My husband and I both went to Drake University, so it is fun to drive through those neighborhoods and revisit them with our kids! We found ourselves with time to kill in the area and stopped by to check out this little park. It has a lot of open green space, which I always enjoy, but not a ton of trees. Since we visited in November, the fountain was off (obviously) but we had a grand time exploring the playground and the fountain structure, even with it off.
You can see more specific details on the Evelyn Davis Park page or check out its location on the interactive map.
You can see more specific details on the Evelyn Davis Park page below or check out its location on the interactive map.
I really appreciate all the signs Des Moines Parks & Rec put up, about who parks are named after. What an honor!
I think these stone chess tables along the sidewalk are super cool, I remember seeing people playing on them when I was a college student.
This is where the fountain would normally be running (you can see a picture of it in action, on the main park page linked above). My daughter was immediately drawn to the stone blocks.
She liked stomping on the drain, too.
You can see the gazebo and a bunch of open green space back away from the road, here.
There is a second covered shelter, that I assume you can reserve, with an electric outlet. That poor dude you can see in the picture was charging his phone and I felt like a real creep taking pictures that he was obviously in. Sorry, stranger!
You can see the basketball hoops in the background, and then part of the playground, with baby swings. It was definitely a toddler-friendly playground.
My daughter LOVED the tires to climb.
A second view of the playground, it was all pretty low with lots of little climbers.
There was another “little kid” thing with a spinner wheel, in addition to this musical stand.
Climbing net! I have two climbing kids, so this is always a hit.
All in all, it was a fun park and definitely good for younger kids. I don’t know how busy it typically is, but we were the only ones there that morning (granted, it was pretty cool weather).
While I wouldn’t call it nearby, after the park visit we checked out Help A Mind Thrive, Keep A Book Alive, which is a really neat bookstore! They have a bunch of overstocks and library reject books and super low prices, huge selection.
We will have to visit again when the fountain is on – let me know if you’ve checked out this park!