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Thompson Park

The park that explains Upper Arlington in twenty minutes: mown lawns, painted court lines, a shaded playground and a picnic shelter, all of it free and all of it maintained to a standard that surprises visitors.

Where
Ridgeview
Time needed
1-2 hr visit
Tickets
Free
Free entry
Yes
Open lawn, ball diamond and mature shade trees at Thompson Park in Upper Arlington Open lawn, ball diamond and mature shade trees at Thompson Park in Upper Arlington

What to expect at Thompson Park

Thompson Park sits on Woodbridge Road in the north-west quarter of Upper Arlington, one of roughly two dozen parks the city keeps across some 250 acres of public green space. It is a classic mid-century American neighbourhood park: a broad open lawn, ball diamonds, hard courts, a shaded playground and a brick-and-timber picnic shelter, ringed by oaks and maples that were planted when these streets were laid out. The Thompson name is the one that matters locally, because it was King Thompson and his brother Ben who bought a large farm north-west of Columbus in 1913 and platted the Country Club District that grew into this city. Nothing here is monumental. What is remarkable, and what visitors notice within a minute of stepping out of the car, is the upkeep: cut edges, level paths, emptied bins, court lines repainted, and grass that looks watered even in a dry July.

A visit is short and simple. From the lot you walk straight onto the lawn, with the shelter and its picnic tables to one side and the playground beyond it, which is the standard modern Upper Arlington set-up of poured rubber safety surfacing, climbing structures for two age bands and swings including a bucket seat or two. Ball diamonds and hard courts occupy the flatter ground; on summer evenings there is almost always a youth league or a pick-up basketball game running. The wooded margins are the pleasant surprise: a strip of mature trees along the boundary where the mown grass gives way to leaf litter, cool enough to sit under at two in the afternoon in August. Dogs come on leads, joggers cut laps around the perimeter, and by seven on a June evening the shelter usually holds somebody's birthday party.

Plan it as twenty minutes to two hours, not an afternoon. Weekday mornings between nine and eleven are almost empty; weekday evenings from five to dusk in April through July belong to organised youth sport and the lot fills. If you want the picnic shelter for a group, book it through Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation well ahead, because summer Saturdays go first and residents get priority booking windows. There are no concessions, no cafe and no visitor centre, so bring water, and bring shade if you are here with a baby in the middle of the day. Restrooms are seasonal and can be shut outside the summer months, which catches people out. The nearest coffee, ice and sandwich supplies are at Tremont Center and Kingsdale, both a five to eight minute drive south.

Getting here is a car job, and that is the honest answer. From the middle of Upper Arlington at Tremont Center, head north on Tremont Road, then west via Fishinger or Reed Road towards Woodbridge; it is roughly two and a half miles and five to eight minutes with no traffic. Parking on site is free, and there is legal street parking on the residential roads nearby, though residents appreciate you not blocking driveways. From downtown Columbus, take SR-315 north to the Henderson Road exit and head west, about fifteen minutes off peak. On public transport, COTA local fare is $2.00 with a day pass at $4.50, but the nearest useful line, Line 5 along West Fifth Avenue, still leaves you a walk of about a mile north through quiet streets. Cyclists have it easier: the residential grid is calm and lightly trafficked.

It costs nothing to enter, at any hour, in any season, and there is no parking charge. The only money that changes hands here is for reservations: a picnic shelter booking through the city runs on a published fee schedule with resident and non-resident tiers, typically in the region of $50 to $150 depending on the day and the shelter, and athletic field permits for organised teams are billed separately. The city pools, including Tremont Pool at Northam Park and the Reed Road Water Park, are entirely separate paid facilities with their own daily rates, usually around $10 for a non-resident day admission, so do not turn up here expecting a pool. If you are staying in Upper Arlington, note that most hotel nights around Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road land between roughly $110 and $180, and parks like this one are the free half of your day.

Timing matters more than the season. May, June, September and early October are the good months, with long light and comfortable evenings; late July and August bring humidity that empties the lawn between noon and four. Winter is bare but usable, and after a decent snowfall the slopes on the park edges draw sledders within an hour of the last flake. The park never closes for a day of the week, but it does close at dusk, and city crews may rope off wet fields after heavy rain to protect the turf. The quietest window all week is Sunday morning before ten, when you may have the whole place to yourself apart from a dog walker. Avoid tournament Saturdays in June if you want quiet, because the lot and the surrounding kerbs fill by nine.

This suits families with children under ten, runners who want a soft loop, and anyone staying nearby who needs an hour outdoors that costs nothing. Wheelchair users will find the lot, the shelter and the playground approach manageable, though the grass sections are grass and the wooded margins are not surfaced. Teenagers will use the courts and ignore everything else. It is a good rainy-day non-option, because there is no indoor shelter beyond a roof over picnic tables. Skip it if you have travelled for wilderness, wildlife or a nature centre; Smith Nature Park and Griggs Reservoir Park do that job far better, and Highbanks Metro Park does it best of all. Skip it too if you have one free hour before a flight, because it is a further ten minutes out of your way from the main roads.

Fold it into a half-day with other Upper Arlington green space. Sunny 95 Park with its big playground and the relocated Amelita Mirolo Barn is about five minutes north by car; Smith Nature Park adds a wooded walk in the same direction; Fancyburg Park sits a few minutes south-east. Griggs Reservoir Park and the water are eight minutes west along Fishinger Road. For food and shopping, Kingsdale Shopping Center and the small independents at Tremont Center are both under ten minutes south, and the historic Mallway shops are a couple of minutes further. The honest caveat is that Thompson Park is a neighbourhood amenity that happens to be very well kept, not a sight. Nobody should drive across Columbus for it. Come because you are staying in Upper Arlington and want to understand why families move here, and half an hour will tell you.

Plan your visit TicketsFree Free entryYes Time needed1-2 hr visit WhereRidgeview Opening hours Daily dawn to dusk Courts and playground: same hours, lit only until dusk Shelter bookings via UA Parks & Recreation, Mon-Fri 8:00-17:00 Hotels near Thompson Park

Questions about Thompson Park

How much does it cost to visit Thompson Park?

Nothing. Upper Arlington city parks charge no admission and the on-site lot is free, in every season and at every hour of daylight. The only charges are reservations: a picnic shelter booking through Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation runs roughly $50 to $150 depending on shelter, day and whether you are a resident, and sports field permits are billed separately. The municipal pools are separate paid facilities, generally about $10 for a non-resident day pass.

Are there free entry hours or days?

Every hour is free, so the question does not really apply. The park is open to anyone from dawn until dusk, seven days a week, with no ticket, gate or booth. What is not free is the reserved use of facilities: shelters and athletic fields require paid permits from the city, and a booked shelter may be occupied when you arrive even though the rest of the park stays open to you. Parking costs nothing.

How long should I spend here?

Between twenty minutes and two hours. A walk of the perimeter and a look at the playground takes twenty to thirty minutes; a picnic with children easily fills two hours; a full afternoon only makes sense if you are here for a league game or a party in the shelter. Most visitors staying in Upper Arlington pair it with another park such as Sunny 95 or Smith Nature Park and treat the two together as a half-morning.

Is it ever closed?

There is no closed day. The park operates dawn to dusk every day of the year, including public holidays. Practical closures are local and temporary: fields are roped off after heavy rain to protect the turf, courts can be shut for resurfacing, and the seasonal restrooms are typically locked outside the warm months, roughly late autumn to spring. Snow is not cleared from paths, so winter footing is your own responsibility.

Do I need to book anything?

Not for a normal visit; walk in. Booking only matters for the picnic shelter and the athletic fields, both handled by Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation, and summer Saturday shelter slots go months in advance with residents getting the first window. If you are planning a birthday party or a family gathering while staying in the city, reserve as early as you can and expect a fee in the region of $50 to $150.

What is the nearest stop or parking?

The free lot off Woodbridge Road is the practical answer, with legal street parking on the surrounding residential roads. Public transport is weak here: COTA Line 5 along West Fifth Avenue is the nearest regular service and leaves you about a mile of walking north, with a local fare of $2.00 or a $4.50 day pass. From Tremont Center in the middle of Upper Arlington it is a five to eight minute drive; from downtown Columbus about fifteen minutes via SR-315 and Henderson Road.

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