The 20 best parks and gardens in South Bend

Awesome place to get outside and take advantage of the miles of connected walking and bike trails. Beautiful and well maintained facilities throughout the entire park. Many places within walking distance being downtown. Low-key gem for photography. Beautiful scenery of bridges and rivers for miles.

This park is one of the best I’ve been to! Awesome engagement and fun for all ages! Even an ice skating ribbon in winter! Good eats nearby too!

This park is awesome for children of all ages. There is a great amount of play structures to play in and climb on. There is also a splash pad to play in a well. Since this park is in the center of downtown, it is fairly busy all the time, but there is a lot of room for everyone to enjoy. There are also places to bike or walk around the river and see the river lights at night, which is beautiful, and I have added a few pictures even though they don't do it justice, really. This is a must-see in the evening and so many sights to see waking around.

Nice park. Not too shady, so I would avoid a hot sunny day. Found a couple of signs in the park talking a bit about the history. The playground looks like lots of fun! There is an area where it looks like they may have concerts. The park connects with a walkway along the river. There were several people biking and jogging around the park, but I did not notice any distance markers. Although I did not partake there is a public house in the corner of the park. It does have some outdoor seating and a splash pad for the little ones.

definitely not much parking unless you can park on the street. and a lot of that parking is timed. unless you park by the zion church. its a decent park but nothing really says wow about it. we came for the cancer walk, but couldn't find the people we knew, so we left

New review: Keep coming to this place and keep liking it more and more. Such a nice and pretty place with a fountain and fire pits. The children's playground with a rock climbing is the bomb. Old review: Quite pretty,cozy, beautiful. Really enjoyed being there. Also looking forward to try their food I like how Howard Park is so modern and has rooms for celebrations and different activities. Honesty, really cute place.

I will NEVER come to a south bend festival again. Only elkhart from now on where I'm treated with respect like an adult. It was very Orwellian the way they want to control every aspect and dehumanize you to make sure you understand you have no rights and aren't allowed to make adult decisions. I've never been treated with so much disrespect by festival staff. I was here recently for my first south bend festival, the world one where each tent was supposed to be a different continent. I'm from elkhart. Okay so the city hosted it, and they hired a private security firm???? And the first crazy thing they did to me was forced me to dump out my tea cause there is a public drinking problem. My tea was non-alcoholic, I can't have alcohol for health reasons. That's the first freedom they took. Then they had metal detectors!!!! They took away my pocket knife that I use to eat apples because I have no teeth. They want me to seriously believe it's okay for them to take away my eating utensils in the name of "safety" what a joke!!! Then they are selling alcohol in there!!!! They want you drunk they just wanna be in control so they'll punish me so they can gain that control. They said I could get tap water in the event, first of all that's not my custom tea, second tap water is notorious for being contaminated. I work hard to distill the RO filter my water cause I love myself. Groos. They said the metal detectors are necessary cause they already turned 4 people with guns away. Duh!!! This is America and IN is a constitutional carry state. I carry also just happened not to that day. What a bunch of idiots to be surprised people publicly carry guns in America, its our right!!!! I felt so unsafe being fenced in with such a large disarmed crowd. No wonder south bend has so many public shootings. They have a habit of disarming us and making us sitting ducks/easy targets. South Bend will never become safe as long as they take away our rights to defend ourselves against attack. Also, it's pretty messed up they hire private security instead of using the police force. They used both, but when govt hires private guns it's never ever for good reason. Elkhart doesn't disarm you and trap you in with one way in and one way out. How south bend politicians can't understand that they create the unsafe situations is beyond me. All I can do is vote with my dollar. South Bend festivals will never ever see another dollar of mine that I worked hard for and sweat for. Just to take away my tea and eating utensils. What a joke. WHAT A JOKE!!! Oh, the people attending were cool though. I liked meeting and visiting with the locals. It's the politicians who think we are children, they are the problem. But hey SB you voted for em. You made your bed, now lie in it.

This is a beautiful park along the river for a nice little stroll. Built in 1937, they have done a great job keeping it well maintained.

Another unique very nice playground enjoyed by all ages. There's also a nice splash oad right next to it. There were some tennis courts. The bathroom was available but very disgusting. There is nowhere to park besides the side of the road which was a pain and only had limited spots available. But the park itself was very nice. There are lots of areas you can walk around and see cool things.

This is an amazing playground that they have definitely redone in the past couple of years. The ground of the playground is made of Astroturf and is squishy and bouncy. There are several slides and other pieces of fun play equipment for kiddos. There is a merry-go-round that is in ground and not raised above the ground. There is a splash pad right by it. It has a Spinny squirting thing and a Spinny butterfly thing that shoots water out of its mouth. It also has some river type things that fill up as water squirts in it. There is a covered pavilion with a picnic table or two right next to the splash pad. Another great thing about this park, which you don’t find often in this area, is that it has lots of shade from trees. There are bathrooms about a three minute walk away down a sidewalk in the bigger park.

This has been a very special place in my heart over the last couple years! A few weeks ago my fiance proposed to me in the rock garden/waterfall area. It's where we had our first date here so the proposal being there was just as memorable 🥰😄 The rock garden/waterfall area has always been my favorite feature and I was so excited when I saw the water flowing and all the beautifully planted flowers and butterflies flying around

Just a great time with beautiful weather to enjoy the Whistle Pigs. Thank you MHO for a wonderful evening. Lived here over 35 years and had never had reason to go to the park. Memorials to our vets were well done and just a real sense of pride and patriotism! Very proud of the work done to preserve history.

Great place to walk your dog as there are wide paths that allow plenty of room to pass. Just know there are squirrels and geese if your dogs like to chase those.

The stone waterway is not only impressive, but is calming with the rippling waters working their way down through each pool to the dual water troughs and into the river below. Just the magnitude of the amount of stones to make such a magnificent and enchanting piece is phenomenal.

I wanted to love this cute place. It had a nice atmosphere with live music, which was great. Cranberry mule was wonderful. The goat cheese fondue was good. However, they did serve us undercooked hot honey chicken. The manager came out and offered us 50% off of the offending chicken and offered to replace the chicken. But it was hard to overlook the fact that it was the manager that initially brought the pink, undercooked chicken to our table. She said they were training new kitchen staff and we did see one other table have to send their chicken back as well. Disappointing experience.

The vibes at this place were great—fun atmosphere and a nice spot to hang out. Unfortunately, the food experience didn’t match. My meal was burnt and missing nearly all the toppings, except for the goat cheese. It was basically inedible. We also had to send our wings back four times before they got them right. By the fifth time, it just didn’t feel worth the effort to keep complaining. Disappointing, especially since the setting had potential.

The service seemed to be pretty good, the food was also not bad and the food came out very quickly. We had a great server who was very attentive and even helped us do a few extra requests like changing drinks and explaining why one of the drinks tasted weird to our kids. The only biggest misleading factor was when I looked at the prices for coming it put a notion that it was cheaper than it actually was. if I would have known the prices I would not have brought my family but more of like a date night with my wife. Are very limited and they only serve Kraft mac and cheese as their mac and cheese option for $12 that's not worth it. Because of these reasons they only got four instead of five stars

I’m sorry, but it wasn’t what everybody told me it was, the food was very bland and they brought the food out cold, the queso on the Mexican corn tots was literally cold and stiff…the Cajun pasta was bland….the waitress was very nice and I’ll give her 5 stars ….after the food ordeal, I ordered a Long Island iced tea, there was no liquor in it

Great spot to grab lunch after a long bike ride on a gorgeous day…well, at least that’s what we thought. Friendly hostess, sat outside, server took our order. Two meals arrived, 10 minutes later third meal arrived, and 25 minutes later fourth meal arrived (Cobb salad and soup!). All three burgers were very over-cooked when two requested medium rare and one medium. This place had promise but definitely disappointed.

Never have I ever had the worst service ever at Howard Park house. I asked for a particular person that I must have got her name wrong because they told me she no longer worked there, so I was stuck with a gentleman that was clearly not on the top of his game. I asked for a rosemary old-fashioned to which he commented we didn’t have that so I just went ahead with the regular old-fashioned. Going forward, I ordered the shrimp scampi, as well as a salad, they brought both out to me at the same time, which I kind of wanted my salad first that would only make sense. The shrimp scampi tasted like discussing noodles with a little bit of shrimp in it, he offered me a salt and pepper, which actually did make it taste better. I was with my granddaughter and I’m not really wanting to complain. I still left a good tip irregardless of the horrible service and food that I ate. I truly feel sorry for people coming into South Bend. That thinks that this is a good place to eat because there’s so many other better options around. Also, unfortunately, there could’ve been a lot of money made with the fact that it was wine Wednesday. Oh well, I just won’t be back to eat.

Service was great. We had about 15 or more people. Food was average. Bison was burned. Chicken pasta was amazing. Only low point was Manager being disrespectful to staff. Didn't appreciate watching my server get yelled at in front of guests and staff.

A lot of trails. Two cool playgrounds and tons of spots for a picnic. The area always feels safe. Some trails go along the river. There is a trail you can take and walk into Michigan. The bathrooms were clean. There is a small gate fee on the weekends from April to September but they sell annual passes that are very reasonable.

I found the waterfall. My Shangri-la. Awesome and friendly staff especially the maintenance man at the cabin and the main office clerk. Park was clean even the day after Easter. I'm from LA where most parks look like a bomb went off after Easter. I'll be back. Not enough time in the day to enjoy all the beauty. Closest thing to heaven since my move here.

I just went there to get out into nature and have some quiet time. It was very nice. It's close to me and if you want to hike they have nice trails.

Visited for a birthday party in mid-September. My kiddos played in the natural playscape and had a blast! They did get dirty though. They reserved a pavillion that had a grill and a bathroom behind it. The bathroom was pretty clean but the sink makes it hard for kids to wash their hands. It costs $4 for local residents and $5 for out of state. Overall, very fun place for kids!

Beautiful scenery, clean, three different play areas, and plenty of hiking spots

From rustic barns to riverside trails, and the river ramble play area (very unique, hands on park for adults and kids alike to hang out and explore!), St Pat’s County Park has something fun for everyone!! In particular the barns were super cute for some artsy shots with friends and to walk around and enjoy the pretty flowers. The hiking trails are very pleasant and even get a little hilly as you approach Bertrand Park. They are admittedly not well marked—I wandered from St Pats into Bertrand park (technically in Michigan) without even knowing it. I loved all the greenery and flowers blooming all over during the spring. Definitely visit this park, it’s so lovely!

Great barn playground, river ramble play area, and eating area. The compost bathroom did not even smell bad! Pretty trees and flowers. Large parking lot. Barn playground: swings for younger and older kids, big slides, tunnels, and fairly new equipment. No sand! River ramble: a sand area with a water channel that is filled by an operable water trough. The kids play with all the wet sand at the bottom, digging their own channels, etc. There are also some hammocks and other 'natural' climbing/rambling areas. Eating area: 3-4 benches under shade Compost bathroom: like a port-a-potty but more spacious and it did not smell bad.

A very nice place to Walk people seem friendly and seems safe. With nice restaurants nearby.

We went for the Ironworks skating rink, but will be back for the park and the river, in the summer. Beautiful place, and I hope it won't be too crowded, cause I could see it being popular. The rink was great- skating and ice bumper cars. Will definitely be back there next winter also.

Great for pictures If you have an event coming up, such as graduation or a wedding, this park is a great spot for memorable pictures. The water structures are very unique and the paths are great to stroll around. The founders circle will give you more than enough history about the city. There is so much more to come, construction is in progress. Stay tuned for an event center, skate park and so much more. I really like how all the parks along the river connect.

Very beautiful park! Lots of flowers, and paved walkways with gorgeous views. There's a small artificial stream that runs through it, where you can often find ducks and geese. Built along the river, it offers very pretty views. Definitely one of the prettiest parks in the area!

Another beautiful area to walk around by the water. This area does have a little man-made stream and is decorated very nicely and has lots of flowers. There are designated spots you may drink alcohol in certain conditions. There are lots of restaurants around this area as well.

Beautiful. Lots of attractions, food, activities in progress at Beutter Park in downtown Mishawaka, on the site of the former Ball Band/Uniroyal plant that was demolished more than 20 years ago (as of December 2022). Many of the restaurants are still in progress, but it can't be more than 6 months from now before a lot of the construction and renovation are completed. Ice skating rink in the park is already in full swing. Looks like a great place to hang out.

This is a pretty cool place to walk, ride a bike, or take a date. Its pretty and seems to just go on and on. Just found out the put places to eat down there as well. And music..you can sit and listen to local artist. Its neat.

Love the walks there, so peaceful 🤗 and the little squirrels just come right up to you lol

I loved all the river walk scenery. Absolutely beautiful. And the squirrels are ready to be fed. Unfortunately, I didn't have any unsalted peanuts for them. If you go early, go and enjoy the farmers' market down a bit off the walkway.

We enjoy going on walks there to see the wildlife and the river.

Popular venue and deserves to be. Mostly benchand walkways but transforms into stage area quickly.

Beautiful place. Several festivals are held here and it's a great location. When not having festivals it's a good place for walking, running and taking pictures.

Beautiful and relaxing place for the entire family!

Very beautiful Park nice to walk with family and your pets. The only problem I have had is people letting their dog off leash even if your dog is friendly it doesn't mean other people's are I wish they would just keep their pets on a leash and enjoy the day's walk. Here's a lady with her dog off leash, if you zoom in on the picture you will see it's not only dangerous for her dogs but for other dogs too as also people you just never know.

Nice little nature walk in the middle of an ugly City. Saw these weird orange mushrooms.

I love this place! My daughter is three and I love to walk her along the trails and then head to the park. It sure tires her out which is great because it's what I'm going for plus I want her to know their is a lot more to life than tv and phones. I want to be able to take her on trails and hikes when she gets older so this is a great beginner course for a toddler! I try to come here at least once a week since I found a great kid friendly local trail/park!

Absolutely love this place it has tons of things to do they have trails they have a dog park they have a playground for your kids they have zip lines they have pavilions for parties and such they have a nature center where you can go and learn about nature!!! honestly I've been coming to hear my whole life...I love coming and watching the sunrise here I highly recommend this to somebody looking to get away from the city life even just for a brief moment

Good family place to unwind... Lots of hiking trails. Dog park. Restroom in ranger area.

We had a great time on a short walk through the trails. There are signs posted as you go along that help you choose/stay on the route you want to go. We ended at the nature center and spent a little time there. We would definitely go again!

Been going here since I was a child, my children go. Also prime mushroom spots if you know where to look!

My son loves coming here an watching the animals from the window.

Lovely little park that we stopped at on our road trip. Fun playground with interesting equipment and two pavilions where we ate lunch.

This is a nice township park with rest room facilities, picnic tables, disc golf, and a ball diamond. Most of the property looks to be open, flat land. There's a parking lot that has one way traffic for entering and exiting.

Went for disc. Found an easy to follow beginner course that wasn't quite designed by a disc golfer. Still, well maintained and a quick play for practice or days that may be congested elsewhere.

Great clean, safe park. Lots of slides and playground equipment. Port a potties just in case. Nice picnic pavilion.

We took our son here for his first time at a park, it was a very nice well maintained park! Although there was a woman there who continued to watch us the entire time instead of watching her own children, mean mugging us as we interacted with our 10 momth old! I do enjoy this park tho!! Wish there wasn't wood chips, rubber is better. That's just my personal opinion.

A very nice place to enjoy nature walking by the river.

My granddaughter likes this park. I bring my dogs and we have fun.

Very nice park to take a break after shopping near by. The only downside was the playground isn’t very toddler friendly. The drops off the slide are almost 3 feet down

Nice Park has plenty of parking available. There is a 9 hole disc golf course open to the public. They are in the process of putting in permanent concrete tee pads.

Came to the park for a quick round of disc golf. Also found a couple of geocache's. The park was clean and the facilities were great.

Very cute local park. Playground is clean. New mulch recently added. My daughter has soccer classes here every week. It's a good fun start to our Saturday.

Needs more parking for baseball and disc golf families. Vehicles are being parked in the grass next to the no parking sign in the back .

This is a good park for children, likely a little old. I would say ages 3 and up. My only complaint is they either need a lot more woodchips, or for someone to set the playground deeper in the ground. I am positive (because of where the house sits that it is almost two feet above ground than where it should be. So every equipment item is just a bit off the ground, and a lot higher up (so difficult for those who are shorter to reach)

Nice, clean park with a play ground and ample area for children to run around. There is a volley ball area and basketball court and seperate area for walking and picnicking.

Lydick Bog Nature preserve is easy to get to and it’s entrance well marked to help find it. The parking area is very ample with a large picnic pavilion. A newer trail on the west side goes to an elevated boardwalk that reaches out over the bog. Unfortunately, this trail is not on some of the maps. The absence on some of the signs is understandable. However, the paper maps available for taking with you on your hike need to be updated. The trails are well marked and maintained to make a walk through very easy. Lots of plants in bloom with plenty of insects and birds.

Beautiful hiking area. The trails can get narrow from overgrowth sometimes. It does have some hills and does not have paved or graveled paths. People with walking issues may have problems.

Nice place to take a walk. There is an easy path to follow for about a mile and a half walk. There are several platforms that extend our over wetlands and a small lake to give a better view. While walking you need to be careful of the tree roots that extend across the walking path. There are some small hills on the trail. In the summer you will need to have bug spray. If it has rained recently the path can be very muddy in some areas. The parking lot is not very big and the road into the parking lot is marked with a sign. It is a gravel road that actually looks like a driveway. There are covered picnic tables available but I didn't notice any place that you could grill. There is a portable outhouse near the parking lot.

A charming little nature trail that traverses forest and wetlands with a boardwalk section. Trail is maintained and signed well. I'm knocking off a star since the trailhead sign advertises strange and unique carnivorous plants, but they are nowhere to be found on the trail! They may be in the bog somewhere, but none of the marked and maintained trail actually shows them.

It was a very hot Hike at Lydick bog nature preserve not far across the state line into Indiana. This was part of the #chikamingopenlands #10trail challenge. The trail here is just over 2 miles out and back with a loop trail at the end of the linear trail. This would be a good place to come back in late fall or early spring as you really can’t get a good look at the bog with all the foliage on the trees. There are some moderate hills here so along with that and the heat today it was a decent workout. This is dog on leash friendly, kid friendly, free, there is a Port o John at the beginning of the entrance, and fairly decent size parking area.

The ecosystem is phenomenal. In time trail signs will be installed. In time there won’t be danger Orange herbicide flags.

Love this park. Much has been added since it was opened: restrooms, a picnic, shelter, and boardwalks too.

A large park that feels kinda secluded right on the river with a boat launch and kayak/canoe launcher. Nice paved trails, lots of trees for shade. The park is large enough that the kids play park, boat launch etc is spaced apart. It's well maintained and conveniently located. It's quiet, peaceful and calm.

The Pinhook lake was once the course of the St.Joseph River until it was diverted in the 1920s so Riverside Dr could connect with Cleaveland Rd without building a bridge. The apex of the lake bend is a site of great historical significance, yet few know of it or why. It is the eastern landing of a portage between the St. Joseph River and the Kankakee River to the west, and thus across the continental divide. It had been used by Native Americans for thousands of years for transporting people and goods between the North Eastern continent and the West. One could paddle a canoe from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of Mexico, and the only time they needed to portage the canoe was at this park, only a couple miles. It is this portage that the Potawatomi Indians controlled that in part made this tribe so powerful and influential. It is also the very spot where the first white man set foot in Northern Indiana. (And most all the Indiana region other than a few shore landings on the Northern banks of the Ohio River) This man was the french trader LaSalle, who married into the Potawatomi and helped found South Bend. The road just to the west up the bank is named after this famous portage... Portage Rd. The park has plenty of parking. Probably too much parking in my opinion. It also has a sandy swimming area, where I first learned how to swim as a toddler. ( And almost drowned in too, not recommended for toddlers for their first swimming lessons) Just outside of the swim area, the seaweed is dense and so not safe for swimming by inexperienced swimmers. Fishing is popular at this park. There is a newish boat dock that features a handicapped kayak and canoe loading platform so even wheelchair-bound people can use the lake.

I recently rented a canoe from a local rental shop, and I must say, the experience was far from satisfactory. The canoe was in terrible condition, and it felt unsafe to use. Unfortunately, it flipped over during my first attempt, causing me to get wet. To top it off, I lost my phone in the water. I highly recommend avoiding this rental service as it seems to prioritize profit over customer satisfaction.

Clean restrooms, beautiful grounds and a variety of trees make this a wonderful place to stay for the day. Geese rove the grounds and for those interested, several Pokestops and PokeGyms.

Good place for Family Reunion, Wedding Reception etc. Kid friendly and pet friendly. Nice recreation center.

Nice place, seemed clean, and pretty to walk!

We LOVE all the new updates!!! This is a great little gem. Today the bathrooms were open & clean. Thank you!

What a great area for having a stroll. We were visiting from the UK and we were looking for somewhere pretty to go for a walk and we came across this place. The park area is amazing for kids! We did get asked by some youths if we wanted to buy a 'switch' and I thought they meant for a hand held gaming system, but no, this is something that attaches to a 'pewpew'. We laughed and said we were from England and that they are not allowed, but its a funny story to share..

Park is nice and clean and user friendly. Just really wish a river cleanup would happen. Over the railing it is disgusting with trash, etc and it really smells, which ruins the pretty park if you are near the river. Three stars for the river, 5 for the clean park. Caught this guy on a walk

I was super excited to go check out the new Seitz Park!! It did not disappoint. It's beautiful.

We visited for the East Race Waterway and it was an absolute blast! Highly recommend.

I thought it was very nice. Good place to go with your girlfriend!!!

Beautiful park updates!

Well done South Bend! Nice walk

Cute little park. Playground for kids (of all abilities), baseball fields, pickleball courts, newer basketball courts. The bathrooms are well kept and clean throughout the season as well.

Great park for kids and family's. Grills available if you bring your own coal and food. Basketball courts, soccer field and tennis court.

I visit this park almost daily. Many fun family activities. Usually clean, although I have seen a lot of garbage after large events. Great park overall.

Nestled in a quiet neighborhood, this park is a nice find. We enjoy the shady picnic tables with our carryout restaurant selections and often see a few young children playing on the swings and equipment supervised by their grandparents. Pretty sweet.

Nice big park. Quiet and clean

First visit and highly impressed! More open, independent equipment rather than just slides. Entertained us longer than most playgrounds. Lots of equipment is targeted for 2-5 year olds but older children would have fun too. Also tons of land to explore - soccer fields, shaded tree areas, basketball courts, baseball fields, etc.

It is in the middle of construction of a new play area looks like it's going to be fantastic. People walking their dogs beware my dog was severely attacked had to take to emergency vet he almost died it was so bad. Many people walk their dogs off leash most well-trained but obviously not all

Cute, spacious park. Lots of big trees for good shade, I liked the play equipment. Only two down sides. Street parking only (that I could find anyway) on a narrow street. No restrooms that I could find.

Quiet park early in the day. They have 3 different play grounds. I think I saw a gang meeting there twice in the evening. The area is overall safe. I recommend getting there early!

Spacious urban neighborhood park. Features three different playground sets that can accommodate kids of all ages. Plenty of open space and mature trees for shade. A delightful find for our family visiting from out of town.

Very calm park and it's great for children to play at with a selection of three small playgrounds

It's definitely not the best park, but it entertains the kids and gives dad a rest. That is always a benefit for any place we go. Lol

I've going to this park since I was a kid and it is always clean. One of the nicest parks in the city!

In my days we would rest in the shade after shooting a few games of Basketball,And the Eastside Reunion's were the best.

Beautiful. Very peaceful. I didnt see anyone else - although did go during the work week. Didnt make it all the way to the lake. Will need to come again. Must remember to make an effort to use the restroom before going. Silly me. It doesn't circle around. Plan to walk back the same way you went in. A bunch of butterflies were around (end of July). Spooked me quite a bit until i realized what it was. Mostly wooded area. There is a section that is open and has wild flowers and bees. Super pleasant.

Was there for a very short time. But it is a great place for exploring nature during various season of the year. Also a good place for birding for which we were there. The only issue is it is not very easily identifiable from both sides of the road.

Short, easily traversed trail. Some years ago the woods were damaged by a tornado or wind sheer. The remains of that, and the ways nature is healing itself, are fascinating.

Easy to miss, even w/Google. 3 parking spaces. Nice long walk through woods to the lake lookout. No facilities.

Peaceful walk began and ended with a different color butterfly. Only teeny tiny toads crossed my path.

This would be a nice trail, but EVERY time I go people are out there with their dogs off leash like they own the place and my dog and I keep getting chased and attacked because people are not in control of their animals.

Very isolated and quite. You can take you're Family or friends there and pretty much be alone most of the time. Fun outdoor adventurer.

This dog park is ok, but not fantastic. It's REALLY good for big dogs. There are lots of play stuff there for the big dogs! But for the small dogs (which is what I have) there really isn't much there for them to play with or interact with. It's in a very nice and secure location, they provide poo bags and a waste can. The gates latch. There are no holes in the fence where dogs can escape. So all around it's a great dog park. They just really need some new play equipment for the small dogs! Other than that, it's great.

We love this dog park! Conveniently located close by, lovely river off to the side and trail. My only dislike is that there's a busy street right by (thankfully there's secure fencing, but just concerned of people crossing or a possible dog getting loose.), so be sure to stop for a good second and check before crossing. Both turns are curved so you can't immediately tell if you're in the clear to cross. My other dislike is that a good number of times there's always a few people that don't watch their dogs, whether they're being too aggressive, hump-y, etc. Obviously that's not the park's fault itself, though. The park itself is very long, but not quite wide. But with the only two semi downsides aside, I overall love the park! There are two sections. One for large dogs and one for small dogs. Often people mix in their different sized dogs to either area, though, so just a word of caution to smaller dog owners. We bring our two Danes here and they're just smitten. There's also a hose where you can wash the buckets and bowls for dogs to get a fresh drink. People are mostly friendly and I love seeing all the different dogs that come there. Overall, great park!

I enjoy bringing my dog to this park. Unfortunately, some inconsiderate person cut the fence separating the small dog area and the bigger dog area. No cool !!!

Is there a designated place to park? I basically turned in and ended up almost driving on a bike trail. Otherwise, seems like a nice, big place for dogs to stretch their legs.

I love that they brought a dog park to d.t.s.b as it was much needed. The park seems very well kept and the dog owners clean up after their pet's waste as potty bags are provided. A closed off area for small dogs and one for large dogs. My dogs enjoy coming here!

Nice, clean dog park near the river. Secure fence, water source, poop bags, and trash cans. Lots of tennis balls and toys. There only problem we had was not knowing exactly where to park, as there is no adjoining parking lot.

Pretty nice dog park, to bring your dogs to. And people were very friendly, especially me having two big pitbulls.

This place is a hidden gem in South Bend. It has a lot of cool plants. Nice place to take pictures. It’s worth a stop.

Had no idea what was inside! Was hesitant because of the outside and parking. Inside is impressive and beautiful! More ventilation and statues possibly would help.

One of our favorite places! We're actually getting ready for a visit today. They're having a plant sell... go get your succulents

Pleasantly surprised! Super friendly staff! Interesting history. Inexpensive touring fee. Great location with free parking. So cute the resident cat followed us around the whole time. Loved the large variety of plants. Cool photo opportunities!! 🌿💕

It’s beautiful. The outside looks really small, but you will be surprised going inside. They are very extremely friendly & welcoming inside. All of their water features were turned off, so it was eerily quiet walking around. They have some interesting jade, a huge gig tree, gigantic birds of prey, and a bunch of succulents, and more! Take a look around this conservatory to see some beautiful cacti as well.

Really great space in the winter time. If you're into arts and nature it's a great spot to check out. Families come in a lot for photo shoots and their online prices are incredibly reasonable. The entry fee is $3 so it's a great place to spend a couple of hours when you're on a budget. My husband and I had a small elopement there during Covid and we just paid the entry for us and the officiant (less than $10 for a beautiful venue). Lots of new and beautiful growth since the polar vortex hit a few years back. The heater in their desert dome smells strongly of gas, so we only go in when it's not running on high. Morris is usually around greeting guests and accepting pets. 😺 The yoga classes are amazing and restorative ($10 for members and $13 for non-members). Currently the classes meet twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Blocks, blankets, straps, etc. are available for yoga. It's also located close to a Subway, a park, and the zoo. Overflow parking is in the lot behind the Subway.

~Relaxing, cheap, ample biodiversity, resident cat!~ As others have said, the conservatories look small from the outside but there is actually a lot to see inside! I spent an hour here milling around, admiring, and enjoying the sunshine. Especially since IN is cold and lifeless 3/4 of the year 😉, the conservatories offer an abundance of green, living things!