A massive new Metro Park is coming to Lockbourne, and it’s shaping up to be unlike any park Columbus has seen before.
Bank Run Metro Park is currently under construction, and when it opens, it won’t just be a spot for scenic hikes and quiet picnics (although it’ll have that too). With space to host more than 10,000 people, two newly renovated lodges, a 299-person shelter, and even a performance stage, this park is being built with big community gatherings in mind. Gatherings like festivals, weddings, 5Ks, and giant family reunions, all with a healthy dose of nature.
Set on 166 acres along Big Walnut Creek, Bank Run is being developed on the site of the former Hoover Y Park and an old quarry.
If that name sounds familiar, it’s because a lot of us grew up going there.
Personally, I spent countless afternoons there as a kid, running wild with my siblings and cousins. My grandma would hand us pieces of wax paper to take on the old giant slide, and we’d go flying down like little rockets. There were trails to explore, old wooden forts to climb, and more room to roam than we knew what to do with.
That beloved slide? Metro Parks is bringing it back — and making it even more thrilling. The new version will be 100 feet long and descend 25 feet. The “Granddaddy Slide” is getting the glow-up it deserves, and we’re ready.
Here’s what else is coming to Bank Run Metro Park:
- Two reservable lodges (with warming kitchens and room for 99 people each)
- A brand new 80×80-foot shelter that can host up to 299 people
- An outdoor stage with power hookups for live performances or presentations
- A multi-use trail that loops around a quarry lake and into the woods
- On-water experiences like kayaking and paddleboarding, led by the Metro Parks Outdoor Adventure team
- A wedding gazebo
- A reimagined Optimist Lodge and renovated indoor spaces
- And a whole lot of green space and picnic tables to enjoy
While some parts of the park are still under construction (utilities, water lines, and final landscaping are in the works), Metro Parks says the finish line is in sight. And honestly? We’re counting down the days.
Between the nature access, the huge community spaces, and the throwback details from the old Hoover Y, Bank Run Metro Park is shaping up to be something truly special. It’s the kind of place where a new generation of kids will make memories, just like we did.
To learn more about the park, head over to metroparks.net.
