Welleby Park — Attraction in Sunrise

First, the kids are and splash pad are great and well taken care of. We absolutely love these and bring our toddler often. I wish the same could be said for the dog parks - specifically the one for large dogs. It is such a shame because it could easily be one of the nicest dog parks around, but the lack of maintenance has run it into the ground quickly. The benches and columns are never cleaned so smell very strongly of urine (our son used sidewalk chalk on the upper portion of the columns 10 months ago and the artwork is still there- so never cleaned), the ONE water dish isn't anchored into the ground properly, and there are constantly holes that never get properly filled in and just turn to mud pits when it rains. The dogs parks are closed on Wednesdays until noon for maintenence, but it appears they simply mow, empty the trash and call it good. The worst part is workers who come to change bags and such while the park is open regularly show fear at even the friendliest of large dog and have yelled through the gates that they are afraid of dogs (wait, what?!) and the barking, running, jumping, happy dogs are aggressive since they are waiting at the door for the gate to open. When assured the dogs are friendly, the workers become aggressive and say that THEY think the dogs are aggressive and are not permitted to be there, pointing to the sign. These workers obviously have no experience with dogs and honestly, THEIR aggressive behavior toward friendly dogs might get them hurt. Unfortunately, we have witnessed this on more than one occasion, by at least 4 different workers. It is a shame because this could be such a nice dog park, but honestly, we and many others only continue to use it because it is nearby. Many times we will drive out of our way to a better maintained park (happy tails in Plantation is great, as is Gary B Jones in Tamarac). Also, hopefully you don't need to use the dog park restrooms, because they are locked a full hour before they close. During the summer, the workers are so anxious to leave, they lock the 'in' gate at least 15-20 min early - even after we were told by the park service this would stop. At closing time the workers ride around on carts yelling very rudely at people that they need to leave. Honestly, this could be a wonderful park, but the workers completely ruin it.

5☆ for the kids area and pavilions - 2☆ for the dog park 1☆ for the workers and their attitudes that convey everyone and everything is a nuisance to them.

*I am writing this as someone who has 24 years in customer service/retention for large professional companies and owned/cared/trained dogs...

★☆☆☆☆ | A Complete Disappointment—What a Waste of Potential!

This park used to be beautiful when it first opened, a true gem for the community. But now? It’s an absolute disaster, a shadow of what it once was. And what’s even worse? The city clearly has no interest in maintaining it properly. Instead, they waste money on pointless projects while ignoring the real issues that make this place dangerous and uninviting.

Let’s start with the obvious the city; neglect—cracked windows, broken-down equipment, and a general lack of maintenance that makes this place feel abandoned. There used to be bouncing bikes scattered throughout the park, something kids actually enjoyed. But what’s there now? Traffic cones. Yes, actual traffic cones sitting in their place like a pathetic excuse for a replacement. What kind of city removes fun, interactive play equipment and replaces it with roadwork leftovers?

And let’s talk about the lack of lighting. There are literally zero lights here, which means as soon as 5:30 PM hits (or earlier, depending on daylight savings time), the park becomes completely unusable. But instead of just letting families enjoy the space a little longer, the city has staff ready to rudely kick everyone out on the dot. You’d think they were clearing out a crime scene with how aggressive they are about it. The worst part? Most parents who work a typical 9-to-5 job don’t even get a chance to bring their kids here except on weekends—which, of course, means the park is packed like a sardine can.

Oh, and the city did attempt some kind of “improvement,” if you can even call it that. They laid down some sod and put up a new fence around a tree near Pavilion #1. Wow, what a joke. First of all, the fence is completely uneven—it starts 3 feet off the ground and somehow shrinks down to 1 foot by the end. Who designed this? A toddler with a ruler? And second, instead of fixing real problems (like the cracked windows that could literally slice a child’s hand open), they waste money on half-baked landscaping projects that do absolutely nothing to improve the park’s overall safety and functionality.

This place could be a great community space again, but as of now, it’s completely mismanaged, neglected, and a total waste of taxpayer...

This park actually feels more like 2 separate parks. The portion/parking lot located off of Hiatus is an open field great for flying kites or quadcopters and is outfitted with benches with plenty of shade great for a picnics. Or just a quiet lunch if you work nearby. There is also a sidewalk loop around the entire park I've found great for running/biking/skateboarding. There are plenty of ducks always around to feed as well. This park is attached to the portion accessible off of 44th St via a small walking bridge. It's on this side of the park you'll find the pavilions, volleyball nets, and childrens park. Be aware every weekend, nearly all day, this park is a favorite spot for large parties with the music/bounce houses/large amounts of kids running around without supervision that these gatherings usually entail. I would definitely recommend this park over the SAC (Sunrise Athletic Complex) further down the street however if you have older children. The play area at this park is more geared towards them, and can accommodate smaller children easily as well. While the SAC playground is more solely for younger children and doesn't have the equipment to engage...