Support Us Button Widget

The future of downtown Lakeland’s Munn Park

Would you rather see a fully-enclosed dog park, pod swings, or giant chess in our town square? The city is still taking input — keep reading for renderings.

A rendering of colorful pod swings in Munn Park

Would you grab a seat on one of these colorful pod swings in Munn Park?

Rendering via The City of Lakeland

The City of Lakeland’s public forums surrounding Munn Park took place this week on Tuesday, Jan. 10 and Thursday, Jan. 12, which means we’re one step closer to seeing the newest iteration of our beloved town square.

A rendering of a dog park in Munn Park.

Imagine bringing Fido to a fully-enclosed dog park after your next downtown lunch.

Rendering via The City of Lakeland

Citizens who attended were able to view some of the potential outcomes for the park. Six options were presented at the forums, but the city’s total list of considerations includes:

  • A large front lawn
  • A concessions area featuring permanent shipping container-style eateries or food trucks
  • A fully-enclosed dog park with artificial turf
  • A public parkour course
  • A special events stage with a structure to provide shade
A rendering showing lawn games like giant checkers and cornhole in Munn Park

We challenge you to a game of cornhole, Lakeland.

Rendering via The City of Lakeland

The ideas don’t end there. With goals to make Munn Park more of a destination for Lakelanders, designers are focusing on potential interactive elements like:

  • Bocce ball
  • Cornhole
  • Giant checkers
  • Pod swings
  • Billiards
  • Ping pong
  • Putt-putt golf
  • Shuffleboard
  • Ladder-toss games
A rendering of Munn Park's potential front lawn

Munn Park’s potential front lawn features benches around the perimeter.

Rendering via The City of Lakeland

Finally, what would a park revitalization project be if we didn’t talk about design? Here are some of the design elements currently being considered:

  • Bench seating surrounding the lawn’s perimeter, similar to what exists now
  • Planters decorated with artwork
  • New landscaping welcoming visitors at the park’s entrances
  • Historical markers
  • Public art opportunities, like an Instagram-worthy #LAKELAND sign
A rendering showing a hashtag Lakeland sign in Munn Park

Say cheese and pose here for your next Instagram photo.

Rendering via The City of Lakeland.

If you were unable to attend and still want to provide input, no worries. The City of Lakeland is still accepting feedback via an online survey through Friday, Jan. 27. 🌳

Pro tip: You can view all of the potential features on the City of Lakeland’s website.

More from LALtoday
Meet an athlete who honed his craft as a student in Lakeland and is now representing the USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
You’ve never learned Roy G. Biv like this before.
Florida is home to some spectacular skies, especially where day and night meet — and we’re calling on you to help us find the best view.
You can soon hop a flight from LAL to major cities in the south, New England, and even abroad.
Once booming, now barren. Let’s take a peek at malls of Lakeland’s past — plus hope for the future.
Mitchell’s Coffee Shop has been serving up coffee and gourmet food since 1998. See what inspired the coffee shop’s founder to open the first shop of its kind in Lakeland 25 years ago.
We asked four different businesses around Lakeland to make us a beverage that they felt encapsulated the Swan City vibe — here’s what they came up with.
A turn of phrase here, a recognizable Lakeland nod there — these craft beers found around Swan City take local pride seriously.
It’s officially back to school season. Stock up on free supplies and educational resources for the 2024-2025 school year.
From comedy shows and Broadway tours to local organizations supporting Lakeland’s arts community, we’ve rounded up 19 places to get your arts and culture fix around Swan City.