Birmingham residents can weigh in on where the city should install free outdoor fitness equipment.
The city is seeking feedback through a community input page on potential park locations for the stations. Barnum Park and Poppleton Park emerged as strong candidates from a feasibility study, according to the city, but the final site could shift based on community feedback and further site evaluation.
The equipment would create a free workout area and could include places to stretch and perform exercises using body weight. The city envisions equipment supporting strength, balance and flexibility, with opportunities for individual workouts, exercise with friends and organized programs.
The initiative is part of Birmingham’s 2024–2028 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which the City Commission adopted at its Dec. 18, 2023, meeting. The city said it has applied for a National Fitness Campaign grant to help fund the project.
Poppleton Park covers 17.2 acres in northern Birmingham, east of Woodward Avenue. It features a softball field, tennis courts lined for pickleball and a new inclusive playground that opened in late summer 2026, funded by a parks bond that 70% of voters approved in 2020.
Barnum Park, at Pierce and Frank streets, is home to a seasonal outdoor ice rink and Birmingham’s first Little Free Library. The city’s park history credits the Community for Barnum Park, a volunteer group that began fundraising in 2007, with roughly $177,000 in donations for improvements. The page does not date that total.
Birmingham operates 26 parks spanning more than 230 acres, according to the Parks and Recreation department. Residents can submit input through Engage Birmingham or call the Parks and Recreation Office at 248-530-1640.
