Buhr Park is a large 39 acre park in southeastern Ann Arbor with many recreation amenities to offer. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. The park contains softball diamonds, tennis courts with a tennis ball recycling bin, a playground, an outdoor Gaga Ball pit, rolling open fields, a sledding hill, and picnic facilities with grills. Contact Park Rentals for information about renting the ball fields. The park is home to the Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Arena and Pool. Parking lots are located near most of the 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 rain gardens here, or learn more about creating your own rain gardens here. Buhr is also home to the historic Cobblestone Farm and borders Allen Elementary School.
During elections, there is an official ballot drop-off box at Cobblestone Farm. During the winter, Buhr is a pick-up location for a sand/salt mixture to help treat sidewalks. View pick-up area within Buhr and other parks where this mixture is offered. The paved paths in the park receive winter snow removal.
Park Notices
Unless otherwise posted per City Council resolution, when a park is closed, no person shall remain in or enter it other than to quietly sit or walk.
Refer to Chapter 39 of the City of Ann Arbor Code of Ordinances for park regulations and rules.
Park Hours
6 a.m. - Midnight
Amenities
Playground
Restrooms
Grills
Picnic Tables
Softball Field
Tennis Court
Landfill & Recycling Bins
Outdoor Pool
Ice Arena
Bike Racks
Paved Paths
Parking
Sledding Hill
Gaga Ball Pit
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.
There is a bus stop next to the park's main entrance on Packard Road. Visit TheRide for closest stops and route details or check out the parks ride guide.
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. The park contains a memorial to Mr. Buhr. 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.
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.
In October of 2023 a new grove of Japanese cherry trees intermixed with native serviceberry trees was planted at Buhr Park. These trees celebrate Ann Arbor’s relationship with its sister city of Hikone, Japan. There was an existing cherry tree with a plaque that was planted in 2019 to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of this relationship. The idea for this grove was proposed by a resident, and the Elizabeth Dean Fund provided funding to pay for the trees and installation. Once these trees are established, they should have spectacular springtime blooms! This projected is intended to 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, 2023. View survey results to read community feedback. Out of 107 survey takers, 82 responded that they support the planting.
Reach out to adopt-a-park@a2gov.org or call 734.794.6445 if you have any questions about this project or are interested in adopting the park or proposing a project.
Volunteer in the parks
Looking to make an impact in a park or nature area? Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation provides volunteer opportunities for almost every interest, ability, and commitment level.
Park Finder
Discover parks and find amenities through the City of Ann Arbor Park Finder. This map allows you to search park names or search by amenity type or keyword.
A2Fix It - Service request tool
A2 Fix It is an online system you can use to report any maintenance issues or other problems during your park visit. When reporting an issue in a park please include detailed location information in the "details and description" section near the end of the request process. Pictures that provide location context are very helpful.
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