Freedom Park Charlotte

Freedom Park is 98 acres of public green space in Charlotte's Myers Park neighborhood — the city's most beloved urban park and a community institution for families across the metro area. Named for the veterans who returned from World War II, it opened in the 1950s and has been continuously expanded and improved through community investment.

The park is centered on a lake surrounded by mature tree canopy and connected to Little Sugar Creek, which cuts through the southern section. The lake loop trail is paved and completely accessible for strollers and wagons — a 1.3-mile circuit through mature hardwood forest that offers some of Charlotte's best in-city tree coverage.

The playground complex is large and well-maintained — multiple play structures, spring toys, climbing equipment, and clear sightlines that allow parents to let kids roam while maintaining easy visual contact. It's one of the best neighborhood playgrounds in Charlotte for the range of equipment and the surrounding shade.

Little Sugar Creek is the park's best-kept local secret: during warm months, young kids wade in the shallow, rocky creek sections that are accessible from the park's interior trails. Rubber boots or old sneakers are all you need. The creek wading tradition is something Charlotte families pass down — not organized, not promoted, just consistently discovered and loved.

Freedom Park's amphitheater hosts a free summer concert series that draws the whole neighborhood. Bring a blanket and arrive early. The park is also connected to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway — a paved trail extending well beyond the park boundaries that bicycle and running families use for longer outings.