Discovery Park — Attraction in Orem

As an avid park visitor, this is roughly a 4.5 star park, but I can't do halves....and this isn't a 5 star. So let's start with the pros.

Honestly, just a beautiful playground. It's mostly wooden, kinda looks a castle. Has a great theme to it. You don't see parks like this every day which is unique and special and I like that. Multiple sets of swings, they do creak a lot tho. It also has a tire swing which was recently replaced by a new one so it's v sturdy and solid. Two fully grown people can fit on this and be fine which is good to know. So it's safe. Has bathrooms, didn't use them so I'm not sure how clean but those are always a plus. Has a large, clean grass area with a baseball field which is a lovely space to view fireworks on the 4th of July. Has tennis courts which are open to the public and light up at night, definitely going to try sometime! Plenty of convenient parking. Very well kept, lovely flowers, all in all a lot of work goes into making this park what it is and I appreciate that. Pretty flexible hours for the most part, and is in a somewhat quiet neighborhood so depending on how busy it is, you do get some privacy and are away from super busy roads. Plenty of benches and tables with trees shading them, would be a nice area to picnic and have your kids play after. Video monitored so it's also pretty safe.

Cons:

Video monitored lol....which is also kinda creepy and weirdly invasive for a children's playground ?? So that's a pro and con. Not open 24 hours. No water feature (it honestly might've been five stars if it did). The playground is very old so not all of it is as sturdy or safe as it once was, a part of it is actually closed off. It is all made out of wood so....splinters 😒 They use bark instead of sand or something else, which only adds to the splinter situation. It's in a neighborhood so you do have to be fairly quiet; this is another that's a pro and a con. Always pretty busy / popular so it's hard to find some privacy, which isn't necessarily a big deal but if you wanted a nice quiet park to go to, this isn't it.

Overall, a solid park. I'd go back. I'd recommend it to those with kids of many ages. Even adults! Just depends on what you're...

Update September 2019: There's been a renovation and now the place looks like candy and has some really interesting new features. Unfortunately these features also probably took most of their budget because there isn't as much to play on as there was before. We'll see if the fancy fiddly bits hold up, usually stuff like this breaks down pretty fast.

They took out all the trees, which I'm really sad about. It used to be nice and shady and relatively cool with the wooden structures, but now its an oven with all that brightly colored plastic.

I miss all the little tunnels and nooks that the kids could explore, and there are fewer places for parents to sit now.

The drinking fountains are much better now. I haven't been in the bathrooms since the renovation.

All-in-all I feel like it's a bit of a downgrade. The old playground needed to have graffiti removed/painted over, wasp nests removed and the bathrooms were yucky, but it was a better playground IMO.

Original post: I'm a fan. Keeps the kids happy for hours. I just wish there was only one entrance in the perimeter gates. The drinking fountain water looks nasty and the bathrooms are in desperate need of a deep cleaning and repair. There was soap and paper towles, but all stall locks were broken and the doors were black from countless dirty hands. Don't get me wrong, the park part is awesome, but bring your own bottled water and plan not to use...

Prepare for a long review haha! I came to this park often through my childhood. With the recent remodel, would have been 5 stars if not for a few things.

Cons: We were let down that its lost most all of its nostalgia, intricate workmanship and heart. Its charm is gone. The removed trees and rubberized padding does create a pressure cooker effect, as I was worried about after reading other reviews. If you do go when the sun is out, make sure your kids drink tons of water.

Pros: The old park was worn down and needed a lot of work. I am grateful that the community pulled together and, in tearing it down, at least re-created a few resemblances to the old one like the volcano shape, the beehive, the spires in the now-spaceship area. The misters are an awesome and much-needed affect. You can probably see your kids a little better, as it's more simplified. It's nice that there is a separate play place for younger toddlers and children.

All in all, if the funding was invested in resurfacing/cleaning/restaining the old park rather than totally rebuilt, that would have been so cool. It seems many locals feel the same. Its sad my kiddos will never see it in its former glory! However, change is inevitable & couldn't have expected it to be up forever! All in all, it's a neat park and large. I'm sure kids will have fun playing here...