Veterans Memorial Park is a 37-acre park that is one of the busiest recreation areas in the city. View the Ann Arbor Parks and Nature Areas map for location context. The park is named in honor of veterans of the United States military, commemorated by a memorial located at the southwest corner of the park. Veterans Memorial Park contains five baseball/softball fields, a pool and ice arena, the Ann Arbor Skatepark, tennis courts with tennis ball recycling bins, rain gardens, a hill used for sledding in the winter, paved paths with winter maintenance and benches and picnic tables to relax and unwind. Pickleball striping exists on one of the tennis courts. Please note, that this pickleball court requires you to bring your own net (contact Ann Arbor District Library for pickleball net rental information). This park also has a pickup spot in the winter for a sand/salt mixture to treat sidewalks. There is an official City of Ann Arbor ballot drop box located at the pool & ice arena parking lot. Contact park rentals for field rental information.
Veterans Memorial Pool and Ice Arena operates a pool in the summer and an ice arena in the winter. Visit the facility page for hours, class descriptions and more.
The Ann Arbor Skatepark, a 30,000-foot world-class skating facility, is free and open to the public from 6 a.m.-10 p.m. New lights have been installed to provide extended use into the evening and early morning hours. This project was possible because of support from our partners at Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission and the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark. Testing is still underway, but the lights are currently available between 6-9 a.m. as well as 4:15-10 p.m. and can be turned on by one of two push buttons on site. This will provide an hour of light time and a flashing strobe light will indicate that 10 minutes are remaining before the lights shut off. At that time, the button can be pushed to activate the lights again up until the cut-off. The timing of the lights will be adjusted seasonally.
Skateboards, scooters and roller blades are all welcome at the skatepark which is designed for all levels and features kidney pools from 5 to 9.5 feet deep, a snake run, clover and flow bowls and a rock ride. View skatepark layout here. Bicycles are not allowed, but you can view bike recreation here if you are looking for where to ride your bike. The skatepark, which opened in 2014, operates in partnership with the Friends of the Ann Arbor Skatepark. Please view skatepark etiquette and park rules. Contact parks customer service for questions or special event information at the skatepark.
Park NoticesUnless 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 Hours6 a.m. – Midnight |
Amenities
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While there is one park address for Veterans Memorial Park (2150 Jackson Avenue), there are multiple entrances and parking lots located off of three different roads. Your navigation app may take you to a different spot than someone else's so if you are looking to meet up at the park, review the Veterans Memorial Park parking guide for parking lot details and amenity locations.
The park is accessible on foot as Dexter Avenue, Maple Road, and Jackson Avenue all have sidewalks. The park is accessible on bicycle by using bike lanes on Dexter Avenue and Jackson Avenue. There is a small bike rack at the Maple Road entrance and a larger bike rack at the pool and ice rink entrance.
There are bus stops immediately adjacent to the park on Dexter Avenue and Jackson Avenue. The nearest stop to the pool and ice arena is on Jackson Avenue. The nearest stop to the skatepark and ball fields is on Dexter Avenue.
Visit TheRide for schedule and route details and 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.
Veterans Memorial Park was originally the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds. This site served as the fairgrounds from 1922, when it moved from the land that became Burns Park, until 1951, when the land was purchased by the city for $127,500. The park was given the name Veterans Memorial Park in 1955 in honor of veterans of the U.S. military.
The Washtenaw County Fairgrounds, soon to become Veterans Memorial Park, 1955
Funds were approved for the first ball diamonds in 1958. Here is what one of the fields looked like in 1960. Lights were installed in 1961. All five diamonds, still present today, were completed by 1963 (renovated in 2012). The pool and ice arena facilities were added later in the 1960s. View "Winter Fun at Veterans Memorial Park, December 1966". The ice arena was an outdoor rink until 1973 when the rink was enclosed. There is a long history of baseball and softball being played at the park- a 1999 article from the Ann Arbor News called it "the place to play ball".
Baseball at the park, 1969
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.
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.
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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