For a lot of Central Ohio families, the new Bank Run Metro Park holds a very specific kind of childhood memory.
It used to be Hoover YMCA park, and it was magical. It was giant-slide summers. Birthday parties under shelters. Wandering through the woods until someone yelled that lunch was ready. The kind of place that somehow always smelled like sunscreen and damp leaves.
Over the weekend, that familiar space officially entered its next chapter as Metro Parks celebrated the grand opening of the new Bank Run Metro Park Event Center in Lockbourne.
And yes, the giant slide is back.
The opening event gave visitors their first real look at the new event center portion of the park, which will operate separately from the larger Metro Park area still under construction and expected to open later this summer.
The event center itself feels very different from a traditional Metro Park setup.
Instead of focusing solely on trails and nature access, this side of the property is designed around gatherings and community events.
There’s a large outdoor pavilion and stage area that’s clearly built with concerts and festivals in mind, plus two indoor lodges that can host everything from graduation parties to weddings and nonprofit events.
The lodges are geared toward smaller gatherings (less than 100 people), while the larger outdoor pavilion can hold up to 300 people, perfect for receptions and bigger celebrations.
The paved 5K trail looping through the property was also open during the event, giving guests a chance to walk and run through the new space.
And while the buildings are impressive, it was hard not to notice how many people made a beeline straight for the slide.
Seeing it back in action felt like a full-circle moment for anyone who grew up coming here before the property became part of Metro Parks. Kids were climbing to the top as fast as they could. Adults were pointing at it and immediately launching into stories that started with “I used to come here when…”
The nostalgia factor is strong. Thankfully, the park still feels rooted in that same spirit.
The event center is also about to get busy. One of the first major events on the calendar is the Central Ohio Folk Festival, happening June 6-7, which should give the new outdoor performance space a pretty perfect debut.
And this is still only part of the full vision for Bank Run.
Once the larger Metro Park section opens later this year, the property will expand to include additional trails, picnic areas, parking, fishing access, kayaking opportunities, and a floating dock along the water.
Eventually, it’ll function as both an event destination and a more traditional Metro Park experience.
For now, though, the reopening already feels meaningful for people who grew up here. There’s something nice about seeing a place tied to so many childhood memories get a second life instead of disappearing entirely. Especially when the giant slide survives the upgrade.
To learn more about the park, head over to metroparks.net.
