Dexter Training Ground Park

So, yeah. I live near here. On the white urban gentrifying side, this park is full of rescue shelter dog shit. On the south of Cranston Street side, discarded crack pipes, and people using the grass in the park as a toilet.
So if you going during the day, you may avoid the worst of all worlds, but after the sun goes down, treat this place like Jurassic Park. That’s just some friendly advice.

I brought my dog here for a stroll in the park and to see the play area.
Pro:
Plenty of parking.
Area separation for large and small dogs.
Playground seemed nice; the kids loved it.
Con:
Trash/​food everywhere.
30 lb or less dog area’s gate wouldn’t close — the gate hinge was too large. 30 lb or over dog area seemed better — the gate closed.
The area smelt overwhelmingly of pot.

The fenced off-​leash park is a great spot to let the dogs socialize without worrying about bothering others in the park. It isn’t the largest park and it’s never too busy but a convenient spot nonetheless.
If you are interested in seeing my full video review of the strengths and weaknesses of the Dexter Dog Park check out this link:
has full reviews of dog parks in MA and RI along with any information a dog owner needs!

The Park has:
1. baseball/​softball fence
2. a dog park
3. a path around the perimeter that’s about ½ mile around
4. lots of open space
5. a farmer’s market June — October
6. a recently renovated playground (that looks really fun… I won’t lie)
7. great space for snowball fights or lots of snowmen in winter
8. gorgeous foliage displays in fall
There’s often impromptu soccer games. (Which can be tricky if you are picnicing…)
There’s almost always a food truck or ice cream truck to have a bite to eat or a sweet treat.
The view of the Cranston Street Armory doesn’t hurt either.

I’ve only been to this park a few times and I mostly come because they have an off-​leash area for dogs.
There is a separate small dog area which I like because my dog is kind of in the middle at 25 pounds.
Anyway, the area for dogs is small, but nice (read: there is still grass left). There’s no shade in the dog area so it gets super hot.
I’ve noticed a lot of people with dogs walking around the park but I’m usually one of only a few people who actually go into the off leash area.
There’s also a farmers market here sometimes and that’s pretty small, but nice to have nonetheless.
I’ll probably keep coming here once in a while although it’s not my favorite place.

Dexter Training Ground is a pretty 9-​acre park adjacent to the Cranston Street Armory. If you aren’t looking for it when you’re driving down Westminster, you won’t even realize it’s there. I lived right down the block from it for a year and a half before I discovered it!
My boyfriend’s mother had left her miniature dachshund with us, and I was taking her for a nice long walk. Dexter was the perfect place for her! On top of the beautiful expanse of grass, they have a designated dog corral, where you can let your dog off the leash to play and meet other dogs.
This place is bustling in the summer months, with food carts and kids all over the playground equipment, soccer games going on… it’s really such a great thing to have in the community.

This is my neighborhood park.
A large open space flanked by beautiful victorian homes on three sides, and the Dexter Armory at the end, Armory park has designated space for baseball, dogs (2 fenced in spaces), a playground, and some open grass for pick up soccer/​frisbee games.
On Thursdays, there is a Farmer’s market from 3 – 7, and in the summer, they’ve started having live music around that time too.
There are some people who hang out at the park and make it a little shady, but for the amount of open space the park provides, it’s easy to find a space away from them.
I will say that the grass is not the best quality, so if you’re going to go lay out with a book, bring a blanket.