When we were planning our trip to Richmond in early November, a friend highly recommended a playground there that she was sure my kids would love! Sadly, we ran out of time to check the place out during our visit, but knowing about this park came in handy later. It is close to several highways, 195 and 95, thus making it the perfect place to take a needed break on our long drive home from Florida. Park 365 is located at 3600 Saunders Ave. in Richmond, and there is a large parking lot available. The playground’s hours are listed as 11am to dusk, and there are bathrooms, too, not porta-potties. Even better, the entire park is fenced in, and one must pass through a gate to enter. Right past the entry is a weathered map of the playground, which is huge! The park, once called ARC Park, is designed to accommodate individuals with disabilities, as well as serve as a space for all to enjoy. There are features I’ve never seen in a playground before, like a wheelchair charging station for electric wheelchairs, a family restroom with an adult-sized changing table, and a treehouse that is wheelchair accessible.
The park is broken down into areas entitled Gather, Move, Grow, Create, Explore, Discover, Play, and Refresh. There are signs near each area telling you the name of the area, and what is available. Refresh, unsurprisingly, was the name give to the building housing the bathrooms. Explore was the area where the treehouse, treehouse swings, and music area were located. Etc. My kids weren’t standing around admiring the map, though. They took off in three different directions to explore. It was a busy day here, lots of people taking advantage of the warmer weather, and my husband attempted to follow the older two, while I tracked Pebble. There was so much to see and do, that it was hard for any of them to settle in any one area at first. I saw Stormy and Rainbow head for the monkey bars on the older kiddo’s playset, while Pebble checked out the slides, and then found the stepping stones. Soon after, Pebble found the sensory wall, and then the music area below the treehouse. All three girls climbed onto the giant saucer swing, and held on while I pushed. I even climbed on with just Pebble at one point. Why let the kids have all the fun?
Over the two main playsets, there are large sunshade “umbrellas” to provide some shade and prevent the equipment from getting too hot. The treehouse and saucer swing were more in the shade, and there are water features available, too, they were just weren’t turned on when we visited. I was actually glad the water features weren’t on as I don’t think we could have dragged the kids away from that playground when it was time to go if they were. My kids love water, and the trough system they had set up for water play looked like a ton of fun!
We did a picnic lunch in the shade of the picnic pavilion. There were lots and lots of picnic tables! The kids barely stopped to eat before they were off and running again. We spent over an hour here, letting the kids burn off as much energy as they could before we made the final push for home. It is an amazing playground, and I can see why my friend recommended it! If you are ever making the trip southward on I-95, keep this playground in mind for a fun spot to shake the wiggles out. Happy trails!