McClennen Park
ARLSummer St (Route 2A), Arlington
Town park with a skateboard park, a playground, ball fields and walking trails. Free to skate; pads aren't required.
Run by Town of Arlington
Also a skate park
The Free Range.
Public places to play around Arlington: playgrounds, splash pads, pools and beaches, skate parks, pump tracks, bikeways, woods and trails, sledding hills and rinks. Nearly all of them run by a town, a city or the state, and every one open to anyone. No tickets, no memberships, no sign-up sheet.
- Playgrounds11 spots
- Water play8 spots
- Swimming5 spots
- Skate parks4 spots
- Pump tracks2 spots
- Bikeways1 spot
- Woods and trails10 spots
- Table tennis3 spots
- Mini golf1 spot
- Sledding hills6 spots
- Ice skating3 spots
Eleven kinds of play. Eight of them have a stamp page in the Free Range Passport.
Right now
- Water play and swimming are off until summer.
- Sledding hills are waiting for snow.
- Playgrounds, skate parks, pump tracks, bikeways and trails are open all year.
Playgrounds
Swings, slides and climbing, free and open to everyone.
Passport stamp 1Went down the big slide
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Robbins Farm Park
ARL61 Eastern Ave, Arlington
Hillside playground with a 16-foot embankment slide and Boston skyline views, rebuilt in 2024 with universal design. The same hill is a favorite on snow days.
Run by Town of Arlington
Also a sledding hill
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Beaver Brook Reservation
BEL621 Trapelo Rd, Belmont
State reservation with a playground, a summer spray deck and an easy half-mile Pond Loop trail around Mill Pond and Duck Pond.
Run by Mass. DCR
Also water play and woods and trails
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Joey's Park
BELNext to Winn Brook School, Belmont
Community-built neighborhood playground beside the Winn Brook School fields.
Run by Town of Belmont
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Smith Playground
BOS235 Western Ave, Allston, Boston
Boston's first pump track, next to skateable paths and walls, plus a playground with a splash pad, courts and fields. A short ride from Harvard Square.
Run by City of Boston
Also a pump track and a skate park and water play
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Cambridge Common playground
CAMWaterhouse St, Cambridge
Big, busy playground on the Common. Its water wheel was out of service in 2026.
Run by City of Cambridge
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Danehy Park
CAMSherman St, Cambridge
Large city park with the Louis A. DePasquale Universal Design Playground on Field St, built so children of all abilities can play together, with a splash pad. More water play at Sherman St, and a long hill for sledding when it snows.
Run by City of Cambridge
Also water play and a sledding hill
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David Nunes Park
CAM251 Brookline St, Cambridge
Corner park in Cambridgeport, also called Old Morse Park, with outdoor ping-pong tables, a playground with summer water play, a basketball court and a lawn. Open dawn to dusk, and until 10 PM from April through October.
Run by City of Cambridge
Also table tennis and water play
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Center Recreation Complex playground
LEXPark Dr, at the Center Recreation Complex, Lexington
Playground rebuilt to a universal design, reopened in August 2026, with poured rubber surfacing and paths to the Center Track. Beside the town's fields and courts.
Run by Town of Lexington
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Lincoln Park
LEXLincoln St, Lexington
Separate play structures for ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12, plus fields and a fitness trail.
Run by Town of Lexington
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Stone Family Playground at Ginn Field
WINA short walk from Winchester Center
Dinosaur climber and slide, tire swing, cargo net and a sandbox with a digger.
Run by Town of Winchester
Nothing here matches your filters.
Water play
Splash pads and spray decks. Summer only; cities and towns turn them on when it's hot.
Cambridge alone has 29 parks with free summer water play. See the city’s map (opens in a new tab).
Passport stamp 2Got soaked on purpose
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Beaver Brook Reservation
BEL621 Trapelo Rd, Belmont
State reservation with a playground, a summer spray deck and an easy half-mile Pond Loop trail around Mill Pond and Duck Pond.
Run by Mass. DCR
Also a playground and woods and trails
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Smith Playground
BOS235 Western Ave, Allston, Boston
Boston's first pump track, next to skateable paths and walls, plus a playground with a splash pad, courts and fields. A short ride from Harvard Square.
Run by City of Boston
Also a pump track and a skate park and a playground
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Dana Park
CAMMagazine St, Cambridge
Neighborhood park with summer water play.
Run by City of Cambridge
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Danehy Park
CAMSherman St, Cambridge
Large city park with the Louis A. DePasquale Universal Design Playground on Field St, built so children of all abilities can play together, with a splash pad. More water play at Sherman St, and a long hill for sledding when it snows.
Run by City of Cambridge
Also a playground and a sledding hill
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David Nunes Park
CAM251 Brookline St, Cambridge
Corner park in Cambridgeport, also called Old Morse Park, with outdoor ping-pong tables, a playground with summer water play, a basketball court and a lawn. Open dawn to dusk, and until 10 PM from April through October.
Run by City of Cambridge
Also table tennis and a playground
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McCrehan Memorial Pool
CAM359 Rindge Ave, Cambridge
State outdoor pool with a lifeguard on duty, open late June to mid-August, and a spray deck open mid-May to mid-September. Parking lot on site.
Run by Mass. DCR
Also swimming
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Richard McKinnon Park spray deck
CAMEducation Circle, in the park formerly called North Point Park, Cambridge
State spray deck in an 8.5-acre waterfront park. Open 8 AM to 8 PM from mid-May to mid-September; children must be with a parent or guardian.
Run by Mass. DCR
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Veterans Memorial Swimming Pool
CAM719 Memorial Dr, at Magazine Beach, Cambridge
State outdoor pool with a lifeguard on duty. It's shallow, with no diving, and children under 12 need an adult watching. The Magazine Beach Spray Deck is next door.
Run by Mass. DCR
Also swimming
Nothing here matches your filters.
Swimming
Town beaches and outdoor pools, open in summer. Some charge a day fee, and each spot says which.
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Reservoir Beach
ARL250 Lowell St, Arlington
Filtered, chlorinated swimming area with lifeguards, a bathhouse, a snack bar, a playground and a path around the reservoir. Non-residents welcome; day passes at the gate.
Run by Town of Arlington
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Underwood Pool
BELCottage St, Belmont
Outdoor town pool with lap lanes, a deep pool with a diving board and a slide. Swimming only when a lifeguard is on duty; children under 10 need an adult with them.
Run by Town of Belmont
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McCrehan Memorial Pool
CAM359 Rindge Ave, Cambridge
State outdoor pool with a lifeguard on duty, open late June to mid-August, and a spray deck open mid-May to mid-September. Parking lot on site.
Run by Mass. DCR
Also water play
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Veterans Memorial Swimming Pool
CAM719 Memorial Dr, at Magazine Beach, Cambridge
State outdoor pool with a lifeguard on duty. It's shallow, with no diving, and children under 12 need an adult watching. The Magazine Beach Spray Deck is next door.
Run by Mass. DCR
Also water play
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Shannon Beach
WINMystic Valley Pkwy, on Upper Mystic Lake, Winchester
State swimming beach in Mystic Lakes State Park, with beach wheelchairs and free parking. It closes some summer days for high bacteria, so check before you go.
Run by Mass. DCR
Nothing here matches your filters.
Skate parks
Bowls, ramps and rails for boards, scooters and BMX. Helmets strongly encouraged.
Passport stamp 3Rolled. Fell. Rolled again.
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McClennen Park
ARLSummer St (Route 2A), Arlington
Town park with a skateboard park, a playground, ball fields and walking trails. Free to skate; pads aren't required.
Run by Town of Arlington
Also a playground
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Smith Playground
BOS235 Western Ave, Allston, Boston
Boston's first pump track, next to skateable paths and walls, plus a playground with a splash pad, courts and fields. A short ride from Harvard Square.
Run by City of Boston
Also a pump track and a playground and water play
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Lynch Family Skatepark
CAMEast Cambridge, near North Point Park
Large state-run skatepark built on land once used for the Big Dig. Opened in 2015.
Run by Mass. DCR
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Winchester Skate Park
WINManchester Field, 95 Mystic Valley Pkwy, Winchester
The town's skate park at Manchester Field.
Run by Town of Winchester
Nothing here matches your filters.
Pump tracks and bike skills
Rolling dirt or paved loops you ride by pumping, not pedaling, plus skills features.
Passport stamp 4Pumped. Didn't pedal.
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Hill's Hill bike skills area
ARLBehind Ed Burns Arena, off Summer St, Arlington
Dirt pump track, a wooden wall-ride, a progressive jump line and beginner skills features in the woods. Opened in fall 2025.
Run by Town of Arlington
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Smith Playground
BOS235 Western Ave, Allston, Boston
Boston's first pump track, next to skateable paths and walls, plus a playground with a splash pad, courts and fields. A short ride from Harvard Square.
Run by City of Boston
Also a skate park and a playground and water play
Nothing here matches your filters.
Bikeways
Car-free paths for first rides, scooters and long walks.
Passport stamp 5Rode to the next town
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Minuteman Bikeway
3 TOWNSAlewife in Cambridge to Bedford, through Arlington and Lexington
Paved, car-free rail trail. Flat stretches are good for first rides, scooters and strollers.
Run by the towns it passes through
Nothing here matches your filters.
Woods and trails
Conservation land and reservations with walking trails, from flat loops to rocky climbs.
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Menotomy Rocks Park
ARLJason St and Gray St, Arlington
35-acre wooded park with paths around Hills Pond and over the rocks. The slopes are for sledding when it snows.
Run by Town of Arlington
Also a sledding hill
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Beaver Brook Reservation
BEL621 Trapelo Rd, Belmont
State reservation with a playground, a summer spray deck and an easy half-mile Pond Loop trail around Mill Pond and Duck Pond.
Run by Mass. DCR
Also a playground and water play
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Rock Meadow Conservation Area
BELMill St parking lot, between Trapelo Rd and Winter St, Belmont
About 70 acres of meadow, wetlands, streams and woods, with paths from the parking lot. Beaver Brook Reservation is just to the south.
Run by Town of Belmont
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Alewife Brook Reservation
CAMAlewife Station Access Rd, next to Alewife Station, Cambridge
Urban wild of wetlands and woods next to Alewife Station, with limited trails and many birds. Stay on the marked trails.
Run by Mass. DCR
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Fresh Pond Reservation
CAM250 Fresh Pond Pkwy (Water Department entrance), Cambridge
A 2.25-mile paved loop around the reservoir, plus a short hill loop, foot trails, meadows and small ponds. The parking lots are for Cambridge permits only, so come by bus, bike or on foot.
Run by City of Cambridge
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Arlington's Great Meadows
LEXEast Lexington, reached from the Minuteman Bikeway
A 183-acre wet meadow with trails in the woods around it and boardwalks, including the Lily Pond and Finger Marsh boardwalks. Arlington owns it; all of it sits in Lexington.
Run by Town of Arlington
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Whipple Hill Conservation Area
LEXParking on Winchester Dr; also entrances from Summer St, Lexington
About 120 acres of woods with almost 4 miles of rocky trails, Locke Pond and the summit of Whipple Hill, the highest point in Lexington.
Run by Town of Lexington
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Willard's Woods
LEXParking at 36 North St, Lexington
Town conservation land with walking loops through pine groves and wetlands, and a small pond near the North Street entrance.
Run by Town of Lexington
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Middlesex Fells Reservation
3 TOWNSHeadquarters at 4 Woodland Rd, Stoneham
State reservation of 2,575 acres with more than 100 miles of trails.
Run by Mass. DCR
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Brooks-Parkhurst Town Forest
WINEntrances off Chardon Rd and Ox Pasture, near the Medford line, Winchester
A 29-acre wooded conservation area with a loop trail, footbridges over a stream and granite blocks saved from the old Middlesex Canal.
Run by Town of Winchester
Nothing here matches your filters.
Table tennis
Outdoor tables in public parks. Bring paddles and a ball.
Passport stamp 6Returned a serve
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David Nunes Park
CAM251 Brookline St, Cambridge
Corner park in Cambridgeport, also called Old Morse Park, with outdoor ping-pong tables, a playground with summer water play, a basketball court and a lawn. Open dawn to dusk, and until 10 PM from April through October.
Run by City of Cambridge
Also a playground and water play
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Harvard Science Center Plaza
CAMBetween Harvard Yard and the Science Center, 1 Oxford St, Cambridge
Outdoor plaza at Harvard where ping pong, giant chess and other games are set out on nice days. Open to everyone.
Run by Harvard University
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Lexington Community Center
LEX39 Marrett Rd, Lexington
An outdoor ping-pong table among the Community Center's outdoor amenities. The center is open Monday to Friday 8 AM to 9 PM and Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM.
Run by Town of Lexington
Nothing here matches your filters.
Mini golf
Public, town-run or park-run courses only.
Passport stamp 7Holed it. Eventually.
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PUTT at Prospect Hill
WALProspect Hill Park, 314 Totten Pond Rd, Waltham
Free mini golf run by the city, with every hole themed on Prospect Hill and its history. Open in summer.
Run by City of Waltham
Nothing here matches your filters.
Sledding hills
Public hills for snow days. Check for trees, roads and ponds at the bottom.
Passport stamp 8Survived the big hill
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Menotomy Rocks Park
ARLJason St and Gray St, Arlington
35-acre wooded park with paths around Hills Pond and over the rocks. The slopes are for sledding when it snows.
Run by Town of Arlington
Also woods and trails
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Pond Lane Park
ARL99 Pond Lane, by Spy Pond, Arlington
Sledding beside Spy Pond. Stay off the ice.
Run by Town of Arlington
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Robbins Farm Park
ARL61 Eastern Ave, Arlington
Hillside playground with a 16-foot embankment slide and Boston skyline views, rebuilt in 2024 with universal design. The same hill is a favorite on snow days.
Run by Town of Arlington
Also a playground
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Danehy Park
CAMSherman St, Cambridge
Large city park with the Louis A. DePasquale Universal Design Playground on Field St, built so children of all abilities can play together, with a splash pad. More water play at Sherman St, and a long hill for sledding when it snows.
Run by City of Cambridge
Also a playground and water play
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Mullen Hill
WINBetween Ridge St and Lockeland Rd, across from the fire station, Winchester
Neighborhood sledding hill.
Run by Town of Winchester
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Vinson-Owen School hill
WIN75 Johnson Rd, Winchester
School-grounds sledding hill. Snow days only, outside school hours.
Run by Town of Winchester
Nothing here matches your filters.
Ice skating
Public rinks with open skate sessions, mostly fall to spring. Rinks only: we don't list frozen ponds.
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Ed Burns Arena
ARL422 Summer St, Arlington
Indoor town rink with public skate sessions most days from September through April. Skate rentals and sharpening on site.
Run by Town of Arlington
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Belmont Sports Complex (Skip Viglirolo Rink)
BELConcord Ave, next to Harris Field, Belmont
The town's new rink, opened in November 2025, with public skate sessions for residents and non-residents. Rentals in limited sizes.
Run by Town of Belmont
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Simoni Memorial Rink
CAM155 Gore St, Cambridge
State rink in East Cambridge with public skating, skate rentals, sharpening and a snack bar. Adaptive skating equipment is available.
Run by Mass. DCR
Nothing here matches your filters.
Nothing matches. Even Curio is stumped. Try another town or turn off a filter.
Index
Every spot, A to Z, with its town and the kinds of play you’ll find there.
- PG Playground
- WP Water play
- SW Swimming
- SK Skate park
- PT Pump track
- BW Bikeway
- WT Woods and trails
- TT Table tennis
- MG Mini golf
- SL Sledding hill
- IR Ice rink
- ARL Arlington
- BEL Belmont
- CAM Cambridge
- LEX Lexington
- WIN Winchester
- BOS Boston
- MED Medford
- STO Stoneham
- WAL Waltham
- Alewife Brook ReservationCAM WT
- Arlington's Great MeadowsLEX WT
- Beaver Brook ReservationBEL PG WP WT
- Belmont Sports Complex (Skip Viglirolo Rink)BEL IR
- Brooks-Parkhurst Town ForestWIN WT
- Cambridge Common playgroundCAM PG
- Center Recreation Complex playgroundLEX PG
- Dana ParkCAM WP
- Danehy ParkCAM PG WP SL
- David Nunes ParkCAM TT PG WP
- Ed Burns ArenaARL IR
- Fresh Pond ReservationCAM WT
- Harvard Science Center PlazaCAM TT
- Hill's Hill bike skills areaARL PT
- Joey's ParkBEL PG
- Lexington Community CenterLEX TT
- Lincoln ParkLEX PG
- Lynch Family SkateparkCAM SK
- McClennen ParkARL SK PG
- McCrehan Memorial PoolCAM SW WP
- Menotomy Rocks ParkARL WT SL
- Middlesex Fells ReservationMED · STO · WIN WT
- Minuteman BikewayARL · CAM · LEX BW
- Mullen HillWIN SL
- Pond Lane ParkARL SL
- PUTT at Prospect HillWAL MG
- Reservoir BeachARL SW
- Richard McKinnon Park spray deckCAM WP
- Robbins Farm ParkARL PG SL
- Rock Meadow Conservation AreaBEL WT
- Shannon BeachWIN SW
- Simoni Memorial RinkCAM IR
- Smith PlaygroundBOS PT SK PG WP
- Stone Family Playground at Ginn FieldWIN PG
- Underwood PoolBEL SW
- Veterans Memorial Swimming PoolCAM SW WP
- Vinson-Owen School hillWIN SL
- Whipple Hill Conservation AreaLEX WT
- Willard's WoodsLEX WT
- Winchester Skate ParkWIN SK
Get stamped.
The Free Range Passport has a page for eight kinds of play, a stamp for every town, a bingo card and a certificate for the finish. Fill it in on screen or print it as a booklet.
Get the passport (PDF)Missing a spot?
Tell us where the public fun is.
A person checks every suggestion before it’s listed. What counts as public: open to anyone without a membership, and usually run by a town, a city or the state. If a place charges a fee, we say so.
Listings last checked Oct 10, 2026 from town, city and state pages and local news. Seasons and hours change, so check the owner’s page before you go.