Municipal Park a.k.a. Monkey Park

This is a cute neighborhood park. I enjoyed the history of the covered bridge and the picture backdrop it provided. There seemed to be quite a bit of green space in that area as a large soccer field was across the street. This park is dog friendly, and there is a little creek that runs through it. The wildflower trail was not very flowery as much as it was bushes that sometime flower. Check it out.

Having been here several times over the years, approximately 17+ years, I can comfortably say that I enjoy this park. There are a lot of really tall trees with LOTS of shade. There are multiple play areas. There is a creek that runs through the middle of it. We’ve actually started at the top of the creek, near the covered bridge and followed it through the trees until we reached the opening. I recommend water shoes unless you don’t mind getting yours wet.
It has a gazebo and picnic tables that you can rent out for functions, birthdays, etc. The covered bridge is a remodeled version of the Salem-​Shotwell Covered bridge, which was at a different location before a tree fell on it, destroying it completely. After a couple of years, they decided to rebuild it with the salvaged pieces and place it in the park.
Side story: YES, the original location IS haunted. Years ago, my siblings, a few friends and I drove out there one night before the tree fell on the bridge to investigate. We wanted to see if anything would happen to us. WELL! We were out there for about 20 minutes or so and suddenly, my brother’s girlfriend started screaming. She screamed as though someone were trying to murder her. Apparently, she saw a hooded figure of a woman standing at the front of my brother’s truck. Nobody was standing near her when it happened, because she was the only one who stayed in a vehicle. We left right after that. I think I need to gather my siblings and head to the original location on my next trip. You know, just for the memories.
You can also check out the Caroline Dean Wildflower Garden, which is located near the bridge. We walked around the path, but there weren’t any flowers that day. My mom’s flowers were just beginning to really bloom when we left, so maybe we came too early? Either way, it was a cool walk through along the wooded path.
We came for their annual, «Garden in the Park» art festival the other day. It was fun walking around, checking out all of the vendors. It was a small event, but a lot of people came to enjoy it.
The park is wheelchair accessible. There is plenty of parking available. There are restrooms. A vintage train, the Rocky Brook Rocket, runs seasonally and is available for rental. Although, while we were waiting in line for the boys to ride the train, it derailed right before their turn. Whoops! That’s never a good thing.
This is a great place to bring your kids for a fun picnic and to burn off some energy. Check it out if you’re in the area!

Multiple playgrounds, a creek, and covered bridge. Lots of shade. In a historic neighborhood which is nice. When I mentioned this park to my mom’s coworker, she said everyone calls it the Monkey Park because a long time ago there were monkeys living in cages there.