PARKS
The Rochester Parks and Recreation Department manages five unique city parks that provide green space, playgrounds, sports facilities, and community gathering areas throughout Rochester Indiana. Each park offers its own character and amenities, from ballfields and basketball courts to shaded picnic areas and event spaces. Together, our parks create a network of outdoor spaces where families, friends, and visitors can enjoy nature, recreation, and community activities close to home.
If you would like to rent a pavilion for your next event, click the button below for more information and reservation details.
City Park
505 W 13th Street Rochester, Indiana
City Park is the second largest and most developed park in Rochester, covering approximately 33 acres of wooded terrain with mature trees and rolling hills. The park is home to Manitou Mountain, a large wooden play structure built in 1997 by more than 1,300 community volunteers during a three day build funded by over $100,000 in local donations.
City Park offers a wide range of activities, including basketball courts, softball fields, a skate park, a splash pad, disc golf course, picnic shelters, restrooms, and playgrounds. In the winter, the park’s sledding hill becomes a favorite spot for families. Located next to Rochester High School, the site also has a rich history as the former Fulton County Fairgrounds from 1850 to 1950.
Amenities: Playgrounds, splash pad, skate park, disc golf, basketball courts, softball fields, sledding hill, pavilions, restrooms, summer programs.
Jaycee Park
1204 Monroe Street in Rochester, Indiana
Jaycee Park is a cozy neighborhood park of about two thirds of an acre. Developed with the help of the local Jaycee’s Club, it features a small shelter, basketball court, and play equipment. The park is mostly open lawn bordered by large mature trees, making it a peaceful spot for families in the surrounding residential area.
Amenities: Small shelter, basketball court, playground, shaded lawn.
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Fansler Park
1307 Washington Street in Rochester, Indiana
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Fansler Park covers five acres and serves the Manitou Heights neighborhood. The park includes a basketball court, baseball and softball diamonds, tennis and pickleball courts, a picnic shelter, and play equipment. Restrooms are available on site. Fansler Park borders Blacketor Fields, where Rochester High School softball teams play, making it a hub for youth sports.
Amenities: Basketball, baseball, tennis, pickleball, playground, picnic shelter, restrooms.
Lakeside Park
1530 Lakeview Drive in Rochester, Indiana
Lakeside Park, formerly known as Dam Landing Park, sits on the north side of Lake Manitou with over 10 acres of recreation space. This site once belonged to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and still features Mill Creek, an outlet for Lake Manitou. In the early 1990s, the Indiana DNR reconstructed the dam and spillway as part of a flood control project.
Today, Lakeside Park is a popular access point for boating and fishing, with a modern ramp and facilities upgraded through the Indiana Waters Grant. The park also features restrooms, a picnic shelter, and a beautiful butterfly garden with landscaping improvements added each year.
Amenities: Basketball, baseball, tennis, pickleball, playground, picnic shelter, restrooms.
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Butterfly Garden
Lakeside Park in Rochester, Indiana
The Butterfly Garden at Lakeside Park is a peaceful, landscaped area designed to attract butterflies, birds, and pollinators. It features seasonal flowers, native plantings, and benches for quiet relaxation. The garden provides an educational and scenic space for visitors to enjoy nature up close and is maintained with annual improvements.
Lakeview Park
1024 Lakeview Drive in Rochester, Indiana
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Lakeview Park is an 8 acre site overlooking Lake Manitou to the south and the Round Barn Golf Course to the north. Formerly part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Hatcheries, it still contains a few structures from its past. Today, the land is used primarily for golf course maintenance and rental facilities, with limited public recreation.
The park is also home to the historic Gerigh Round Barn, relocated to the property in 2001 and renovated by the Gerigh Round Barn Committee. It now serves as the clubhouse and pro shop for the Round Barn Golf Course.
Amenities: Historic Gerigh Round Barn, scenic views of Lake Manitou and Round Barn Golf Course.
