Park Address: 1519 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor MI 48105
Hours and Rules
Open 6 a.m. - midnight with quiet hours starting 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. Visitors must always refer to posted signage in the park. Smoking is prohibited, and dogs must be on leash.
Overview
Fuller Park is a 60-acre recreation area located on Fuller Road and Maiden Lane near the center of Ann Arbor. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. The park contains athletic fields, public restrooms and Fuller Park Pool, a outdoor 50 meter pool with a waterslide (see aerial photo). The perimeter of the park is the Huron River. There is a pedestrian bridge connection to Island Park. The park is part of a trail network connecting it to Island Park and Cedar Bend Nature Area. Be sure to explore a lesser known trail that travels between the Huron River and the athletic fields. You can also access the B2B Trail from Fuller Park. The play area was designed and built by the community and is one of the largest in the City. There are picnic tables located near the play area, and parking both at the park and across Fuller Road. An accessible asphalt path connects to the play area and pool facilities. The park is home to the GIVE 365 volunteer program, which facilitates volunteer activities in the park system. There are five athletic fields behind the pool, and one field west of the dirt parking lot.
Athletic Fields
Use of the Fuller athletic fields require a paid park permit. Five of the fields are fenced in while one is not. Fields can be used for many sports such as soccer (11 vs. 11. 9 vs. 9 and 7 vs. 7), lacrosse, and ultimate frisbee. For more information or to reserve a field, contact the Parks Customer Service office at 734.794.6230.
Access Points and Parking
The main park parking lot is of Fuller Road. During the pool off season, several lots are rented to the University of Michigan for weekday parking. There is always a row of designated 4-hour park use only parking spots directly in front of the playground. Be sure to check signage as it is updated seasonally.
The park is accessible on foot and bicycle via sidewalks along Fuller Road and the B2B Trail. There are bike racks in the park. There is a pedestrian bridge connecting the park to Island Park which then connects to Cedar Bend Nature Area.
Public Transportation
There are bus stops along the park on Fuller Road. There is a stop next to the parking lots and pool facility. Visit The Ride for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide.
Using a phone? - Click for a GPS Tracker and Wayfinding Map
Amenities
Volunteer
There are many 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 with many levels of commitment. Natural Area Preservation has volunteer opportunities to help protect and restore Ann Arbor’s natural areas and to foster an environmental ethic within the community.
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 hard 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. Users can also utilize the pin (website) or X (mobile app) feature to provide specific location information inside the park. Please consider including a wide angle photo, 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. If you have a park improvement idea, 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
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 about the early history of the land here.
The Fuller Park property dates back to a 1907 acquisition with 10 more property deeds being added in 1926-1931. More property was added in 1955 and 1980-81 to give us the Fuller Park boundaries we have today. Fuller Park was the site of the city's first municipal golf course. The course was known as the "Rock Pile" from the 1930s through the 1960s. Seven holes of golf which the City maintained were on University of Michigan land east of the river. This was part of a land use lease agreement.
In 1938, this photo from the golf course shows the golf course 'starting house' and the University hospital across the street. Another picture from the Ann Arbor District Library shows golfers playing the course. Over the years, many have played a round at the 'rock pile', a course that required travel over the Huron River (south of Fuller Road). View the bridge that connected the course over the river here or after lots of rain, the high waters of the Huron. You can see the golf course and the bridge in this 1947 aerial photograph.
Longtime resident Don Simons was hired as an 11 year old in 1954 to pick up newspapers and clean the toilets. He made 40 cents an hour getting a dime raise the next year. Plus, "they gave me hotdogs and chocolate milk for free". You can listen to the entire interview here.
In the 1960s, the City Junior Tournament was played at the Municipal Golf course. View a 1964 picture of the juniors starting. The Ann Arbor District Library has some photos as well: "Setting Up The Tee" and "Hitting For The Green".
In 1961, Eli Gallup retires to end a 42-year career as the parks superintendent. You can see him here standing on a green at the Municipal Golf Course.
Voters in April of 1966 had approved a $900,000 bond issue for three swimming pools and ice rinks at Fuller Park, Buhr Park and Veterans Memorial Park. With this bond, plans for a pool and rink at Fuller Park were started.
In 1967, the City was notified that the University of Michigan was looking to end its lease agreement. The city planned to reduce the golf course to 9 holes and add swimming, ice skating and tennis on the city owned land. This site plan shows the proposed swimming pool-ice rink complex. In 1968, the Fuller Pool final design is OKd by council.
In February of 1969, Betty Jane Wilson presents achievement ribbons to Ice-Skating Winners.
In 1972, Richard Blake receives award for saving boy's life at Fuller Pool.
In 1974, the golf course is grown over and plans for soccer fields are in the works.
In 1981, the Fuller Pool solar idea is pursued to demonstrate that "solar heating of domestic hot water is feasible".
The Mixer Playground structure, dedicated to Scott and Sally Mixer, was designed and built by volunteers in the community. It was designed to be accessible for children with disabilities. It was constructed and opened in 1989 and is one of the largest playgrounds in the city.
Recent Developments
Updates recent years such as new stucco on the pool buildings, field renovations, irrigation and pool equipment have been done. You can visit the park archives for more information.
UV filters were added to the swimming pool for the 2021 season.
Active Adopters
The University of Michigan Hospital Radiology Department became adopters of Fuller Park in spring 2022. Their first volunteer workday was held in April 2022. They worked to cut back non-native invasive honeysuckle in one of the park's wooded spaces. We are looking forward to working with them in the future to improve and enhance the park in many ways!
