Beckley Park

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This profile of Ann Arbor’s Beckley Park Playground is part of our Playground Profiles Series. Are you interested in sponsoring the series? Contact us for details.

Each week Ann Arbor with Kids is profiling a different playground in the Ann Arbor area including Ann Arbor, Saline, Ypsilanti, Dexter, etc. Today we are profiling Beckley Park part of the Ann Arbor system.

Ann Arbor’s Beckley Park

Beckley Park is a neighborhood park on Argo Dr on the northside near Argo Park. It has a play structure, sandbox, and swings.

Beckley Park – Playground Features

Playground Profile Last Updated: June 15, 2021

Playground Best for: Kids Under 5, Kids 5-8
Structures: 1
Accessible Structure: No
Slides: 3, Curved Slide, Racer Slide
Monkey Bars: No
Zip Line: No
Climbing Apparatus: No
Merry Go Round: No
Bouncers: No
See Saw: No
Sandbox: Yes
Natural Play: No
Swings: 4 traditional swings, 2 baby swings, 0 parent/baby swings, 0 adaptive swings, 0 tire swings
Ground Activities: No
Surface: Wooden Mulch
Shade: Partial Shade – I visited in April before there were leaves on the trees, but even so there was some shade offered by the branches.
Seating: No

Beckley Park – Park Details

Park Owner: Ann Arbor
Location: 500 Argo Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Parking: Street Parking –
Bathrooms: No
Walking Trails: Paved – Paved connection from the neighborhood sidewalk to the playground and next to Fairview Cemetery behind the playground
Water Play: None
Picnic Benches: No
Pavilion: No
Sports Fields:

Beckley Park Description

Beckley Park is on the Northside, along Argo Drive. The park has a small play area. It sits adjacent to Fairview Cemetery. The path continues from the playground next to the cemetery (separated by a fence).

Beckley Park features a small play structure, swings, and a large sand pit. Beckley Park is best suited for younger children. The play structure is not very tall and is quite compact. The sand pit area also will be an attraction for younger children. There are ample swings with 4 regular swings and 2 baby buckets.

The play structure includes 3 slides – 2 side-by-side slides and a twisty slide. It also has a rock wall for climbing. There are no monkey bars, zip lines, or other hanging activities.

The sand lot had several toys that had been left there – shovels and the like, but also a plastic play kitchen. The day I was there, a large pit had been dug in the center of the sand lot. If your chid has a favorite sand toy, you might want to bring it.

Beckley Park History

Beckley Park is named for abolitionist minister Guy Beckley. Guy Beckley published the Signal of Liberty, a local abolitionist newspaper. The Guy Beckley House adjacent to the park was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Learn more about Rev. Guy Beckley and his home from the Ann Arbor District Library

Beyond Beckley Park

I visited Beckley Park as part of a long, solo walk along the Huron River while my daughter was at an outdoor birthday party. My walk included Bandemer Park. Barton Park, and then came through the neighborhood Beckley Park, along the Cascades, and back to Bandemer. It was a long walk – about 3 miles. For a shorter walk, you can combine Beckley Park with a trip to Longshore Park and a walk along the River at Argo or past the Cascades.