Lorain, Ohio is home to a number of family-friendly parks. Here are details about four of them: two part of the Lorain County Metro Parks system and two managed by the city of Lorain.
Lakeview Park
Located along the shores of Lake Erie at 1800 West Erie Avenue in Lorain, the twenty-acre Lakeview Park is the area’s first lakeside recreational park.
Enjoy swimming (lifeguards on duty from noon to 6 p.m. in the summer), beach volleyball, a playground on the beach, lawn bowling, picnicking, and more. Stroll through the unique Historic Rose Garden, watch stunning sunsets, observe the Lorain Lighthouse, eat at the Sunset Café and concession stand in season, and borrow equipment from a Lorain Public Library facility right on the sand. Directly across the street is the south side of the park, managed by the city, with more playground equipment, basketball hoops, tennis courts, and more.
This is one of the parks in Lorain, Ohio that’s situated to the east side of the city, just a little more than a mile from the Bascule Bridge that connects Lorain’s east and west sides.
Black River Reservation
Black River Reservation is one of the most popular locations in the Lorain County Metro Park system and, since we’re sharing information about parks in Lorain, the Lorain entrance is called Day’s Dam. It’s located at 2720 E. 31st Street on the south side of Lorain; there are also two entry points in Elyria.
If your family enjoys going on nature walks, the reservation features five and half miles of paved all-purpose trails that follow along the banks of the Black River. Note: Going down (and especially up) the initial slope can take some oomph!
Both the Day’s Dam portion of the park and the Elyria parts have picnic areas.
Oakwood Park
Managed by the city of Lorain and located at 2047 E. 36th Street, Oakwood Park is also on the city’s south side. This park contains a pool, baseball/softball fields, basketball courts, volleyball space, football field, playground, historic statues, gardens, and more.
Looking for a spot to picnic? There are picnic shelters and tables, grills, and restrooms.
You can take photos of your family in front of a giant, colorful Easter basket—one of two in the city (the other is in Lakeview Park). When winter comes, bring your sleds for fast fun in the snow!
Black River Landing
Returning to the west side of Lorain—this time right by the Bascule Bridge that takes you to the east side—Black River Landing doubles as an event venue.
It’s home to plenty of family-friendly festivals, with the three-day International Festival as its premier event. Try a variety of ethnic foods, tap your feet to the music, enjoy cultural dancing, and much more.
Whether there’s a festival going on or not, you can stroll walking paths and use picnic facilities.
Explore Horizon Child Care Centers in Lorain
Horizon Education Centers has a child care center on the east side of Lorain, conveniently located between I-90 and Colorado Avenue. This center features a Five-Star Rating from the State of Ohio’s Step Up to Quality program and offers enriching programs for children aged 18 months through 12 years. There are preschool scholarships available and, with school-aged programs, Horizon provides transportation to city schools before and after school.
There is also a Horizon center on the south side of Lorain, conveniently located near Route 57 and Route 2, offering the same high quality programming.
Close to each of these child care centers are fun stops to make at the parks in Lorain, Ohio. It’s an ideal way to spend some family time outdoors after pickup and catch up on your child’s day!
