Buhr Park

​​​​​​​




header image
Skip Navigation LinksHome » Departments » Parks and Recreation » Parks and Places » Buhr Park

Overview

Buhr Park is a large 39 acre park in southeastern Ann Arbor with much 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, an outdoor 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 rain gardens here, or learn more about creating your own rain gardens here. Buhr is connected to Cobblestone Farm and Allen Elementary School.​​

During elections, there is an official ballot drop-off box at Cobblestone Farm. During the winter, Buhr is a pick-up location for a sand/salt mixture to help treat sidewalks. View pick-up area within Buhr and other parks where this mixture is offered.

Pathways receive winter maintenance.​

Park Notices

Unless otherwise posted per City Council resolution, when a park is closed, no person shall remain in or enter it other than to quietly sit or walk.​

Refer to Chapter 39 of the City of Ann Arbor Code of Ordinances for park regulations and rules.

Park Hours

6 a.m. – Midnight

Amenities

​​

Playground

​​

Restrooms

​​

Basketball Court

 

Grills

​​

Picnic Tables​​

​​  

Softball Field

 

Tennis Court​

 

Trash & Recycling​

 

Ice Arena

 

Bike ​Racks​​

 

Paved P​aths

 

Parking​

 

Sledding Hill​

 

Gaga Pit

​​​

 
​​
 
​​
 

 

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 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 next 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 connects these three ​park prope​rties.

​​
​​

Using a phone?

Open the Park Finder

Public Transportation

There is a bus stop next ​to the park's main entrance on Packard Road. ​​Visit TheRide for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide. ​​​​​

History​​​

Ann Arbor's city parks sit on the ancestral and traditional homelands​ of several indigenous Native peoples. Read a land acknowledgement​​ from the city and learn more a​bout the early history of the land here.​​

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. Buhr is also the namesake of the Joseph Buhr Memorial Fund, started 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.

The first wet meadow was planted by volunteers including local preschoolers​ in 1997. A stormwater master plan was developed in 1999 with the goal of making Buhr a zero-runoff park. In 2004, local middle school students worked with the Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Project to install the second wet meadow​​. In 2010 a third wet meadow was added near the sidewalk between Essex Road and Allen Elementary School. 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.

Recent Developments

Buhr Cherry Tree Map.jpg

​A resident has proposed to plant ten Japanese cherry trees in Buhr Park to honor Ann Arbor's sister city relationship with Hikone, Japan. There is an existing cherry tree​ that​​​ was planted in 2019 to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of this relationship. Additional trees would beautify the space, encourage people to explore Buhr Park, and​​ invite visitors to learn more about our sister city relationship. 

As part of the approval process, a public survey was held to determine the level of neighborhood support and gather feedback. Community engagement is a valuable step in Adopt-a-P​ark​'s special park project approval process. The survey was open for two weeks and closed on March 6. View survey results​ to read community feedback. Out of 107 survey takers, 82 responded that they support the planting.​

Updates to this project will continue to be included on this page. 

Reach out to adopt-a-pa​[email protected] or call 734.794.6445 to speak to staff directly about this proposed project. Please also reach out if you are interested in volunteering with this project, if it is approved.



Helping your parks

Help Ann Arbor parks stay beautiful and welcoming to residents and visitors

Volunteering Opportunities

Join our team of volunteers and make a difference in your community! Whether you're interested in gardening, trail maintenance, event planning, or education, we have opportunities to fit your skills and interests.

Learn more about volunteering

Gifts & Donations

Looking for a way to give back to your local park? Consider making a gift or donation! Your generosity can help support maintenance and improvements to park facilities, as well as educational programs and community events.

Donate today

A2Fix It Mobile App

A2 Fix It allows users to upload a photo with each request, as a visual reference to help staff quickly locate the problem. It is also helpful for requests to be as detailed as possible.