Whitnall Park and Wehr for the long days, the Sports Complex fieldhouse for winter, and the city parks with courts, pavilions and an accessible playground.
Franklin's green space comes in two sizes. The parks in Franklin that fill a whole day are Milwaukee County's, Whitnall Park above all, while the city's own parks are smaller places built around a pavilion, a playground, courts and a paved loop. Here is which park does what, so you can match the park to the day.
The city's 2023 park and trail map lists more than 20 city parks and trails, plus county land that includes Whitnall Park at 625 acres, Oakwood Park at 276 acres, Grobschmidt Park at 152 acres and the 116.5-acre Milwaukee County Sports Complex.
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Whitnall Park and Wehr Nature Center
For a long walk, a nature program or a winter ski, go to Whitnall Park, which Islands described in August 2026 as Milwaukee County's largest park, just under a square mile. Its entrance address is 5879 S 92nd St in Franklin.
Parking at Wehr is free for Friends of Wehr members, and Islands mentioned a small admission fee in 2026.
North of Wehr, about 0.8 miles away, Boerner Botanical Gardens has themed gardens including roses, herbs, peonies and a bog walk, and charges admission from May through October. The county's posted off-season hours, November through April, are weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on weekends.
To cover more ground, Islands describes a paved 3.5-mile Oak Leaf Trail loop inside the park that is free and passes Boerner, the picnic areas and a playground. Winter brings a sledding hill, groomed cross-country ski trails and snowshoe routes, with rentals at the clubhouse. The park's 18-hole course is part of golf in Franklin, and the course is about a quarter mile from Wehr.
Lions Legend Park and Vernon Barg Park
The city's two connected parks sit off Legend Drive and Drexel Avenue, about 1.8 miles south of Wehr. The Park Next Door describes the two sides as about 35 acres together, joined by a paved trail and a bridge over wetland.
Vernon E. Barg Park, which the city map notes was formerly Lions Legend Park II, is the 21-acre side on Drexel Avenue. The map lists a pavilion, pickleball, tennis and volleyball courts, a soccer field, a ball diamond and a playground, and its courts are about 0.2 miles east of the Lions Legend ones.
Milwaukee County Sports Complex
The Sports Complex on Ryan Road is the county's big field-and-fieldhouse site, and from October its fieldhouse opens for indoor play.
Oakwood Park, the county park with the golf course, is about 1.5 miles southeast of the complex. The city map lists the park at 276 acres, and it is home to the Oakwood Park Golf Course.
Franklin Woods, Victory Creek and the smaller city parks
For young kids, the city park to know is Franklin Woods Nature Center on Puetz Road, 38.4 acres with Kayla's Playground, an all-accessible play structure. The 2023 map adds an open-air pavilion, restrooms, a limestone trail through a natural area and a paved trail.
The 2023 map lists Victory Creek, an 84.6-acre stretch of prairie and wetland east of Pleasant View Park on Evergreen Street, with a paved bike and hiking trail and mowed trails for cross-country running and skiing. You park at Pleasant View, which the map lists with a heated pavilion, tennis and pickleball courts, a volleyball court and a playground.
On the west side, the 2023 map gives Ken Windl Park on Rawson Avenue a heated indoor pavilion, combined tennis and pickleball courts and access to the city's 2.1-mile paved bike and hiking trail, which the map says connects to the Muskego Recreation Trail. The map also shows the Oak Leaf Trail's Root River Line, an 18.9-mile extension through the area. For nature with less infrastructure, the Franklin Park Savanna, an 85-acre State Natural Area, was listed as under restoration on that map.
The 2023 map also lists smaller neighborhood parks worth knowing. Jack E. Workman Park on Forest Hill Avenue, 12 acres, has tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a ball diamond and an asphalt walking trail. Ernie Lake Park on Chapel Hill Drive, 13.2 acres, has a paved loop, a bridge and outdoor adult exercise equipment. Meadowlands Park on Elm Court is 14 acres of wetland with a limestone walking trail, and Market Square on West Franklin Street is a half-acre gazebo you can rent.
Quiet places that are not city parks
Two quiet outdoor spots in Franklin are not parks at all. The Conservancy for Healing and Heritage, behind 7410 W Rawson Ave, has woodland trails with donated benches leading to Kopmeier Lake, a healing garden and a heated chapel. Its trails and garden are open sunrise to sunset, and the chapel is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Hunger Task Force Farm on South 68th Street is 208 acres of crops, forest and wetland leased from Milwaukee County Parks, and it grows fresh food for families in need. Hunger Task Force says nearly 6,000 volunteers help each growing season, so a volunteer shift is the clearest way to see it; its volunteer page has sign-ups.
Pickleball, by season
Outdoors, there are courts at Lions Legend and Vernon Barg, and the city's 2023 map also lists courts at Pleasant View and Ken Windl. From mid-October to mid-April, the Sports Complex fieldhouse runs weekday-morning open play. For lessons and open play indoors, Premier Pickleball Club in South Milwaukee is an indoor club with courts arranged by play level, about 7.4 miles northeast of the Sports Complex.
Dogs, pavilions and practical rules
The city's 2023 map does not list a dedicated dog park in Franklin. Dogs are allowed in city parks on a leash no longer than 6 feet, licensed and under control, per the same map. City pavilions at Franklin Woods, Ken Windl, Lions Legend, Pleasant View and Vernon Barg are rentable, and the map gives rental hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; check with the city for current rates.
North of the city line, the parks in Greenfield run from creek boardwalks to a NASCAR memorial.
Ballpark Commons, the golf bays and the east-side thrift stores fill out a full day out in Franklin.
Frequently asked questions
Published October 5, 2026
