New Kansas City Metro Parks for 2023/2024
The Kansas City area loves its parks! There were multiple renovations and overhauls on local parks in the past few years. I’ll continue to add new parks to this last as they get released throughout the year. Here is your list of new parks in the Kansas City metro!
Armstrong Park - Grain Valley, MO
An east Kansas City park that just went through a major renovation is Armstrong Park in Grain Valley! It now includes to playsets, one for big kids and one for littles. There are also a few stand-alone items like a rope spinner, swings, and climbing structures. Stay for a while because they also have picnic tables and restrooms available!
713 Main St. Grain Valley, MO 64029
The biggest blue slide in the metro! Arno Park is located off of Ward Parkway in Kansas City, MO. It features a big slide built over a turf covered hill with a ropes course on the underside. It also includes a seesaw, a toddler play set with slides, music feature, swings, and tunnel. Another unique feature is the smooth concrete slide on the side of the turf hill. This is a cute park and one to visit!
Streetside parking only, no restrooms
1200 Arno Rd. Kansas City, MO 64113
Bluejacket Park - Overland Park
This local park next to Bluejacket Pool got a complete overhaul! Now it’s the perfect spot to play before or after visiting the pool, going on a walk on a paved trail, or playing tennis. It has a toddler play structure, swings, and a fun obstacle course-style jungle gym. It’s a fun playset for playing Floor is Lava! The turf surfacing is great but can also get hot in the summer.
Includes: Parking lot, limited shade
10101 Bond Overland Park, Kansas 66214
Gum Springs Park - Shawnee
Another completed renovated park in the metro! Gum Springs Park has one of the biggest WOW factors on this list - a giant hot air balloon climber! The “Lunia” is the only one of it’s kind in the United States, although it is a popular park feature in Europe. This structure is best for ages 4+ as it can be tricky to navigate. Gum Springs park also has a climbing course, a toddler play set with a mini-rope course, swings, and in-ground trampolines. The grassy area to the North of the park is perfect for Frisbee, soccer, or tossing a football. The restrooms were recently updated as well as new picnic tables.
Includes: Parking lot, restrooms, semi-shaded, shelter house, picnic tables
11524 W. 67th St., Shawnee, KS 66203
Hawk’s Nest Inclusive Playground at Hawk Ridge Park - Raymore
A brand new inclusive playground recently opened in Raymore, MO which is about 30 minutes south of Kansas City. It is worth a visit for the unique animal tunnel, netted bridge, musical elements, rock wall, and so many more fun features. It is a tall playset but has ramps for easy access. A full fence surrounds the playground for an extra layer of safety.
Includes: Parking lot, accessible restrooms
701 Johnston Pkwy Raymore 64083
Heritage Park - Between Shelter 2 & 3 - Olathe
Out with the old, in with the new! This playground at Heritage Park in Olathe went through a renovation and is now a fun, timber themed play set! The playground overlooks the lake between Shelter 2 and 3. A few favorites here include the log to climb, monkey bars under the bridge, and two slides! There are swings here with new poured-in-place rubber.
Includes: Parking lot, restrooms, limited shade
16050 Pflumm Road Olathe, Kansas
Maple Hills Park - Overland Park, KS - Opening Fall 2024
One to keep an eye out for later in 2024, is the reopening of Maple Hills Park in Overland Park. It will feature a brand new playset, new pickleball courts, and solar-powered restrooms.
8451 Switzer Overland Park, Kansas 66212
Meadowbrook Park Inclusive Playground - Prairie Village
This state-of-the-art, all-inclusive playground is a JoCo favorite! There are four play areas at Meadowbrook Park and the large treeline adventure playground on the west side of the park always draws a crowd. The brand-new inclusive playground is a huge favorite for parents, especially those with little children. It features a wrap-around fence to keep those kids safe and secure. My kids love the spinning merry-go-round, rolling slide, musical elements, and big slides. Learn more about Meadowbrook Park’s Inclusive Playground on this blog I wrote!
Includes: Parking lot, shelter with picnic tables, restrooms, limited shade
9101 Nall Avenue, Prairie Village, Kansas 66207 - Shelter 4
A traffic garden park in the Kansas City metro! “R” Park is a bike loving kid’s dream! With a real paved road and street signs, this neighborhood park is perfect to practice bike safety. Kids can learn about road safety and things like stopping at stop signs, right of way, roundabouts, merging, lanes, and so much more. All at this free traffic garden park. Pack a picnic, bring your bikes, and have a blast.
Includes: Parking lot, basketball course, restrooms, tennis courts, shelter house with picnic tables, limited shade
5535 Juniper Dr. Roeland Park, Kansas 66205
Rolling Magic Skate Park - Lenexa, KS
A brand new, all-ages inclusive skate park recently opened in Lenexa’s Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park area. Rolling Magic invites all skill levels and abilities to ride, skate, bike, or wheel across the smooth skate surface. Check out the “flow bowl” for more experienced riders or the low-speed technical zone for beginners. Explore pipes, beams, rails, banks, and stairs with your inline skates, non-motorized bikes, scooters, skateboards, or wheelchairs. This new park also connects to the Little Mill Creek trail if you want to go on a longer ride.
Includes: Parking lot, restrooms, shaded pavilion, picnic tables
87th Street Parkway and Greenway Lane, Lenexa, KS 66215
Stilwell Community Park - Stilwell, KS
Stilwell Community Park is the first Johnson County Parks & Rec inclusive playground! This is a great park located south of Kansas City in the peaceful countryside (besides the trains). That does mean it is located in the middle of a big field with no trees so it can get HOT in the summer. Many of the features at Stilwell are similar to Meadowbrook Park’s Inclusive Playground. There is a large play set, metal slide, merry-go-round, swings, spongey surfacing, and a surrounding fence. My kids loved the “yellow brick road” feature throughout the park. It has some paved tracks as well which would be perfect for small bikes and scooters.
Includes: Parking lot, restrooms, shelter house, no shade
6402 W. 207th Street Stilwell, KS 66085
South Lake Park - Overland Park, KS
South Lake Park has been around for a while, but it got a complete resurfacing in 2023. Now it has a turf surface to accommodate the great features on the playground, like a net course, swings, slides, and multiple free standing elements. Plus, South Lake Park has a loop around the lake which is perfect for strollers.
Includes: Parking lot, basketball course, limited shade
7601 W. 86th St. Overland Park, Kansas 66212
In the south end of the Kansas City metro you’ll find a brand new inclusive playground, Veterans Park. This red, white, and blue park has tons of great ameneties for all ages. Featuring: an in-ground merry-go-round, toddler market place play set, multiple slides, turf surface, ramps, and a full fence surrounding the park.
Includes: Parking lot, restrooms, shelter house
121 W. Pawnee Lane Gardner, KS 66030
Which of these new Kansas City area parks will you add to your list? Bookmark this list to reference as you plan your spring and summer days out!
Love Kansas City parks? Download my free A-Z Adventure Guide to Kansas City which includes a list of local, fun parks!
4/4/2024 - Gabrielle Isom
