In 1997, the Ahrens Park Foundation was established as a private operating foundation, which owns and operates Ahrens/Paschall Memorial Park. The Ahrens Park Foundation is dedicated to providing first class recreational and athletic facilities while collaborating with wellness, educational and recreational programs and organizations for the greater good of the community of Grinnell.
The Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation has provided millions of dollars to Ahrens Park and the Ahrens Park Foundation over the past thirty years to help support the ongoing operations and capital needs of the park.
For more information on the Ahrens Park Foundation, please visit www.ahrensparkfoundation.org
Ahrens/Paschall Memorial Park
The Ahrens/Paschall Memorial Park, opened in 1994, is home to eight youth softball and baseball fields, outdoor basketball courts, a tennis court, four pickleball courts, a sand volleyball court, a golf driving range, several playground areas, three shelter houses, a sledding hill, community gardens, green spaces, dog park, and a one and a half mile outdoor walking path.
The playground areas feature play structures from Miracle Recreation Equipment, the company founded by the late Claude W. Ahrens in Grinnell. Installed in 2018, the playgrounds – one area for 3-5 year-olds and one area for 5-12 year-olds, feature a wide range of play structures and sensory play panels throughout. The younger playground offers handicap accessible features tooffer inclusive play for all children. The accessibility features of this playground include ramped units and transfer points for wheelchair bound children, as well as sensory play panels for kids of all abilities. The transfer points allow kids to use their upper bodies to crawl through play areas. The swing set in the younger children’s unit has an “inclusive seat,” a chair with a high back and shoulder harness.
Surfacing for all of the areas includes rubber poured in place and rubber mulch, considered the #1 safest play surface for playgrounds. The older age appropriate playground area features Miracle’s “biggest and best” Mega Tower with six different slides.
Also located at the park is the Ahrens Family Center, the Grinnell Athletic and Recreation Center, and the offices for the Ahrens Park Foundation, Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation, Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation, and the Grinnell-Newburg Community School District.
Groundbreaking for the new Grinnell-Newburg elementary school at Ahrens Park occurred in April 2026. Families and community members can find project timelines, renderings, and ongoing construction updates by visiting the school district website at grinnell-k12.org.
parkrun is a place where people can come together to walk, run or volunteer—and feel good—which is why it’s called The Feel Good Movement.
parkrun started in the United Kingdom in 2004 with a mission to make the world healthier and happier through free, inclusive and accessible community events. People of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and walks of life come together every Saturday morning and participate by walking, running or volunteering. There are almost 100 parkruns throughout the United States, and almost half a million people participate in parkruns around the world each week.
Grinnell is the latest community to join the parkrun family. The volunteer-led initiative takes place weekly on Saturday mornings at Ahrens Park at 8:00 a.m. May thru September, and 9:00 a.m. October thru April. Participants are invited to complete a 5K (3.1 mile) double-loop by walking, jogging or running. There are also a variety of volunteer opportunities. Dogs on leashes are welcome as are young children in strollers.
For more information, visit parkrun.com or email grinnellparkrun@gmail.com
Administrative Foundation Offices
The 6,310 square foot administrative foundation offices for the Ahrens Park Foundation and Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation is comprised of a welcoming lobby, reception desk, fourteen individual office rooms, several large conference rooms and smaller meeting spaces, two kitchens and several restrooms. The foundation offices facility was originally built in 2006 with the completion of a large building expansion in 2011 and a second addition in 2022. Offices for the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation, and Grinnell-Newburg Community School District are also housed here.
Our Giving Garden is making some incredible progress, and we just had to share a little update with you all. We love seeing families out here showing the little ones exactly how real food grows right here in the park! 🥦🍅✨
Right now, the plants are still soaking up the Iowa sunshine and growing strong, so nothing is quite ready to harvest just yet! But before we know it, these beds will be bursting with fresh, healthy produce. ☀️🌿
For those who don't know, the Giving Garden operates on a beautiful community principle: take what you need, leave what you can. Once everything is fully ripe later this summer, it will be completely free for anyone in our community who needs fresh veggies.
We can't wait to watch it keep growing over the next few weeks! Have you and your family walked past the garden beds yet this summer?
The most popular social club in Grinnell. 🐾🎾 Whether your pup is a high-speed chaser, a social butterfly, or a "sit-in-the-grass" kind of dog, this is their space to run, play, and burn off that spring energy off-leash. We love seeing the community (and their humans!) connect out here every day.
Tag us in your dog park photos or drop a picture of your pup in the comments! We’d love to see who’s ruling the park today. 👇🐕✨
While the rest of the town is just starting their workday, our grounds crew is already out here making sure the "green heart of Grinnell" is ready for you. From the perfect stripes on the ball diamonds to keeping the paths clear for your morning walk, we take a lot of pride in the details.
We know how much this space means to our community—whether it’s for a high-stakes Little League game, a family picnic, or just a quiet moment on a bench. That’s why we’re committed to keeping it in peak condition all season long.
If you see the mowers out today, give the crew a wave! We’re just doing our part to "leave it better than we found it." 🌿✨
The forecast at 8am tomorrow is for clouds and 70 degrees- a warm but hopefully dry morning for Ahrens Park parkrun #10
Small Town Baseball will bring loads of players and spectators to Ahrens Park. And the Prairie Burn 3K/5K is downtown at 10am.
But we have a great group of volunteers ready for walkers and runners looking to do a free 5K around a busy park!
FYI parking will be at a premium!!
Looking for something to do this weekend? Grab a seat on the bleachers for a weekend full of baseball or jump into a community 5K at Ahrens Park!
⚾️ June 5th – 7th: Small Town Baseball Tournament
We are welcoming teams from across the region for three days of high-energy youth baseball. Grab a seat in the bleachers, hit the concession stand, and help us cheer on these young athletes as they compete at the Ahrens Park diamonds!
🏃♂️ Saturday, June 6th: Parkrun
Kick off your Saturday morning with our weekly Parkrun! Whether you want to walk, jog, run, or volunteer, this free, timed community 5K is the perfect way to get moving outdoors. Meet up at the park before the 8:00 AM start time to join the fun.
Planning to attend? Expect a busy park and a lot of energy! Come out and support these great events and see why Grinnell is the place to be this weekend. 🤍
Mental Health Awareness Month is coming to a close this May, and we have a challenge for you: Put down the screen, step outside, and take a walk.
We know that mental health is just as important as physical health, and sometimes the best medicine is a quiet moment in nature. Moving your body outdoors is a proven way to reduce stress, clear your mind, and reset.
But we also know that sometimes a walk in the park isn't enough—and that’s where our community steps in. Through the Grinnell Area Mental Health Consortium (JPK Fund), we are deeply committed to making sure no one in Poweshiek County has to choose between their finances and their mental well-being.
If you or a loved one needs professional support, the JPK Fund is here to remove financial barriers by:
✅ Defraying the cost of therapy sessions
✅ Assisting with mental health medication costs
✅ Connecting you with a trusted network of local providers
Whether you are seeking support for yourself, a student, or a family member, remember: seeking help is a sign of strength.
Accept our challenge. Find a quiet moment to take care of your physical self, and remember that resources are here to support your mental self, too. We are proud to support a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, both on and off the dirt.
👉 Visit ahrensfamilyfoundation.org/jpk to view our local provider list or learn how to apply for assistance.