neighborhood streets. There are sidewalks along Packard but no bike lanes. There are bike racks at the pool facility and near the ball diamonds. There is a pedestrian entrance to the park on Essex Road near Manchester Road in the neighborhood west of the park. There is a pedestrian entrance to the park on Easy Street in the neighborhood on the east side of the park.
Buhr is across Packard Road from Rose Park, and there is a crosswalk immediately adjacent to the park to cross the street. You can also connect to Mary Beth Doyle Park from Rose Park as there is a property easement for pedestrian access that connect these three park properties.
Public Transportation: There is a bus stop immediately adjacent to the park's main entrance on Packard Road. Visit The Ride for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide.
Amenities
Facilities
Activities
Unique
Volunteer
There are ongoing and limitless opportunities for volunteering and getting engaged with the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services Unit. GIVE 365 and the seasonal Adopt-a-Park Program offer volunteer opportunities ranging from a 90 minute commitment, to a more long term, ongoing role. Natural Area Preservation also has volunteer opportunities that support their mission and involve volunteers in all aspects of maintaining biodiversity and restoring damaged ecosystems. If you are feeling the call to volunteer or give some time, reach out or explore the websites above to see what’s upcoming or how to get involved.
Report a Problem - A2 Fix It
To report any maintenance issues or other problem during your park visit, please report through A2Fix It. Keep in mind that parks are large spaces and A2 Fix It requests can be difficult to find without detailed information. When reporting an issue in a park please include location details. There is a details and description section near the end of the request process to help you provide this. In addition, users can utilize the pin (website) or X (mobile app) feature to provide specific location information inside the park. Finally, please consider including a wide angle photo or include background landmarks, which helps staff find and fix the problem.
Gifts and Donations
Information on donating to the parks and the Guide to Giving can be found here. Alternatively if you have a special project or park improvement idea that you want to donate your time and energy toward, a great place to start is through Adopt-a-Park and the proposing a special park project guide. For information on donating a tree through Adopt-a-Park, the tree donation guide can help you get started.
History
The park was created in 1952 when the city bought the land from Emelie and Arthur Drappawitz. The funds to buy the land were provided by the Buhr Tool Machine Company and the R. & B. Tool Machine Company of Saline. The park was named after Joseph Frank Buhr, the founder of the Buhr Tool Machine Company, and the namesake of the Joseph Buhr Memorial Fund, established that same year to buy land for park purposes. In 1959 the northern portion of the park was given to Ann Arbor Public Schools to become the site of Allen Elementary School. The school was named after John Allen, one of the city's founders. The pool and bathhouse were built in 1968. Cobblestone Farm, the historic property next to Buhr Park, was acquired by the city in 1972. The farm's usage dates back to 1844.
Buhr Park as seen from above in 1951
Swimmers at Buhr Park Pool in 1969
A stormwater master plan was developed in 1999 with the goal of making Buhr a zero-runoff park, two years after the first wet meadow was planted by volunteers including local preschoolers. In 2004, local middle school students worked with the Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Project to install the second wet meadow behind the pool. In 2010 a third wet meadow was added near the sidewalk between Essex Road and Allen Elementary School, as the sidewalk was repaved. In 2012 the main parking lots were rebuilt and designed with features to contribute to the zero-runoff goal of the stormwater master plan.
Read more about the Children's Wet Meadows in these articles from Natural Area Preservation (NAP) newsletters:
2002 The Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow by Jason Frenzel
2015 Park Focus: Buhr Children's Wet Meadows by Catie Wytychak
View more historical articles and photographs courtesy of the AADL here. View a historical summary of Buhr Park's development from 1952-1970 here.
