My kids had fun climbing in the castle and looking at the statues. Only a few places I had to bend over because the ceiling was low. Im 4 foot 11. Grown ups can easily walk through the outer area but the inside is made for kids 4 foot and under.

I took my kids here and this place was awesome! It is a must see park. And a great way to honor their lost son who passed away.

Perfect place for young and old to let their imagination go to a different realm. Such a wonderful memorial the parents made for their son.

Great place to bring little kids. In the fort there are several passageways and hidden corridors that are really small, tailor made for children. Though there are hidden creatures that may frighten the younger or more squeamish (one red goblin has claws and sharp teeth with a human hand in its mouth).There are two huge sculptures, a dragon and griffen, that are fun to climb on and make a great photo op.Could easily spend hours here!

Castle Park is my favorite spot. It holds so much hope to me. I went there a few years ago to off myself when i was in a low place. I was eventually talked out of it and im so glad I was. I came back this year after moving away. I sat in the castle smiling. This place now gives me piece and is my safe place when im sad.

Cute family fun, be sure to look up in all the areas, a lot of cool things youll miss if you dont. Tip: Do not wear flip flops or sandals. The playground is covered with the rubber shreds.Bathrooms located right outside the park by the big dragon head. Picnic areas and a covered seating area in the playground if you need a break. Plently of photo opportunities too.

Very cool park that kids can really get their imaginations going! Secret passages and everything. Kids loved it.

My children LOVE this place! It’s always a fun filled day even when it is busy. The castle is huge and the courtyard is about three times as large complete with dragons and wizards and fairies. And if you still need to burn off energy, Giant City trails are only a couple miles away.

This place is great for kids!Clean and well taken care of

Great park and well maintained. This park does not have the typical playground attractions such as swings and slides. What it promotes is lots of climbing and plenty of imagination. There is a hidden passage. The castle is quite large. Has fantasy creatures peppered around the park and castle including a large dragon the kids can climb on. Also this park is free.

Weve been here many times the kids love the castle with its hidden rooms and tunnels galore. Theres a huge dragon the kids can climb and plenty of places for picture taking and picnics its also just a skip and a hop from giant city park.

Very fun, very magical. Perfect for kids!

A D&D themed park for all ages! A memorial the a teen who loved the tabletop game...his parents built it for him.. (Boo) and shared it with everyone who comes! Truly a whimsical place!

A neat little park. A lot of parks look like they were designed by uninspired SIMS players but this one had personality. Flair.My only question is why put lights in the displays when you have to leave at dusk? I understand the security issue but why bother?

If youre in Southern Illinois, make sure to check out Castle Park. Its really neat to walk around and see all of the medieval/fantasy statues and carvings inside of a wooden castle structure that wows both young and young at heart. Great for families or romantic outings as I have had both here and all went smashingly.

This is truly a great park for kids 6 and up. Especially any reading any fantasy books such as the Narnia chronicles. the hobbits or Harry Potter books. So great these people built it.

Love this park so a chill place where adults can join in the kid games

We love this place. Weve been here many times. This time was on a summer Sunday afternoon, around 5pm. Almost as soon as we arrived, I was rudely disturbed while resting in the car while the others explored. The owner or caretaker told me I needed to move our car because she was locking up the south entrance. There were several other families with vehicles parked nearby, but her reasoning was that she didnt realize anyone was down here I will continue to support this park because of my love for what and who it stands for. Hopefully she was just having a bad day. We almost never go mid-day, and the signs say dawn till dusk

Great place but it’s still closed and that sucks. Cause I traveled from Texas to relive memories. And show my youngest son the park who’s only heard his brothers talk about it. But amazing place

This place will be back childhood memories no matter what walk of life you come from. The entire park Id a dedication from a father to his son. The story of it is sad, but the memories you will make with your family help you appreciate it so much more than any old park. From the dragons to the secret passages, this midevil style park will keep you looking around every corner for new and exciting surprises!

One of the best parks in Southern Illinois. My kids get so excited every time I suggest Castle Park. The ice cream truck frequently stops by too! :)

Its a place like stepping back in time where you can enjoy yourself and let the child in you run free

Go as often as we can. Fun for all ages.

Im 53 and love it. My daughter had a great time.

Loved it. Amazing and beautiful. If youre a geek for fantasy, come here.

Absolutely beautiful! Was a planned stop on our trip back home and I was not expecting it to be so.... the sculptures are awesome, the castle unbelievable, it is a gorgeous memorial.

Note on days of inclement and very bad weather this park is closed and when visiting check the weather conditions before you visit.This is a park to honor the loss of a child, called away due to a tradegy and the private park is designed to celebrate the enjoyment of parent and children into a small area. Donations are asked for, if you wish to do so.The park is easy to find on the Giant City Black Top. In the city of Carbondale. As for adults, if you want to just go and sit in the shade on a butterfly bench and reflect on a loss of a loved one and to celebrate the time they filled their life, is a serene place to do so.To further the experience to Southern Illinois, as you decide to leave. Turn to the left toward Giant City Park and drive till you come to the T in the road. Turn left and proceed to the Giant City Lodge, and enjoy another jewel in Southern Illinois. At Giant City Lodge the water Tower Observatory deck is a great place to have a 360 view of the Shawnee National Forest. If thirsty enjoy the longe and if hungry the dining and restaurant is one of the best places to enjoy a meal to a day of adventures.

Great park, they also have tshirts to buy in the office across the street. Just an awesome experience

Such a great park, such imagination and the ice cream man comes rolling through too!

Great fun for the kids. Nice shady spots for the adults.

The park is a very fun place for kids to explore secret passageway, crawlspace, hidden creatures. Every year we came to Illinois this is one stop we were sure to stop at.

So great! Really well done! The castle and sculptures are amazing.

Great place for kids. Around this time tho I wish I would of seen more ppl wearing masks but I guess its outdoors.

Amazing sculptures of wizards and dragons. The castle has cubby holes, passages and bridges!

Clean, unique, jewel of a playground/park. Kids love it and we always spend hours here. Its free, but donations are welcomed. Plenty of space for blanket picnics, a small pavilion for birthday parties-a first come first serve basis, lots of handmade benches/statues/artwork, many shade trees so its easy to keep cool, and of course the large castle playground and large dragon climb-on concrete sculpture. The playground area has rubber mulch which is perfect for small children. We even saw an ice cream truck stop by a couple times during our afternoon visit. Highly recommended!

Best park ever! So fun to play at with kids

Hours of fun! Lots of interesting statues throughout the park and a giant dragon you can climb on. Tshirts/posters available for purchase during the week. Donations and money from sales goes to park maintenance. Grounds always clean.

If you have children, you have got to bring them to see the magic of the Castle. The park is one of a kind. If you are an Adult, you will also enjoy this park.

Absolutely love this park for not only the kiddos, but myself included! This place really brings back the kid inside of you. Let loose and have a blast!

What a incredible park! The castle and grounds have all kinds of cool hidden surprises! Make sure you have time to really explorer this place with your kids. We feel so fortunate that this free park is in our area! There are no swings, slide or play equipment so children should be able to walk and crawl independently to fully enjoy the park.

Amazing! The fact that somebody took the time to design and build all of this is just mind boggling. It is a local treasure. Our kids love it so much, it is a young boys dream park and it is free! Thanks to the family who funded it, you really did an amazing job.

Great place to take the kids and its free

I love it here! Its dedicated to a lost family member who loved dragons and castles but its so awesome! Ive had friends who had birthday parties here when we were growing up! Its awesome cause its like a maze too!

Castle park is a ton of fun, the castle has all kinds of cool passageways. The rest of the park is nice as well, lots of cool things.

This place is detailed and so cool. I went for the eclipse and it was an all around great experience.

This park is so cute and great to bring your kids. Loved it!!!

What an amazing surprise. We detoured 20 minutes to get there not sure, but stayed for a few hours.

Such a fun place to take your kids (or in my case nieces/nephews/kids I nanny) after school or in the afternoon. The park is so well maintained and cared for and so loved by the community. A real hidden gem in Carbondale. The castle offers so many hidden passageways and tunnels, there are plenty of picnic areas, a dragon to climb on, a magic wizard. Highly recommended, even if you arent a child yourself.

Great place to have an adventure. Donations are appreciated for upkeep.

Very fun kids enjoyed themselves

I love this place. Its a wonderful place to take kids to play and explore. A nice place to take pictures also!

What a beautiful mythological creation! There is something to be discovered in every book and cranny, walls and ceilings. Outstanding!! I am just a visitor passing through and consider this a hidden gem if our trip. Worthy of a stop!

This place is like no other park weve ever been to! The kids LOVE it. Adults love it too. Its not open all day, every day, so do check that in advance.

This is one of my absolute favorite places to visit in the area. Been coming here ever since I was a little kid. The castle is big and pretty easy to get lost in, super fun to explore! Theres hidden doors and passageways, monsters, goblins, wizards, unicorns and of course dragons hidden all around around the area! A giant bell you can ring, lots of beautiful plant life around. Benches to sit at, a good place for a picnic. Look in the trees and you may find something.. This place is Perfect for anyone who loves the fantasy realm, kids and adults alike! This place was built in memory of a young boy who had a love for things like this. I highly suggest you give this place a visit, even if youre not a big fan of fantasy lands, its still a beautiful sight to see. Unfortunately I lost the photos I took from my last visit. I live in marion but next time I go I will share photos

This place is awesome for kids and adults alike, if you have little ones there are tight squeezes in the castle itself.

I have taken my kids and Grandkids to this awesome tribute to a wonderful families loved one! I only pray I can also take my great granddaughter and great niece and nephew there ! Remembering and honoring our beloved is so important !

Beautiful n peaceful, my granddaughter loved this park very much

Take your kids there theyll love it

My little man had the best time. They have a huge Castle that the kids can play in. Trap doors hidden passage and etc..

Great park my grandkids love it

My kids love this place!!!!! Its very unique!!! I can tell that the owners have poured their hearts out making this a public park!! I love that you support the CUBS as well. Thats awesome!!! Thanks for always such a relaxing time when I bring my family.

What a wonderful place to play and let your imagination run wild. Geared to younger people...but the young in heart may enjoy it more. Love the fantasy/D&D theme.

Always fun for the kids!

Always makes me feel like a kid again!!

My favorite park!! If you havent been here, I dont care how old you are you have to go!

Great place to take kids with an imagination!

The castle and large dragon leave kids imaginations full. Family oriented. Nice shade trees for adults, open space for kids to run. Picnic friendly. Suggest bringing water or drinks to enjoy. If kids have soft toys like fake swords it would male it more enjoyable.

This is a great place to bring kids to burn some energy. There is a lot of love that goes into the care of this park. They are constantly adding new little things and keeping up repair on it. I am pretty sure it is a private park and is tended to by a family who opened it to the public.

Your kids will be glad you stopped here. Incredibly unique playground. Fun castle to experience explore and statues of fantastic creatures to pose with and climb on. Free to visit but donations appreciated.

Just a fun place to spend the day..

This place is amazing and the history behind its existence is heartbreaking definitely a must see if traveling through

Very good place for the imaginations of children and adults to go wild! Lots of things to see hiding around every corner!

This is a must visit for anyone with young kids! This park is an amazing fantasy world featuring a castle full of hidden passages that will spark the imaginations of young knights and princesses alike. Lots of picnic room makes for a great afternoon with the family. There are port-a-potties and a little shop to purchase a treat to top off the day. Parking can be a little tight so go early enough to get a close spot on either side of the park.

Stunning memorial. A tragic story, now reflected in thousands of children laughing and playing in a fantasy realm. So glad to come across it. What a lovely tribute.

Fun for the kids, probably to best local park.And lots of trees/shade for the parents.I would suggest that you bring lawn chairs, because it is not beyond expectations to have all the benches taken(there are not many).

Such a fun place to go to, my kids love it!

Great for kids the castle itself is very cool. Kind of a tight squeeze for adults. It also very easy to lose your kids in the castle if they run off to fast. The giant concrete dragon is very cool. Also icecream truck comes by every so often. All I all it was a great experience for my husband, myself and our 6 year old.

Wonderful park. Very elaborate castle for kids to play in

This is an awesome Dungeon and Dragon park! The models look very real and the castle is very detailed! I have never seen anything like it. Plus, it is a full fledged park, so the kids can still run around!

I absolutely love this place but not nearly as much as my son does.

Wow. What an amazing treat. I highly recommend this place

Love this place, always impressed with the construction of the castle. I hope people respect what it stands for and treat it appropriately.

This is the best park my children have ever visited to play at, hands down.

Charming and heartwarming. We stopped by on our way down to Memphis for a picnic and to stretch our legs and ended up spending more than an hour exploring the secret passages in the climber (we are 30)

Love this little memorial park. Fun way to spend a couple of hours. Lots of great photo ops. A great tribute to a lost loved one.

Took 4 kids to play and took a sack lunch. All of us enjoyed the park. The kids had A good time playing and adults visiting.

Awesome park for kids and adults!!

Great place for kids to play and a very safe environment,

One of the most unique parks I have come across yet, we go almost every week. Great for play and relaxing .

Creative playground with so much to do! Imagination can go wild! Kids can spend hours running around and climbing, crawling through tunnels, up and down ladders, across bridges and much more.

Love this place had a blast climbing felt like a little kid again

So much fun for kids. So many little secret areas to find and explore. A kid could easily spend a whole afternoon here and still not want to leave. The park is ran on a donation basis which is so generous. The whole story of how this park came to be in heart breaking and beautiful. Go here. Enjoy it. Its perfect.

Grandkids really loved playing here. The castle and dragons were awesome!

A Magical Treat. Been going here with the kids for 13 years now. Its always fun and the park is always clean. A beautiful tribute for a lost loved one.

Great place for kids! Lots of things for them to do. Unique and attractive artwork too. A local treasure.

This park is very fun for children and adults alike. Im not sure if there are bathrooms. I vaguely remember port-a-potties in the past. The park is always kept clean.

Really fun and unique, definitely worth checking out!

My grandkids love this place. Actually 4 hours. A beautiful day and no crowd.

I loved it but, felt really creeped out when I was taking a picture of a fairly and heard a little girl crying. I then saw a beautiful butterfly and then, I freaked out even more when I saw the face in the butterfly. It was a little girl. I swear that this Boo Park is haunted.

Our kids love it! A great experience for the family. The back story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The theme is awesome.