Park Address: 250 W Oakbrook Dr, 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. Smoking is prohibited, alcohol is prohibited, and dogs must be on leash.
Overview
Ward Park is a 5.81-acre park located east of Main Street at the end of Oakbrook Drive. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas Map for location context. Ward is a mixed-use park with many amenities to cater to different park users. The park contains a play area, benches, a picnic table, and a walking trail through a lightly wooded area.
Access and Parking
Limited street parking is available on East Oakbrook Drive, where the road curves and borders the park.
Ward Park is accessible on foot and by bike. South Main Street to the west has dedicated bike lanes and sidewalks, and the neighborhood streets surrounding Ward Park have sidewalks. There are no bike racks at the park.
Nearby city parks include Cranbrook Park to the west and Willow Nature Area to the southeast.
Public Transportation: The nearest bus stop is at the corner of South Main Street and Harbor Way, less than a 5 minute walk from the park. Visit The Ride for schedule and route details or check out the parks ride guide.
Amenities
- Picnic table and benches
- Playground structure
- Walking trails
- Trash Receptacle
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 within the community. 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
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 land that comprises Ward Park was dedicated to the city as park land by the developer of Harbor Club Apartments in the early 1990s.
A resolution was proposed to the Ann Arbor City Council in 1993 with a recommendation to rename Harbor Club Park to Ward Park. Reasons for the recommendation included changing the name to be less territorial to the Harbor Club Apartments and therefore, more inviting to other surrounding housing communities. The name Ward was chosen to honor Ellen Ward who partly owned and developed the plan for the park and residential land in tandem with Harbor House Developers Ltd.
