Anson B. Nixon Park
110 free acres in Kennett Square with two playgrounds, three miles of trails, a big dog park, and a free summer concert series.
405 N Walnut St, Kennett Square, PA 19348 · Kennett Square, PA — a cross-the-state-line trip, not a quick pop-out. We haven't clocked it door to door; check your map app first.
Hours
Dawn to dusk
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Last checked 2026-08-23
- Cost
- Free
- Best for
- All ages
- Indoor / outdoor
- Outdoor
- Typical visit
- 1-3 hours
Two separate playground areas, two stocked ponds with an accessible fishing dock, three miles of trails, six pavilions and indoor restrooms.
The Quick Version
- • 110 free acres straddling Kennett Square Borough and Kennett Township, open daily sunrise to sunset.
- • Two separate playground areas, each with climbing, swinging, spinning, and sliding equipment.
- • Free 8-week summer concert series starting in June — the single best reason to make the drive.
- • Two ponds for fishing (PA license required at 16+), roughly three miles of walking trails, and a nearly two-acre dog park with separate small- and large-dog sides.
- • No swimming. No boating. No ice skating. The ponds are for looking at and fishing in, full stop.
Best Ages
All ages
Plan For
1-3 hours
Admission
Free
What to Expect
This is a 110-acre park that runs from the Borough of Kennett Square out into Kennett Township, and the scale is the point — you are not going to exhaust it in one visit. Two separate playground areas anchor the family end of things, each offering climbing, swinging, spinning, and sliding. From there it opens up: about three miles of walking trails, two ponds, six picnic pavilions, tennis and pickleball and volleyball courts, disc golf, athletic fields, and a nearly two-acre dog park with separate small- and large-dog sections and a secure staging area.
The thing to plan around is the free summer concert series — eight weeks starting in June, no ticket, and the kind of evening where kids run on the grass while a band plays. The other date worth knowing is the Trout Rodeo, typically the first Saturday in May, when both ponds are stocked.
Set expectations on the water before you go. Swimming, boating, and ice skating are all prohibited. Fishing is allowed at your own risk, with a Pennsylvania license required at 16 and over, and there's a wheelchair-accessible dock. If your kid is coming here expecting to get in the pond, head that off in the car.
Dogs: leashed everywhere in the park, off leash only inside the dog park's staging area and secured sections. Pick up after them — trash cans, not the woods.
Who It's Best For
The park documents two playgrounds with climbing, swinging, spinning, and sliding, but doesn't publish an age split between them — walk both before you settle in. Trails, ponds, and the concert lawn work across ages.
Highlights
Two playgrounds
All agesTwo separate and distinct play areas, each with climbing, swinging, spinning, and sliding equipment. The park doesn't publish an age breakdown, so walk both before you settle in.
Free summer concert series
All agesEight weeks, starting in June, free. Bring a blanket and dinner. Alcohol is prohibited without a permit, so plan accordingly.
The dog park
Families bringing the dogNearly two acres, open since fall 2018, with separate small- and large-dog sections and a secure staging area. Benches, Dogipot clean-up stations, and a drinking fountain system for humans and pets. Leash on the walk over; off leash only inside.
Two fishing ponds
Ages 5+Both stocked annually during the Trout Rodeo, typically the first Saturday in May. A Pennsylvania fishing license is required at 16 and over; fishing is at your own risk. There's a fishing dock with wheelchair access.
Three miles of trails
Walkers and older kidsRoughly three miles of walking trails, with sections adopted by local partners. Trail maps are in the parking-lot kiosks.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Any expectation of swimming or a boat — both are prohibited.
- • Skateboards. Not permitted in the park.
- • The dog park unless your kids are steady around loose dogs.
- • The splash pad you may have read about. It's part of a proposed WaterWorks restoration for 2024–2028, not something you can visit today.
Logistics
Admission
Free admission
The park's published fees cover reservations, not entry: a pavilion is $85 flat, plus $50 on holidays, or $100 if you book within 10 days of your event. Tennis, pickleball, and volleyball courts are $25/court/hour, and you only need a reservation to block a specific time. Fishing requires a Pennsylvania license at 16 and over.
Getting There
Parking
Multiple lots, including accessible spaces. Cars stay in lots and on paved roadways — there is no parking at the pavilions, and equipment drop-offs there have to be pre-arranged.
Grab the printed park map from the kiosk in the main parking lot on your way in; trail maps are in the lot kiosks too.
Entrance
Main entrance off N. Walnut Street — coming in on State Street, turn right at the bottom of Miller's Hill just before the YMCA, go about a half-mile, and turn left into the park. You can also get in from Leslie Street (behind the KAU Field), North Broad Street, and State Street.
Parent Logistics
Roughly three miles of walking trails and a wheelchair-accessible fishing dock, but the park doesn't publish trail surfaces — so we can't promise a paved loop. Assume some of it is unpaved and pick your route off the kiosk map.
Indoor, handicapped-accessible restrooms on site.
Not listed in the park's facilities information. Bring a changing pad and plan to use the car if you have a baby.
The reliable shade is the six picnic pavilions. The park doesn't document tree cover at the playgrounds or on the trails, so pack hats and sunscreen.
Food & Snacks
No food on-site. No concession appears in the park's facilities list. What it does have is six picnic pavilions with wooden tables seating up to 50 each, many with charcoal barbecue grills, plus water and electricity access. Fires are permitted only in those picnic-area grills.
Snack strategy: Pack everything, including water — the one drinking-fountain system the park documents is at the dog park. Alcohol is prohibited without a special permit (which requires a $75/hour park security officer), so this is a lemonade outing. Littering is a $300 fine per offense.
Pro Tips
- ✓ Pull the printed map from the kiosk in the main parking lot — 110 acres is a lot of park to wander blind.
- ✓ The free concert series is eight weeks starting in June. If you're driving up from Delaware, build the trip around it.
- ✓ Booking a pavilion for a birthday? $85 flat, but $100 inside 10 days and another $50 on a holiday — reserve early. Any permit request needs a week's notice.
- ✓ Drop-offs at the pavilions must be pre-arranged; otherwise the car stays in a lot and you're carrying the cooler.
- ✓ Fires only in the picnic-area grills.
Questions parents ask
Can you swim at Anson B. Nixon Park?
No. Swimming, boating, and ice skating are all prohibited. The ponds are for fishing and looking at.
What time does the park open?
Daily, sunrise to sunset — the rules page phrases it as dawn to dusk.
Do you need a fishing license?
Yes, a Pennsylvania license for anyone 16 and over. Fishing is at your own risk, and there's a wheelchair-accessible dock.
Is there a dog park?
Yes — nearly two acres, with separate small- and large-dog sections and a secure staging area. Dogs must be leashed walking to and from it, and off leash only inside. Everywhere else in the park, leashes at all times.
How much does it cost to reserve a pavilion?
$85 flat, plus $50 on holidays, or $100 within 10 days of the event. Each pavilion seats up to 50.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Summer evenings during the free 8-week concert series that starts in June. Early May for the Trout Rodeo (typically the first Saturday). Otherwise any daylight hour — the park is open sunrise to sunset.
Seasonal Notes
Seasonal programming the park publishes: Red Clay Valley Clean Up Day in March, the annual Trout Rodeo in May (typically the first Saturday, when both ponds get stocked), and the free 8-week summer concert series starting in June. Sky tours are listed too, without dates.
Rainy Day?
It's an outdoor park with covered pavilions and no indoor family space we've confirmed. In steady rain, pick a different plan.
Upcoming Events
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