Rotary Club’s Centennial Playground at Gallup Park

With its prime location on the banks of the Huron River and Geddes Pond, Gallup Park is one of Ann Arbor’s premier parks. With multiple playgrounds, walking trails, boating, and fishing you could easily spend several hours at Gallup Park. We have split the playgrounds into 3 different profiles. Originally they were separate because they were added at different times, but they are so distinct they are each deserving of their own review.

The Rotary Club Centennial Playground at Gallup Park is a universal access playground right on the banks of the Huron River that opened in September 2017. Not only does Centennial Playground offer universal access with many features available to those with limited mobility, it appeals to a wide variety of ages. On my first visit to Centennial Playground, I saw a large group of middle or high school students who seemed to be having a great time. I have also seen many toddlers on the playground on subsequent visits.

I recently visited the playground and upgraded our photos. Unlike my original visit when the playground was packed with a school group, this trip was shortly before a storm hit so it was not very crowded.

Instead of one or two large structures, the Centennial Playground features a broken up play area. There are still two structures with slides, but there are also multiple climbing, rocking, and other elements for play. The picture below shows one of the structures with several other features. There are a rocking boat and monkey bars. The ground slopes up to the structure allowing universal access.

The second structure also has universal access with a ramp and features a roller slide. My daughter always loved roller slides. From the first platform, kids can climb up into the birds nest for the second slide.

While there are no trees to provide shade, the park includes several sail canopies to provide shade . Under this canopy are a 4 person see-saw and a “flying saucer” swing. Beyond is a crawl through area.

The park also includes a large sand area. The river edge can be fun to explore. However, make sure to use caution if you have a runner drawn to the water or are supervising multiple children. While there is a fence blocking direct access in parts, it is not completely enclosed and river access might be too tempting for your comfort level.

I captured the video below in advance of their Grand Opening in September 2017.

As Ann Arbor’s premier park, Gallup Park is a frequent event host. Some of our favorite Gallup Park events are Huron River Day and Trick or Treat on the River.

You could spend an entire day at Gallup Park with 3 playgrounds, the canoe livery, a butterfly garden, and the trails. Don’t miss our profile of the other two Gallup Park playgrounds – the Livery Playground and the Bilik Orbach playground. The Livery Playground is a small play area adjacent to the canoe livery. It does not have a structure, but features a slide built into the hill with climbing rocks and crawl through tunnels. The Bilik Orbach playground is a small play structure located just over the one lane bridge. The Gallup Canoe Livery is a main draw to Gallup Park. You can rent a kayak, canoe, or paddleboat for exploring Gallup Pond. It is also the terminus point for river trips from Argo. Gallup Park also offers fishing with a youth fishing pond near the Centennial Playground. We have never gone fishing there, but it is always a great place to see ducks and geese. I caution against feeding the ducks and geese anything because they can get fairly aggressive. If you do feed them, bread is not good for them. A few options are oats, rice, birdseed, chopped lettuce, or sliced grapes.