If your family enjoys spending time together in nature and outdoor activities, there are plenty of desirable destinations to do so in Connecticut. Wickham Park in Manchester is one of our favorites, as this 130-acre park is chock full of beautiful natural sights and fun activities that the family can enjoy together. Our Connecticut adoption professionals love bringing our families here to stroll through the various gardens and visit all of the diverse attractions Wickham Park has to offer. Some of our favorite things to do here include:
Disc Golf
Disc Golf is a great summer outdoor sport and easy for kids and adults to enjoy together. The Wickham Park Disc Golf Course is free to use with your entry to the park and makes for some incredibly fun competition between friends and family. Scorecards, pencils, and rental discs are provided at the front gate. This challenging course features a diverse landscape which makes sure that no two of the 26 holes are alike.
Some notable features of the disc golf course at Wickham Park include:
- Open fields
- Narrow trails through the woods
- Pine and larch groves
- Major elevation changes
- Rolling hills
Aviary
Wickham Park’s Aviary is home to a wide range of birds who share the park with natural wildlife. All of the park’s migratory birds are non-releasable to the wild because of injuries and all birds are kept in the Aviary, which is open to the public. This is a great place to get a close look at different types of birds and learn all about them.
Some of the species found in the Aviary include:
- Turkeys
- Pheasants
- Owls
- Waterfowl
- Peafowl
- Exotic chickens
- Turkey vultures
- Canada geese
- Great Horned Owl
The Aviary is located right next to the main playground, which makes it an easy visit before or after your kids have gotten some play time in.
Gardens
Wickham Park is perhaps best known for their collection of eleven gorgeous gardens. These gardens are designed in a variety of styles and include a diverse range of trees, plants, and flowers.
You can find the following gardens at Wickham Park, and we think they’re all worth a visit:
- Arboretum
- The Irish Garden
- The English Garden
- The Scottish Garden
- The Oriental Garden
- The Italian Shrine
- The Cabin Garden & Amphitheater
- The Lotus Garden
- The Wetlands Garden
- The Rhododendron Garden
- Sensory Garden
Playgrounds
The gardens, aviary, and disc golf are always a big hit with kids – but a good playground is usually the most important part of any park for most kids. Luckily, Wickham Park has three public playgrounds spread across the park. The largest playground is next to the Aviary and across from the Nature Center. Other playgrounds can be found in the Hickory & Hemlock picnic areas.
Sports Facilities
The disc golf course is not the only physical activity offered at Wickham Park – there are several other sports facilities for those looking to stay active in the outdoors.
Sports facilities found at Wickham Park include:
- 5 tennis courts
- 2 softball diamonds
- 2 volleyball courts
- Horseshoe pits
