Douglas Park

Overview

Douglas Park is a 2.5 acre park nestled between Washtenaw Avenue, Baldwin Avenue and Cambridge Road. The park is just south of downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan's campus. View the Ann Arbor Parks & Nature Areas Map for location context. This park has an open lawn area perfect for frisbee, touch football, small gatherings and studying for students. It is shaded by a perimeter of trees and has a small seating area with a few benches. George Washington Park, known as "The Rock," is a block away from the park and Crary Park is just across the street.

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

Open Field

Landfill Bin

Access and Parking

Baldwin Avenue and Cambridge Road, which form two borders of the park, have 2 hour street parking available. Refer to posted signage for parking rules and restrictions.

The park is accessible by foot and bicycle using the surrounding streets. Washtenaw has sidewalks but no bike lanes. There are no bike racks at the park.

Public Transportation

There is a bus stop next to the park on Washtenaw, and several others nearby. Visit TheRide for schedule and route details or check out the parks ride guide.

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.

Douglas Park is one of the oldest parks in the city. It was established in memory of Henry W. Douglas, a member of the first Board of Parks Commission, established in 1905. Several triangular parks had been established, and this was already in place by 1918. This park was officially designated in 1928, which is the year the land was donated to the city in honor of Douglas.

Henry (called Harry) was born in 1867, the son of Silas Douglas (sometimes Douglass) and Helen Welles Douglas. Both the Douglas and Welles families were part of the Ann Arbor elite in the 19th century. Silas Douglas, his father, was a professor of chemistry at the university and also oversaw the building of the Detroit Observatory in 1854. He also founded the Ann Arbor Gas Company in 1858 and served as its superintendent until 1891, at which point Henry took over. Douglas was a University of Michigan graduate of the class of 1890. His burial site is unknown.

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.

Learn more about volunteer opportunities

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.

View the Park Finder

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.

Submit a request