Park Address: 1519 Fuller Road, Ann Arbor MI 48105
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 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 premium athletic fields available for use with a permit, public restrooms and Fuller Park Pool, which is an outdoor 50 meter pool with an adjacent waterslide (see aerial photo). The perimeter of the park is the Huron River, with 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 which runs through the park and leads east and west to other areas of the city. 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 currently home to the Give365 program, which facilitates volunteer activities in the park system. There are 6 athletic fields, five of the fields are behind the pool facility, while one is 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 a variety of sports, such as soccer (11 vs. 11. 9 vs. 9 and 7 vs. 7), lacrosse, and ultimate frisbee. For more information, or to check availability and reserve a field, contact the Parks Customer Service office at 734.794.6230.
Access Points and Parking
There are parking lots in the park on both sides of Fuller Road with a primary pupose to provide parking for park activities. 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 immediately adjacent 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 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
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 additional 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 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 which 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 municipal 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 Ann Arbor resident Don Simons noted that he was hired as an 11 year old by the clubhouse pro in 1954 to pick up newspapers and clean the toilets at the Rock Pile course. 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 and from this era 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 and is captured 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 ( for Fuller Park, Buhr Park and Veterans Memorial Park) and plans for a pool and rink at Fuller Park were underway.
In 1967, the
City was notified that the University of Michigan was looking to end its lease agreement for an expansion of University use. The city planned to reduce the municipal 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 1981, the Fuller Pool solar idea is pursued as a high visibility demonstration 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
Ongoing renovations and construction have occurred in recent years such as new stucco on the pool buildings, field renovations, irrigation and pool equipment upgrades. 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 to cut back nonnative 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!
Updated October 2022. Email [email protected] for incorrect/outdated information.
