Park Address: 2751 Packard Rd, Ann Arbor MI 48104
Hours and Rules
March 17, 2023 update: Buhr Park will be closed the remainder of Friday, March 17, 2023 due to maintenance issues. We apologize for the inconvenience.
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 always refer to posted park signage in the park.
Smoking is prohibited, alcohol is prohibited, and
dogs must be on leash.
Overview
Buhr Park is a large 39 acre park in southeastern Ann Arbor with much to offer. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. The park contains softball diamonds, tennis courts, playground, open fields, sledding hill, picnic facilities with grills, an outdoor pool and a seasonal ice rink. Parking lots are located near most activities. Buhr contains a variety of stormwater features including rain gardens and wet meadows, with the goal of having the park be a zero-runoff area. View the specific features at Buhr here, read more about raingardens here, or learn more about creating your own raingardens here. Buhr is connected to Cobblestone Farm and Allen Elementary School.
Access and Parking
There are multiple parking lots in the park: one near the playground and tennis courts, a large parking lot by Cobblestone Farm and two of the ball diamonds, one in front of the pool and ice arena facilities and a dirt parking lot extending off of the facility parking lot. There are wayfinding signs directing toward the pool and ice arena and Cobblestone Farm.
The park is accessible on foot and bicycle by walking and biking along Packard Road or the neighborhood streets. There are sidewalks along Packard but no bike lanes. There are bike racks at the pool facility and near the ball diamonds. There is a pedestrian entrance to the park on Essex Road near Manchester Road in the neighborhood west of the park. There is a pedestrian entrance to the park on Easy Street in the neighborhood on the east side of the park.
Buhr is across Packard Road from Rose Park, and there is a crosswalk next to the park to cross the street. You can also connect to Mary Beth Doyle Park from Rose Park as there is a property easement for pedestrian access that connects these three park properties.
Public Transportation
There is a bus stop next to the park's main entrance on Packard Road. 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
Facilities
Activities
Other
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 park was created in 1952 when the city bought the land from Emelie and Arthur Drappawitz. The funds to buy the land were provided by the Buhr Tool Machine Company and the R. & B. Tool Machine Company of Saline. The park was named after Joseph Frank Buhr, the founder of the Buhr Tool Machine Company. Buhr is also the namesake of the Joseph Buhr Memorial Fund, started that same year to buy land for park purposes. In 1959 the northern portion of the park was given to Ann Arbor Public Schools to become the site of Allen Elementary School. The school was named after John Allen, one of the city's founders. The pool and bathhouse were built in 1968. Cobblestone Farm, the historic property next to Buhr Park, was acquired by the city in 1972. The farm's usage dates back to 1844.
Buhr Park as seen from above in 1951
Swimmers at Buhr Park Pool in 1969
The first wet meadow was planted by volunteers including local preschoolers in 1997. A stormwater master plan was developed in 1999 with the goal of making Buhr a zero-runoff park. In 2004, local middle school students worked with the Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow Project to install the second wet meadow. In 2010 a third wet meadow was added near the sidewalk between Essex Road and Allen Elementary School. In 2012 the main parking lots were rebuilt and designed with features to contribute to the zero-runoff goal of the stormwater master plan.
Read more about the Children's Wet Meadows in these articles from Natural Area Preservation (NAP) newsletters:
2002 The Buhr Park Children's Wet Meadow by Jason Frenzel
2015 Park Focus: Buhr Children's Wet Meadows by Catie Wytychak
View more historical articles and photographs courtesy of the AADL here. View a historical summary of Buhr Park's development from 1952-1970 here.
Recent Developments
2023 Japanese Cherry Tree Planting Proposal
A resident has proposed to plant ten Japanese cherry trees in Buhr Park to honor Ann Arbor's sister city relationship with Hikone, Japan. There is an existing cherry tree that was planted in 2019 to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of this relationship. Additional trees would beautify the space, encourage people to explore Buhr Park, and invite visitors to learn more about our sister city relationship.
As part of the approval process, a public survey was held to determine the level of neighborhood support and gather feedback. Community engagement is a valuable step in Adopt-a-Park's special park project approval process. The survey was open for two weeks and closed on March 6. View survey results to read community feedback. Out of 107 survey takers, 82 responded that they support the planting.
Updates to this project will continue to be included on this page.
Reach out to adopt-a-pa[email protected] or call 734.794.6445 to speak to staff directly about this proposed project. Please also reach out if you are interested in volunteering with this project, if it is approved.
Email a2parks@a2gov.org for incorrect/outdated information.
