Raven Park

Has dual sections. For younger and older kids.

Nice little neighborhood park. They actually have two playgrounds, one was recently rebuilt with nice equipment for all age kids (2+). The one by Poe has equipment geared towards older kids (6-12). There are tennis courts, basketball, baseball/soccer fields and walking paths. The only thing the park could use is some wild/prairie space, or maybe some more trees. The farmhouse that was here before the neighbourhood was developed used to be here, and there are a few big older trees that predate the houses. Sadly, they had to cut down a huge old cottonwood that looked to be over 100 years old after it got damaged by a bad storm several years ago.

The rock wall between the slides is super dangerous. Don't really see the point of a dangerous fall hazard made of hard slippery plastic and no hand rails.

Just north of Poe elementary school. Soccer field and baseball diamond. Past that a playground but definitely designed more for older 4+ year old kids.

I've been visiting Raven Park since the late '70s so I have a nostalgic love for the place. Today, it is nothing like it was long ago as safety standards have been raised and have minimized the chance for injury. The best feature used to be this rocket ship where you and a friend or two could hide out for awhile. I think it was like a white metal garbage can, tilted on its side; the pointy end was aimed toward the sky ready for takeoff! Sure, that metal got hot as hell on warm summer days but it was worth the pain when you could hide away for an hour or two. Kids being kids meant that the inside was full of scratched-in love declarations and naughty poems. You'd almost always know the latest couples by getting the scoop from inside that metal fuselage; neighborhood rumors said that older kids would hide out in there and "make out." It was always a great place to meet your friends ... "Hey, I'll meet you at the rocket ship at 4:00!" Wonder where it is now?