Robert-Lauryn Skate Park At Treaty Park

An update is due because thankfully Treaty Skate Park is now free of admission and the silly concession shop gatekeeping system is gone – hopefully for good. Most of the better skate parks around Florida – Bradenton, Gainesville, Daytona and others – are public and free of admission, so Treaty ought to be as well. I’m glad the powers that be finally came to their collective senses on this.
Treaty is a good park, it’s somewhat unique as it has more rolling inclines and bowl-​like features than most skate parks which emulate street skating and street features have. It harkens back to the early days of pool-​inspired concrete parks in California in this regard. It has lights and seems to be open until ten on weekends, maybe nine or ten weekdays? Not sure on that, but on a Saturday the lights were on until ten. This skate park is used, too: there are always skaters here when it’s open and it’s open for BMX as well as skating. Overall, it’s not the very best but a pretty rad park and the new policies are certainly an improvement.

I remember years ago, when there was a lot of petitions and talk going around to open up a Skate Park for the younger kids in the town, and a LOT of older religious types were furious and up in arms at the possibility of building a place where young kids could get together and not only have a good time, but get exercise and build social skills at the same time. Because we all know that it’s not boredom that causes kids to go out and do stupid and illegal things, it’s the skaters that get together because they will drink and smoke weed!
Thankfully, our local politicians and community decided that a local skate park WOULD be a great idea, and they got it right in this place. There is a cool skate shop in the front of the park which sells lots of skate stuff and some cold drinks, and offers up some A/​C for those super hot days that will give you a nice break. The staff working here genuinely cares about skating and the kids, making sure that everyone is having a good time.
The park itself is pretty sweet, lots of half-​pipes, rails, benches, and a sweet bowl. It’s pretty good sized, and there’s lots of room for tricks and skating for not only experts, but also new kids looking to try some lighter stuff and have a good time. If you or your kid is going and they’re under 18, they will have to sign a waiver, and I believe it is mandatory that helmets are worn, although I’m not sure about knee or elbow pads. My favorite part of the park, is at the entrance when you walk up, a sign listing the safety rules. The very last line states «This is your park, respect it.» And the kids do, as there are very few places anymore where skateboarding is allowed, and the fact that you can hit up a clean, fun, and FREE skate park 7 days a week, they take care of it by picking up after themselves and making sure everyone is having a safe, fun time.
The fact this park is in Treaty Park makes it even better, as Treaty Park is an awesome place as itself, but throw in a skate park, and it’s that much better. You can drop off your kids and go enjoy the many other areas the park has to offer. Overall, a great place for kids and families to visit.

As a mom who frequents many a local skate park, Treaty (Robery-​Layrn Skate Park may be the official name), is perhaps on the top of my list for a variety of reasons. For those of you who enjoy a good kick flip, here is what the skate park offers:
–Huge bowl — looks like an empty swimming pool with 9 foot walls!
–A couple of ¹⁄₂ pipes
–Rails to grind
–Ledges to drop in
–Skaters can do their thing until 10:00 pm every evening!
There also is a little area for beginning skaters to practice their budding ‘Tony Hawk-​ness’ as well!
You can rent skate equipment in the Pro Shop as well. This is a plus in my book as most of the kids, well maybe it’s just MY kid, don’t like to bring their own.
If you have a skater under 18 they will be required to sign a ‘If you break your neck, we are not liable waiver’, but in my experience this document is standard for all skate parks of this nature.
The only thing to really be aware of is that there really is no covered areas in the actual bowl of the park. So, make sure you slather up your son or daughter with sunscreen and bring some Gatorade as this kind of physical activity in the Florida sunshine can be taxing on the most conditioned child. The Pro Shop is air conditioned, but is very small. So it doesn’t serve as a very efficient resting point as this park can get packed with kids. They do sell drinks here in the Pro Shop however.
Here is the best part for the parent of the avid skateboarder… this professionally constructed park is completely FREE!!!

This skate park is great because they have tons of rails and room for everyone to skate. There’s also a mini-​park for younger skaters. You can visit the skate shop for drinks and skate gear. Because it’s located in Treaty Park, there is also tons of other stuff to do while your kids skate, and there’s a dog park right next to the skate ramps. Plus, the skate park is open until 10pm all year round.