Every time I ask about cool parks on my Facebook page, it never fails that Heritage Park in Farmington Hills is mentioned. This spot has been on my list forever, and I am sad that it took us so long to get around to, because man! This one is a heck of a gem, folks.
First of all, it truly has an entire day worth of fun. I planned for us to hang for maybe 2 hours, tops. We were there for 4.5 hours…and I had to drag my kids home! Best of all? It’s FREE fun, and has loads of nature-based sensory play.
About Heritage Park in Farmington Hills
Heritage Park is a 211-acre park with 4.5 miles of trails for hiking and nature study. In the winter, the trails are used for cross-country skiing. In summer, the north end of the park includes a splash pad, group picnic shelter, playground, in-ground grills, two sand volleyball courts, an in-line hockey rink and six horseshoe pits.
Also located in Heritage Park are the Spicer House, Stables Art Studio, Day Camp, Nature Center and Amphitheatre buildings {such a neat concert venue}!
Learn more here: https://fhgov.com/play,-explore-learn/parks-facilities/heritage-park
About The Splash Pad
The splash pad is open Memorial through Labor Day and has a series of fountains and sprayers that are fun for kids of all ages, and perfect to enjoy on a hot day. There is no fencing around the splash area, so keep that in mind with little ones.
My kids seem to get bored easily at splash pads, so the fact this one is FREE is huge. This would be perfect for water play for an infant too!
There is a snack shack for treats and refreshments located next to the splash pad with items like chips, crackers, and popsicles. There are a few hot items like pizza, hot pretzels and nachos, too.
There is a bathroom located on the premises, but it wasn’t extremely clean for changing, so my kids opted to change in our van. With that said, it would be fine to change in there in a pinch. Otherwise, I’d recommend coming in a bathing suit if possible and just changing {or drying off} afterwards.
About The Nature Center and Nature Discovery Trail
This was my absolute favorite part of this park…There was so much to do, and it really catered to kids!
The Nature Center has a life-sized animal habitat, a backyard habitat bird viewing area, native fish aquariums, a nature library and activity table as well as a hands-on touch table and Discovery Cove.
My kids ran from exhibit to exhibit asking questions and learning about Michigan’s native creatures. They even got to touch a snake and a rabbit! They loved being able to touch all the antlers and furs and trying to guess what animal it belonged to.
Right next to the Nature Center was an amazing Nature Discovery Trail, which had a Native American Longhouse, mystery smell boxes {really unique and fun!}, a rocks & fossil dig pit and more.
It took us at least an hour to go through the trail because the kids wanted to play at every station. It was special witnessing their brains come alive as they interacted with the stations and each other. One more reason I say to forget toys…Nature really does help kids come alive!
My kiddos played the most at the habitat area. With no rules or regulations, that had a blast creating with sticks, PVC pipes, pinecones, wood blocks, bricks, and more. They are already begging to get these supplies for our backyard.
Getting There
This park was very easy to find. Just plug this address into your GPS:
24915 Farmington Rd.
Farmington Hills, MI 48336
Follow the signs to the splash pad or nature center for parking. We were easily able to walk to both areas, no problem.
Hours
Park Hours: 8 a.m. – Dusk
Splash Pad Hours: 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Snack Shack Hours: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Have you been to Heritage Park? What is your favorite feature at this gem?
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