Merritt Park

Merritt Park is a neighborhood square with community center, hockey rink, baseball field, basketball court, and playground.  I believe this is technically in the Denfeld neighborhood and the surrounding streets are busier than some parks.
The playground is a sand surface with a rubber mat surface leading up to the accessible swing.
Other features include:

• 1 baby swing
• 2 swings
• 1 accessible swing
• 1 double slide and 1 slide
• Speaking tubes
• Ladders/stairs
• Monkey bars
• Rubber flap bridge
• Pull-up bar
• Track glider
• Balance beam

Duluth Parks page

Blackmer Park

Blackmer Park is pleasantly shaded by large trees, right off the St Louis River in Morgan Park.  There is a softball field nearby and a path that leads to train tracks and the river.  On the day we visited, there was a lot of broken glass at the beginning of the path but as you moved toward the river, there was none.

The playground is a sand surface and has:

• Monkey bars
• Pull-up bar
• 1 slide and 1 double slide
• Speaking tube
• Digger
• Rubber flap bridge
• Tic-tac-toe
• Ball maze
• Steering wheel
• Balance beam
• Track glider
• 2 swings
• 2 very low baby swings

Duluth Parks page

Fairmont Park

Fairmont Park is located right outside the Lake Superior Zoo, but it is a public park with no admission charge.  There are walking paths and a little grove of trees, and you can hear a river bubbling by.  There is a bathroom building and picnic tables.

The surface is a bit unkempt, mixing sand, grass, and weeds.  When we visited, the grass you had to cross to get from the parking lot to the playground was water logged and it was hard to not get muddy.

Fairmont has:

• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• 3 steering wheels
• Pull-up bar
• 1 slide
• 1 double slide
• Fireman pole
• Bridge
• Speaking tube
• Ladders and stairs
• Monkey bars
• Tic-tac-toe
• Ball maze
• Digger

Duluth Parks page

Washington Center Playground

Washington Center is a Community Center in downtown Duluth.  The grounds have a nice view, a community garden, parking lot, and playground.  There is fencing on two sides facing the streets.  There are benches and a picnic table.

The surface is wood chips.  This park did have some trash on the ground, despite nearby garbage cans.

Features include:

• 1 slide
• Monkey bars
• Spinning screw
• Corkscrew
• Pull-up bar
• Twisted ladder
• Stairs

Duluth Parks page

Franklin Tot Lot

Franklin Tot Lot is a little playground right next to the Coast Guard station and across Minnesota Ave from a swimming beach and parking lot.  The park is fenced along Minnesota Ave and has one dead end street and one street going straight to the Coast Guard on the other sides of the triangle shaped park.

The playground is a sand surface and has:

• 1 slide and 1 double slide
• Ladders/stairs
• Rubber mat bridge
• Speaking tubes
• Monkey bars
• Pull-up bar
• Steering wheel
• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings

Duluth Parks page

Lafayette Park

Lafayette Park is on Minnesota Point, about 2 miles down the road after you cross the aerial lift bridge.  It has a community center, beach access, baseball field, community garden, tennis courts, and playground.  The entire square is fenced, which is good because there is a good amount of traffic on Minnesota Ave during the summer and it is right on it.  The only thing that would be better is if the entrance had a gate too.

The playground is a sand surface with a structure featuring:

• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• Steering wheels
• Ball maze
• Tic-tac-toe spinners
• Pull-up bar
• Track glider
• Stairs/ladders
• Bridge
• 1 double slide and 1 slide
• Fireman pole
• Digger
• Speaking tube

There is also a little plastic toddler structure off to the side in the shade of some tall trees.

Duluth Parks page

Park Point

Park Point is a beautiful park out on Minnesota Point.  You have to cross the aerial lift bridge and then drive about 4 miles down the point to get to the park, but on a hot day when you want a cold beach, it's worth it.  The beach is three miles long and the water is cold.  Be careful to watch for poison ivy along the trails to the beach and hot sand on the way down to the water.  There is a lifeguard on duty in the summer and a beach house along with volleyball, walking trails and other fun stuff.
But now for the playground!  Park Point has one of the most unique playgrounds in Duluth.  There is the regular playground structure like you will see in other locations (Chester Park), featuring a sand surface and:

• Track glider
• 2 double slides
• Spinning wheel monkey bars
• Ladders/stairs
• Rock climbing holds
• Pull-up bar
• 2 swings
• 2 baby swings

The more interesting part of the playground is a replica of a great lakes freighter made out of wood.  It's really just for kids to run around and pretend that they're on a laker, but they sure love it.  There are also two giant tires at the end, filled with sand a la a sandbox.

Duluth Parks page