Montibeller Park – Playground Profile

This profile of Montibeller Park is part of our Summer Series: Tuesday Playground Profiles

Each week Ann Arbor with Kids is profiling a different playground in the Ann Arbor area. Playgrounds will be selected from Ann Arbor, Saline, Ypsilanti, Dexter, etc. Today we are profiling Pittsfield Township’s Montibeller Park.

Montibeller Park

Montibeller Park is located on Ellsworth Rd just east of the shopping center with Meijer. The park features two playgrounds, sports fields, and a lot of open grassy area. 

Address: 4305 Ellsworth Rd, Ann Arbor 48108
Unique Features: Two adjacent play structures, climbing wall, balance elements
Swings: Yes, 2 buckets, 2 regular
Surface: Woodchips
Bathrooms: Yes, open seasonally. However, there is no path from the playground to the bathrooms making it hard to navigate with a stroller or wheelchair.
Shade: Partial. The two playgrounds are in sun but there are large trees offering shade between them.
Pavilion: Yes. There is a pavilion available at Montibeller.
Sports Fields: Baseball/Softball, Tennis, Volleyball
Walking Trails: Montibeller Park has walking trails, however they are not connected to the path near the playgrounds. Therefore, they are not very practical for families with strollers or wagons.

Parental Warning: Montibeller hosts day camp in the summer. The campers are often in the area of the playgrounds and the pavilion. While they are not on the play structure while we were there, they may be at other times during the day 
Parking: Two parking lots are available at Montibeller Park. The first lot is near the playgrounds and further to the west. The second lot is near the Fire Station and is closer to the bathrooms and tennis courts. Parking can be difficult during large events or when the fields are in use. 

Montibeller Park Review

We used to frequent Montibeller Park when my daughter was younger, but it has fallen out of favor in recent years. When my daughter was younger, we visited a playground almost every night after dinner. Over the years, we added our own play structure and began meeting friends at other playgrounds that were more centrally located. However, my daughter remembered Montibeller (or more specifically the park we used to go to a lot but don’t go to anymore) and requested to profile it this week.

I love that Montibeller has two structures. The first structure (closer to the parking lot) is quite tall with a climbing wall that my daughter loves. It also features numerous tunnels to crawl through. Even though the structure is tall, there are lower elements to the playground that are perfect for younger children.

The second structure is considerably lower and perfect for younger kids. However, with monkey bars, a zip line, and balance elements, it still has features that appeal to older kids.