7 Unique Playgrounds Around Cleveland
Looking for some new, totally unique playgrounds to add to your summer bucket list? Look no further!
One of our family's favorite activities is exploring new playgrounds throughout Northeast Ohio. (Be sure to check out our post 60+ Best Cleveland Area Playgrounds) Over the last year, we started to notice just how many super-unique playgrounds the Cleveland area has to offer.
So, we decided to do some exploring so we could compile a few of the most unique playgrounds in and around Cleveland.
Whether you're an East-sider or a West-sider, there are plenty of unique playgrounds on this list for your littles to enjoy this summer!
The Unique Playgrounds List
You can click the name of each playground in this post, and it will take you to the Google Maps listing for the playground.
1. Lake to Lake Trail, Pre-historic Playpit in Middleburg Heights
(See it on instagram)
We're kicking off the unique playgrounds list with some pre-historic fun! This playground features a 25-foot-long mastodon skeleton for the kids to climb in and dig around. It was definitely a "wow" moment for my kids the first time they saw it.
The playground isn't especially large. It does have a small play structure with some climbing features, a slide, and some swings. The big draw for this playground is really the mastodon.
Another fun thing to do here (after the kids play) is to enjoy a beautiful walk across Lake Abram via the boardwalk. You can look for turtles (we saw a HUGE snapping turtle last visit!) and other wildlife creatures from the boardwalk, or in the small pond across from the playground.
There are no restrooms at this park, but there is a porta-potty at the Eastland parking lot
.PLAYGROUND FEATURES & MUST KNOWS:
Mastodon Climbing Structure & Dig Pit
Slide
Swings
Porta-potty only
2. Rocket Ship Playground (Dora Lee Payne) in Berea.
(See it on instagram)
We LOVE playgrounds that have a theme. I think there's something magical about watching your child's imagination run wild as they count down from 10 to prepare for liftoff.
This is another playground that isn't too big (which does make it easier to keep an eye on the little ones), and it's set far back from the main road, which makes it a very peaceful place to play. The slides are super fun; there are plenty of swings, a climbing course, and a big, sturdy merry-go-round to get the dizzies going.
There's also a huge, open field next to the playground, so we try to always have a soccer ball with us for if the kids get tired of playing on the playground.
There aren't any picnic tables here, so we also bring a blanket to sit on if we plan on eating lunch or snacking there.
PLAYGROUND FEATURES & MUST KNOWS:
Rocketship Play Theme with slides
Climbing course
Merry-go-round
Swings
Huge open field
3. Lakewood Park
(See it on instagram)
What would a unique playgrounds list be without the one and only Lakewood Park?!If you've ever been, you know it's probably one of the biggest (and busiest) playgrounds in town. Which is one reason I try to do this park whenever my husband is available to come with us.
Don't get me wrong, this is for sure one of our favorites! We can easily spend hours here enjoying all of the different playground features. On one trip, you could take in the view of the lake from the Solstice Steps, run the bases in the baseball field, or have a picnic in the pavilion.
And, of course, your kids will have to do the FREE ropes course (that my kids absolutely love!). Seriously, the ropes course is like nothing else we've ever seen before, and my kids will play in that spot alone for half of our trip.
PLAYGROUND FEATURES & MUST KNOWS:
GIGANTIC playground
Fantastic view of the lake
Baseball fields
Pavilions for picnics
Amazing ropes course
Plenty of single & double swings
Big, public restrooms (open seasonally, may change due to pandemic)
4. Orange Village Park
(See more photos on instagram)
We love, love, love the forest theme at Orange Village park. If you're looking for unique playgrounds on the Eastside, this one's a must-visit.
They have these awesome fake trees to climb, and once you're at the top, you feel like you're in your own treehouse!
The playground is pretty large, and it has the largest spiraling tube slide I've ever seen. It's where my kids spend most of their time.
There is a smaller play structure for kids ages 2-5, and they have a good amount of single swings and double swings (my daughter and I still love doing the double swings).
There's also a nice paved trail that goes through the woods and a small Japanese stone garden (that my kids love) on the trail.
This playground does have some picnic tables, so it's great for packing a lunch. There's also a porta-potty (the city website says they are building a real bathroom soon).
PLAYGROUND FEATURES & MUST KNOWS:
Forest theme
Fake trees for climbing
Awesome, spiral tube slide
Smaller play structure for ages 2-5
Single & double swings
Paved trail with beautiful Japanese stone garden
Porta-potty bathrooms
5. Nelson Russ in Fairview Park
(See it on instagram)
Nelson Russ isn't your average, run-of-the-mill playground.
The city of Fairview Park, Ohio, really wanted to create a space that encouraged health & happiness. The end result was a beautiful park that encourages activity!
The park is surrounded by a walking loop (which is also great for scooters 😉) with a mixture of easy-to-use (FREE) workout equipment.
In the middle of the loop, you'll find fun, unique playground equipment, which includes a 75' ZipVenture zip line, the Level X Climber, a Saucer swing, and traditional swings.
My kids' favorite part is the zip line. They could spend all day on it!
PLAYGROUND FEATURES & MUST KNOWS:
Covered pavilion
Zip lines
Giant climbing structure
Saucer swing, single swings, and double swing
Walking loop
No public bathrooms
Not much for smaller children
6. Marquardt Park in Brooklyn
(See it on instagram)
Marquardt Park got a remodel over the winter, and it's amazing!This type of playground is called a Hedra system, and it's the first one in the State of Ohio!
The unique geometric configurations and continuous circuits create a hive of evolving play that encourages exploration, imagination, and critical thinking skills for kids.
There's also a nice, not-too-long walking path through the woods.
My kids have been begging to go back ever since we left, so I'm sure we'll be spending many hours there this summer.
PLAYGROUND FEATURES & MUST KNOWS:
Public restrooms
Structure isn't huge (easy to keep an eye on kids)
Nice walking path through the woods
Street parking only
No picnic tables
7. New Russia Township Park
& Nature Preserve
(See it on instagram)
If you live far west of Cleveland, this may be your new favorite, unique playground destination.
The farm theme they created is so cute!
The kids loved all the different climbing things at this park (corn stalks, spider web, and an adorable climbing wall)
And they have the most double-person swings I've ever seen.
In addition to the new farm play they also have a nice regular playground with a bunch of slides.
This one is about 30 minutes from us but we think it is well worth the drive
PLAYGROUND FEATURES & MUST KNOWS:
Farm theme
Lots of climbing features
Single swings, and lots of double swings
There's our list! We hope you're inspired to get out and explore some of the unique playgrounds Cleveland has to offer. Be sure to follow us and tags us (#clewithkids) on Instagram when you're out on your adventures. We love to share with our community!
And if you know of any other unique playgrounds we should add to the list, be sure to leave a comment.
Happy adventures!