SOAK UP SOME SUMMER! Expand your horizons and plan time enjoying the parks in West Chester

West Chester maintains more than 400 acres of recreational space for the enjoyment of those who want to be active and those who want to simply relax and enjoy the outdoors.

Keehner Park, Beckett Park, The Square @ Union Centre and the Upper Mill Creek Conservation Corridor are all part of West Chester Township’s park system. Voice of America Park is a MetroParks of Butler County property, available right here in our community. When making summer plans, think of these activities to be enjoyed close to home.

Nature Programs

Kids are sure to learn something new at Nature Basket, for ages 3-5, and WOLF (World of Land, Forest and Friends) Program, for ages 5-12. These programs include activities that focus on nature and our environment. Children’s nature programs offered by West Chester Township are free to attend. Families are asked to please RSVP as space is limited. Visit www.westchesteroh.org.

Trail Time

Make your own adventure exploring Keehner Park and its forested park space. Traverse the creekside, wooded trails with the Keehner Park trails map as your guide. Trails are now marked blue for mountain biking, red for hiking, and green for the inner loop thanks to a 2021 Eagle Scout Project. This stretch along the east fork of the Mill Creek is also ideal for families who like to go creeking and fossil hunting. Ordovician fossils dating back more than 400 million years are there to find, but please don’t take.

Historic Hotspots

History buffs will want to add at least three West Chester park destinations to their sight-seeing checklist of local landmarks. First, try to spot ruins of the 1820s Miami Erie Canal and James Cullen ice house along Upper Mill Creek Conservation Corridor with access from Firebird Lane. Next, go see the restored 1880s

Muhlhauser Barn and Moerlein

Gazebo at Beckett Park for a window into the summer lives of some of Cincinnati’s most famous pre-Prohibition era beer barons and the Queen City’s rich brewing history. Finally, step inside the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting weekends from 1 to 4 p.m. to hear how world history was shaped from right here in your own backyard. Also, watch for the new West Chester History Center to open soon and connect with the West Chester - Union Township Historical Society on Facebook.

Sunday Funday

Meet and network with like-minded hobbyists on select weekends. Acoustic Jam is an informal gathering of local musicians who bring and play their own instruments, rain or shine, at the Keehner Park Amphitheater the first Sunday afternoon of the month from May through October. On the second Sunday of the month, the Pigs Aloft Kite Association fly their extraordinary kites on the front lawn of the VOA Museum, weather permitting. Connect with the West Chester Open Acoustic Jam and/or the Pigs Aloft groups on Facebook.

Boundless Playground

One of the area’s best playgrounds for children of all abilities is right here in West Chester. The Boundless Playground at Beckett Park, 8560 Beckett Road, is designed to maximize play for everyone. Amenities include creative play panels, music elements, a swing set, climbers, and slides plus a high backed swing, ramped wheelchair access to the highest platforms, and accessible pathways made from special rubberized surface. In total, Beckett Park offers 150 acres for the whole family with fishing ponds, paved and natural walking paths, picnic areas and a natural playground built into the terrain.

Paw-ty Time

Take me out to the dog park! Your pup will have a ball at Wiggly Field Dog Park in West Chester, one of the many incredible features of VOA Park. The dog park offers two fenced yards for dogs of all sizes, plus bench seating and shade structures for pet parents. MetroParks of Butler County made $40,000 in improvements to Wiggly Field in 2019 thanks to the Christine Humphreys Impact Grant from the Northern Cincinnati Foundation.

Speaking of doggos, puppers and woofers, we want to meet you! The dog park is not the only place where furry, four-legged friends can have some fun in the sun in West Chester. Well-behaved dogs on leash are welcomed at Township parks. You can also bring your good boy or good girl with you to dog-friendly park events including the West Chester Market on Saturday mornings, the Takeover presented by First Financial Bank on Thursday evenings, and the Keehner Park Concert Series on Saturday nights.