Petersen Park
Petersen Park is hard to miss as you travel down Royal Avenue where a big sign displays Petersen Barn Community Center and Park. A right on Berntzen and then a left into the parking lot places and you are at one of the most versatile parks in the Bethel/Danebo area. Complete with a baseball diamond, softball field, soccer field and full basketball court, this is the perfect place for you and your family and friends to play your favorite sport. Those of you who don’t play a particular sport can sit on the small stand of bleachers and cheer on your favorite team.
If sports aren’t your thing and you have children, the large play structure will be a main attraction. This play structure has swings, including two infant swings, a tire swing, slides, climbing structures, and a whirl. A water fountain is right next to the playground so no one goes thirsty and a bathroom is open year round.
The entire playground is surrounded by sand, so bring the kids sand toys! Picnic tables are close by for a supervisory view and within distance to call everyone together for a picnic lunch. A dirt pathway goes around the entire park and four laps on this trail equals one mile. If you’re looking to walk the dog or go for a stroll, a paved pathway winds through the park past the soccer field and baseball diamond and out of the park, connecting with nearby streets and the bike path.
But for many, it is the Petersen Barn that brings them to this park. With office hours 9-5 Monday through Friday, it offers, barn dances for adults and seniors, teen court by appointment, community events, sales, such as the Baby Barn sale, neighborhood meetings, and neighborhood planning meetings. It is also home to the Petersen Barn Senior Center.
Benches and flower pots outside of the barn make it a relaxing atmosphere with the big trees providing shade and easy access to the parking lot with plenty of Disabled Parking spots. During the summer the Petersen Barn hosts Movie Night in the Park where they provide PG movies and the popcorn and you bring your blanket, friends and family and watch a movie under the stars. So take a break from the business of life and stop to enjoy this park!
Written by Sharon Phillips for DiscoverEugene.com
Photos by Sharon Phillips
