We had quite an unfortunate experience during our visit to Elizabeth Porter Park. While the park itself has great potential, several issues made this a one-time visit for our family.

First, the online registration process was unexpectedly lengthy and required before entry—something many parents, including us, weren’t aware of in advance. With kids eager to play, this created a long, slow-moving entry line.

Once inside, we were told that the pavilion (which holds the majority of seating) was reserved at 4 PM and we would need to vacate by 3 PM—leaving limited to no seating for families not part of that reservation. All other tables were already taken by the time we arrived.

While our children played, they would occasionally return to the table for snacks and water. At one point, my young child and other parents witnessed a teenage boy—possibly around 16—deliberately try to trip my child by extending his leg in his path. Multiple adults saw it happen. When confronted, he denied it. To our shock, we later found out he was actually a staff member (in a Teal Blue shirt with staff written on the back on Friday).

The same staff member returned around 2:30 to tell us we needed to move so he could clean the area for the next party, despite a different staff member at the front desk having told us we were fine to stay until 3 PM. The timing felt targeted, especially after the earlier incident.

A couple days later, I noticed my child had developed three spots of ringworm. We hadn’t visited any other parks, public play areas, or businesses that week & certainly not that day, which raises serious concerns about the park's sanitation standards.

Unfortunately, between the unwelcoming experience, inconsistent information from staff, poor professionalism, and sanitation concerns, this was our first and last time visiting.