Park Address: 1450 Pauline Blvd, Ann Arbor MI 48103
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. Smoking is prohibited, and dogs must be on leash.
Overview
Fritz Park is a 5-acre gem on
Pauline, between Seventh Street and Stadium Boulevard. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. The park is a
connector to the larger Eberwhite Woods and Eberwhite Nature Area and
facilitates a pleasant walk through the woods. Its ecosystem consists of mature
oak-hickory woodland with an understory of diverse, native, ground flora. Near
the middle of the park is a small mowed area with a playground. The park contains a play structure, picnic tables and grills. The play area in the middle of the park is surrounded by tall trees providing plenty of shade.
A total of 81 native plants have been recorded in the park. Flowers observed include black snakeroot, tall sunflower, May apple, white baneberry, bristly green brier, blue-stem goldenrod and woodland phlox. Shrubs found include maple-leaf arrowwood and red-osier dogwood and trees including ironwood, redbud and flowering dogwood.
Access and Parking
There is street parking along Hewett Drive and Russell Road on the park's east side. There is a park entrance at the corner of Hewett and Russell. There is also street parking on Northwood Street on the park's western side which has an entrance to the park.
The park can be reached on foot and bicycle by walking and riding on the surrounding neighborhood streets. Pauline Boulevard has bike lanes and sidewalks. There are no bike racks at the park.
Public Transportation: There is a bus stop immediately adjacent to the park on Pauline Boulevard. Visit The Ride for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide.
Amenities
- Picnic tables and benches, view asset map for amenity locations
- Playground
- Unpaved trail
- Landfill receptacles (one near playground, one at Pauline entrnace)
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 to protect and restore Ann Arbor's natural areas and to foster an environmental ethic among its citizens. 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. 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 land that now comprises Fritz Park was given to the city to be used as a public park in 1936 by Elsa Fritz DeFries, Jessie Fritz and John E. Fritz, niece and nephews of Michael J. Fritz, who the park is named after. Michael J. Fritz served on the park commission for over 20 years. The park had previously been known as the Ann Arbor Schutzenbund Park, and it had been a historic gathering place for German-Americans. Read an article about the gift of the park from 1938, courtesy of the AADL. The park was technically in Ann Arbor Township until annexed by the City of Ann Arbor in 1948.
Fritz Park as seen from the air (from the northwest) in 1952 (Source: AADL)
Read a Natural Area Preservation newsletter article detailing the impressive variety of native species in the park:
2003 Park Focus: Fritz Park by Maggie Hostetler
