Portland Square

Portland Square is a large square in a neighborhood with housing on three sides and some business, including Ski Hut, on the other.  4th Street is a fairly busy road but the playground is situated a good distance from it.  There is currently one porta-potty on site.
The park has large trees and some grassy area, plus a large circular sidewalk that is great for practicing riding bikes up and down hills and there is a sprinkler in the center of the circle that we have only seen on a couple of times.
There are two separate playground areas, one for younger children and one for older.  There are no baby swings at this park.

The little kid area has:

• Gears
• Xylophone and drums
• Spinning seat
• Steering wheel
• Connect four
• Porthole
• Mirrors
• Periscope
• Steps
• Double slide

The big kid area has:

• 4 swings
• Tire swing
• Corkscrew
• 1 slide
• Triple slide
• Rock climbing wall
• Bridge
• Fireman pole
• Spinning wheel monkey bars
• Monkey bars
• Ladders and steps
• Speaking tube
• Finger mazes
• Steering wheels

Duluth Parks page

Morley Park

Morley Park is a square in a residential area with the playground area taking up half the square and the other side filled with grass and small trees.  The streets are rather low traffic and there is a decent distance from playground to street.  It is a wood chip surface and has benches and a picnic table.  There was no porta-potty when we visited.
The park is quite far up the hill and has no large trees so it gets a good amount of sun.  We like to visit on cooler days when the ample sunshine will help keep us warm.

Some features:

• Tire swing
• 2 baby swings
• 2 swings
• 2 bouncy riders
• Rock wall structure with "grill" in the middle (standing platform made up of metal bars)

There is a little structure off to one side of the playground for smaller kids with:

• Steps and ladder
• Corkscrew
• Slide

The large playground structure is almost an L-shape and features: 

• 3 slides
• Monkey bars
• Spinning oval
• Climbing wall with holds
• Ladders and steps
• Built in picnic table and benches

Duluth Parks page

Playfront Park

Playfront is easily the most popular playground in Duluth.  It is located right off Interstate 35 between the downtown area (library and Depot, specifically), the Great Lakes Aquarium, and the Decc/Amsoil Arena.  Is is connected to the Bayfront Festival grounds and has a bathroom facility and recreation equipment rental area.  There is a good amount of parking that has a two hour limit and I have never found it full (barring an event at Bayfront).
Parking is on two sides and there are paths on the other sides.  Roads are far enough to not be worrisome, but some adventurous toddlers do like to take off on the paths....ahem....

The surface is recycled rubber tire chips which is a controversial material among some parents for fears of toxicity and off-gassing and it's worrisome when little ones inevitably put it in their mouths.  There is also rubber mat surface in select areas (under one tire swing, near the toddler area, and by some of the stepping stones.

Some features of the playground:

• 2 tire swings
• 4 baby swings (on different side of the park from regular swings)
• 5 swings
• 1 accessible swing
• 2 bouncy riders
• Pavilion in center of playground

The area designed for older children has:

• X-Wave 2
• Monkey bars
• Wobbly steps
• Netting to climb
• Hoops to climb through
• Rock wall structure
• Stepping stones

The area for younger children is a ship that features:

• Speaking tubes
• 2 slides
• Ladders and steps
• Periscope
• 4 steering wheels

Duluth Parks page