A Tiny Park With Big Slide Energy (Plus Ice Cream After)
We did not plan to visit a park in Waxhaw on Sunday. We planned to pick up a $15 stroller wheel from Facebook Marketplace and go home. But when you're already 30 minutes south of Charlotte with a toddler who skipped his afternoon wiggles, you improvise. So we pulled into downtown Waxhaw and checked out David G. Barnes Children's Park, and I'm really glad we did.
Getting There
The park is right in downtown Waxhaw at 209 W South Main Street, so finding it is easy. Street parking is available and we had no trouble on a Sunday afternoon. It's walkable from pretty much everything in downtown Waxhaw, which is part of the appeal. You can park once and hit the park, grab ice cream, walk around the shops. No re-buckling required.
What's There
It's a small park, maybe an acre, but it's well designed. There are two separate play areas divided by age:
The toddler side (ages 0 to 4) has a tiny slide with about three steps, a little train for pretend play, and some swings. Honestly, I think the 0 to 4 label is generous. Jamie is a year and a half and he was completely uninterested. There's not much climbing to speak of, so if your kid is mobile and adventurous, they're going to want the other side.
The big kids side (ages 5 to 12) has a large jungle gym, three slides (including a fun curved one), lots of stairs, monkey bars, and a climbing wall. I'd say this side is more like ages 2 or 3 and up depending on your kid. Jamie wanted nothing to do with the toddler side once he saw other kids over here, so we just let him explore.
Beyond the playgrounds, there are restrooms (huge win), a grassy area, picnic tables, benches, and a skate park right next to the playground. There's also video surveillance, which is a nice touch.
Our Experience
Jamie did his classic move of walking the entire perimeter of the jungle gym first, just getting the lay of the land. Very methodical. Then he tried the small straight slide. Then David took him down the curved slide on his lap. And then, of course, he wanted to do it himself.
He still goes down slides backwards, which I'm honestly fine with at this age. But here's the thing: his sneakers and his shirt riding up basically turned him into a human brake system. His belly skin and his shoe rubber on the slide meant he came down SO slowly every single time. It was hilarious. And every single time he got to the bottom, he said "WHEE." We stood there for probably 10 minutes just watching him go up and down, up and down, up and down.
He also loved watching the kids at the skate park. Just stood at the fence, mesmerized by the skateboarders and rollerbladers. Turns out my brother-in-law used to skate at this exact park when he was a kid. Small world.
The Ice Cream Situation
After the park, we walked over to Waxhaw Creamery (109 E North Main Street), which is my favorite local ice cream in the Charlotte area. It's homemade, the flavors are creative, and it's just really, really good. Fair warning: it was absolutely packed when we went. Like, no-seats-available packed. This seems to be the norm based on everything I've heard, so just mentally prepare for a wait and plan to eat your cone standing up or walking around downtown.
They're open Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays), noon to 9pm on weekdays, and until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
What We Missed
Apparently there's a bigger park just a little further south past the children's park, the Waxhaw Downtown Park, which we didn't have time for. That's next on our list. If you've been, let me know what you think.
The Bottom Line
David G. Barnes Children's Park is a great little stop if you're in downtown Waxhaw. It's not a destination park you'd drive 30 minutes for on its own, but pair it with ice cream at Waxhaw Creamery and a walk around the shops, and you've got yourself a solid family outing. It's also perfect for burning off energy while you're waiting for a table at one of the downtown restaurants.
The Details:
- Address: 209 W South Main Street, Waxhaw, NC 28173
- Ages: Split playground (0-4 and 5-12, though I'd say more like 2+ for the big side)
- Amenities: Restrooms, picnic tables, benches, grassy area, skate park, video surveillance
- Parking: Free street parking
- Nearby: Waxhaw Creamery, Mary O'Neils Irish Pub, Greco Fresh
- Cost: Free
