Mushroom Park is a lovely 1.5-acre neighborhood park located between Waltham Drive and Saxon Street off of Scio Church Road in the southwest corner of the city. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. The park features a winding path through grassy green berms and some tall shady trees including the city's second largest White Oak. The playground is nestled among the berms, and among them are a few small painted concrete mushrooms, the namesake of the park. The park also contains benches and picnic tables.
Access and Parking
There are entrances on Waltham Drive and Saxon Street on the east and west sides of the park and there is street parking along both streets. Both entrances connect to neighborhood sidewalks and are connected by a paved path through the park.
The park is accessible by foot and bicycle using the neighborhood streets surrounding the park. Nearby Scio Church Road has a sidewalk but no bike lakes.
Public Transportation: The nearest bus stop is only 300 feet from the park. Visit The Ride for schedule and route details or check out the parks ride guide.
Using a phone? - Click for a GPS Tracker and Wayfinding Map
Amenities
- Picnic tables and benches
- Playground with structure and swings, including tot bucket swing and accessible swing
- Paved path with winter maintenance
- Concrete mushrooms
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 ranging from a 90-minute commitment to a more long term ongoing role. 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 land for the park was acquired in 1961 from the developer of the surrounding subdivision. The park was originally known as Vernon Downs Playlot, which was taken from the name of the subdivision. In 1975, Girl Scout Troop #190 petitioned the city to rename the park to Mushroom Park, inspired by the recognizable concrete climbing structures in the park that were shaped like mushrooms, which were built in 1962. They argued that "Vernon Downs" was not a commonly used name and that neighborhood children had already been referring to it as Mushroom Park. George Owers, the superintendent of the park system, recommended to Ann Arbor City Council that the name be changed and council voted unanimously to approve changing the name to Mushroom Park. The mushrooms still stand in the park to this day, having been colorfully painted by neighborhood residents.
Updated October 2022. Email [email protected]a2gov.org for incorrect/outdated information.
