Goodale Park

Beautiful park, lots of friendly dogs and dog owners. A short walk from all the shops on high street. The park has a lot of history and is surrounded by gorgeous houses. Makes me feel like I’m in San Fran. Love it!

I enjoy going for a walk around Goodale Park if we are down in the Short North. It is nice to have a lot of nice green spaces in the city to enjoy. Nice to see that the pond and fountain are back under control. I like it for the festivals too.
I think that the city seems to take pretty good care of it too.

Goodale Park is one of my favorite and reliable parks to visit in the busy short north area. I really don’t know what we’d do for festivals and special events without Goodale Park. It’s spacious, ample shade, located near short north shops and points of interest, and is always in good shape. This is parking down Goodale. We are fortunate to have Goodale Park.

I love this park! It’s so huge and I always find myself doing part of my run around or in the park. A great place to get out of the house and relax or play in the great outdoors! I also feel very safe!

I was put into the ground in something of events. Many families who brought their children, it was fun. Grass seemed to slip that there is no spike in fluffy. It was very lucky.

Beautiful park with a great playground! Could use some non-​portapotty toilets, but otherwise awesome!

I wish I could review this park based on the space alone, and instead of the morons that bring their dogs. The park itself gets four stars from me – secure, safe from the road, free of hazards and a fun place to let dogs explore. There are actually two parks – one for larger breeds, and one for smaller. The problem with this park – and probably any or many – are the irresponsible people who let their oversized dog in the small park, those who don’t clean up after their pets, and those who have no business owning a dog because they offer no responsibility towards protecting the health and well-​being of their own dog or those of others. Dogs are like humans – they may bicker and fight, as is their instinct – but as a dog owner, you have a responsibility to protect your animal and those in the park just as if you have a child at a playground. More often I have been finding idiots letting their pets run free, growl at others, fight, etc., without doing anything to stop such bad behavior. My point is, the park is worthy of four stars – but the irresponsible pet owners that go to Goodale are a different matter. If you love your dog – great park. If your dog is a toy that simply entertains you, stay home.

A nice park close to home.
I like coming here to play tennis and there almost always seems to be a court available.
They randomly do fun events such as movies in the park and of course Comfest.

The park is smallish which makes it a great option for walking during one’s lunch hour or taking a stroll from one end to the other during the weekend.
Meter parking is available around the perimeter with two spots close to the shelter houses.
Different events are offered (mainly during the summer months) such as the music series, the Pride Fest, etc. to make this a destination park.
If you enjoy the park and want to help with improvements you can become a friend of the park at
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Its been 4 years since I updated my review of Goodale Park? Yikes. And sorry. Because you’ve totally cleaned up your act since 2010 and have become one of my favourite places in Columbus.
Goodale Park is always full of life. Picnics. Puppies. Incredibly fit joggers making me feel guilty that I didn’t get my workout in that day.
Not to mention Pride, Comfest, Screen on the Green and all the other events that make me so proud of Columbus.
So Goodale Park, I’m sorry for letting you sit on that 2-​star review for so long. And thanks for being a place that Columbus can gather, play, and relax.

The bronze bust of Lincoln Goodale has certainly seen a lot in his day, considering the park he granted is the yearly site of Comfest, the cities’ top countercultural festival. Safe to say, the 19^th century doctor probably don’t take too kindly to the goin-​ons here, but then again, who is he to say since his medical know how probably didn’t extend beyond, «take two leaches and see me in the morning.»
Ah but we moderns do thank him for this park, the best of it’s type in the city, tied with that German romantic’s plot off Whittier. A lush square of green, it is the center piece of the tree adorned Victorian style neighborhood, and an easy escape from the bustle of the Short North.
To me parks come in three flavors: athletic parks, nature preserves, and art parks. Goodale is an example of the last – a resting place known for its esthetic beauty. Sure there are tennis courts and playgrounds on its east, a puppy play spot on its south, but mainly it is a quiet grass acreage with benches, landscaping, and lake. The black fencing of its perimeter compliments the impressive Italianate and Queen Ann architecture of its surroundings.
It’s a perfect place to people watch or to meet someone. On any given day you’ll see business men on lunch, college coeds running off freshmen 15, lovers on a romantic rendezvous, artists searching for inspiration, musicians perfecting chords, couple hoping for openings on wedding dates, families dragging kids from electronics, old timers dreaming memmories, and locals finding relief from the hot asphalt streets. All eventually being drawn to the duck happy lake.
The lake has had problems the last few years that are now fixed. Although I do not like the new fountain, a monolithic spike – in levels like a cake – driven in the center of it. I much rather they’d stuck with the understated one they replaced.
Being a park a stone throw from downtown, the park does attract the homeless; this is a good thing as Dr Goodale dedicate charities in helping the poor, and developed this park for their welfare as well as for the fortunate. They generally stay to themselves; buy one of their newspapers if asked; there is some pretty good, honest writing in there, and the proceeds go to charity.
Neither the Victorian Village nor the Short North would be the same without this park!

Here for the last day of Comm Fest. Disappointed that they changed the beer cup size (to smaller). Had some Mikey’s late night slice, pepperoni. Pretty good especially with the F Vampires garlic sauce.

This is a pretty awesome park, great for lounging around and taking in some fresh air. The elephant fountain is spectacular. It not only makes for a great photo op, it’s a great view to have while lounging, and I love the sound of falling water as I relax. There are also plenty of benches around, so no matter what time of day it is, you’ll be able to find a spot with either sun or shade. The water around the fountain is filled with ducks as well, which are always fun. Bring your stale bread! They have a gazebo that looks nice, but people gravitate to it like vultures waiting to pounce — get there early or bring your to score that bad boy. The best part might be the location — just a couple minute walk from North Market.
And one last kudos to the elephant fountain. It is majestic. To see the elephants frolicking again… oh what a joy that would be.

This park is one of my three top favorite in Columbus even when Pride isn’t happening here, which is the only way this park can be even better
If I could pull a Swiss Family Robinson this would be my first chosen location
Annnd there’s still Comfest next weekend to come back for!

Great spot for a lazy day reading or enjoying a picnic. Also a nice short running loop (a little less than a mile). There are tennis courts available if that’s your thing and plenty of both shaded and sunny space. It’s not a huge park but it feels like a nice oasis in the city and, so far, I haven’t seen it too crowded.

Christina C. aptly described this park as «The Central Park of Columbus»; I’m trying to decide how I like it in comparison to Schiller Park and the Topiary Garden, which are in different parts of town.
I would be inclined to say Goodale is far busier than the Topiary Garden and maybe more so than Schiller. Goodale has been the go-​to park for festivals like Comfest, Pride Festival, and the DooDah parade uses it as its starting point. In the summer, the Short North Civic Association hosts free monthly outdoor movies with a few food trucks. Bicycle advocacy groups like Yay! Bikes sometimes use it as their meeting spot for group rides.
On a gorgeous day, you can expect to see people picnicking, biking, walking their dogs, or enjoying the park’s facilities such as the tennis courts or outdoor grills (I can’t remember if there is a basketball court, but I think not). I did not grow up with dogs, so I’m not used to owners letting their dogs off their leashes, which I’m not sure is allowed, but the owners sometimes do so anyway. So far, I haven’t had a bad experience with a dog and generally the dogs stay away from people they don’t know.
The park is a great place to take a book and read under a tree, or go with your significant other to enjoy some blanket cuddle-​time, or chill with some friends or throw a Frisbee around. Patrons tend to leave each other alone.
I think the park is generally safe at night; I’m hoping another reviewer can attest to that. If I’m walking through the Short North, I tend to stay along the perimeter of the park rather than passing through the center, because I think I have seen a few homeless people (perhaps harmless, honestly, I just don’t know).
Parking at the park is ok – much of the immediate surrounding streets are 3-​hour parking limits, which is probably ok if you’re only planning a trip to the park. If you want to stay longer in the park/​Short North, I recommend trying to park a bit further away, but be sure to watch for permit-​only areas (a ticket will cost you $ 40+).
Having come from the East Coast and seen Central Park in New York, Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, and Boston Common, you can’t put this park in the same category. It’s nice, just much smaller. A pleasant place to relax and enjoy some good views of the Columbus skyline. It’s a perfect end to a date or meeting with friends, enjoying some Jeni’s Ice Cream, or making it part of your daily routine with a dog, on foot, or on bike.
Love the park so much? The «Friends of Goodale Park» is a volunteer effort geared toward maintaining the beauty of this great downtown Columbus destination.

It’s not a very big park as compared to some of the other parks in central Ohio but it is a gem! There is parking in the park but don’t bet on it. It’s a small area and on a good day fills up in a heart beat. But there is metered parking all around it. It’s a great place to go for a stroll, walk your dog, let the kids play in the playground area, or to just sit by the water and watch the world go by.
I am sure the pretty gazebo in the park has been used for many a wedding or other portrait shoot and I could’ve sworn that this past weekend I saw some young ladies sunbathing topless in the park — whatevah! I have got to come here for Comfest one year ;)

I finally visited Goodale for something other than Comfest. Wow this park is great for little ones. It has two playgrounds and one is great for toddlers and the other one works for the older kids. The toddler play area has a great amount of shade which is so important in the summer. I love slides as does my daughter but too many of them are directly under the sun. This one is great in the morning hours as it is shaded. The toddler swings are nice too because we can get mad air because of the chain length.
It is also nice because my daughter loves animals and numerous dog walkers came through the area providing entertainment. I also learned that I can park in the park for free which I never knew I could. i only thought there was meter parking on the side or a small lot that is always full by the tennis courts. This place is perfect for a Saturday morning as a quick stop at North Market for breakfast and some veggies then play time in the park. This park is good for people watchers and an oasis downtown. I like this better than the commons as the shade is wonderful during the summer.

A true gem of Columbus. This is a nice park in a fantastic location, right near High Street and the Short North. You’ll find plenty of places to walk, tennis and basketball courts, a playground, a fountain in a pond, and a lot of people enjoying the park with their friends or canine companions.
Another strength of the park is the amazing events it hosts such as Comfest, which has to be experienced, Doo Dah, which is wild and fun, Red White and Boom and others.

Such a beautiful park. & now with a working fountain! (which I find rather ugly… but whatever).
The boy and I have taken up a new couples hobby… tennis. And Goodale is our venue of choice to show off our mad skills… LOL. Right. And I mean, we are within walking distance to North Market for post game munchies. Score.
From Comfest to the kids play area… this is really a focus point for Columbus. Beautiful landscaping, plenty of trees… wonderful people watching.
Note: We used to park here when going downtown (bars, events) because it was no problem to leave the car there overnight after we had too much to drink and needed to cab it up. Now, it tows after 11. WHYYYYY?! :(