When Rash Field reopened in November 2021, the headline features were for kids: the BGE Nature Play area, the twin 30-foot wooden towers and Jake's Skate Park. The second phase opened to the public on Sept. 9, 2026, and it's aimed at a different crowd. Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore has described the split itself. Phase I focused on children's play spaces and accessibility, and Phase II emphasizes recreation, wellness and leisure.
That changes what the south shore of the Inner Harbor is for. It now has a sand court for a weeknight volleyball game, a pickleball court, an obstacle course built with adults in mind and a place to rent a kayak. Across the water, Harborplace is still waiting on a construction start date. For the next stretch of time, the finished, usable part of the harbor is along Key Highway.
What $18 million built along Key Highway
According to SouthBMore's opening-day photo tour, Phase II covers a 5.3-acre section of the park and took Plano-Coudon 14 months to build. The same report says the State of Maryland put in $14 million and the City of Baltimore committed another $4.5 million. Mahan Rykiel Associates designed it, using feedback gathered from the community during planning.
The site has a long history. It was first built in 1975 as a sports stadium, and Waterfront Partnership spent roughly two decades planning its redevelopment. The park is city-owned and is co-managed and programmed by Waterfront Partnership and Baltimore City Recreation and Parks.
Waterfront Partnership's Phase II plans divide the new section into four named zones. Here's how they fit together:
| Zone | What's there | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| The Lawn | Two U10 soccer fields, picnic areas, a separate shade lawn, native plantings and art installations | Youth soccer, picnics, events |
| The Beach | Boardwalk trail, beach lounge area, six beach volleyball courts, pollinator garden, beach garden | Volleyball, watching games, sitting in the sand |
| The Gardens | Stone garden, overlooks, educational signage on native plants and birds, terraced amphitheater | Quiet walks, birdwatching, small gatherings |
| The Plaza | The relocated Pride of Baltimore Memorial, outdoor game tables, seating, a rain garden | Board games, meeting friends, outdoor programs |
Phase II also includes two pickleball courts and a Fitness Zone with an 11-station obstacle course. SouthBMore also counts more than 200 newly planted trees across the park. Because the trees are new, most of the shade they'll eventually give is still to come.
The obstacle course is the clearest sign of who Phase II is for
The Fitness Zone's course is styled after Ninja Warrior. A Waterfront Partnership spokesperson told SouthBMore that it's meant for "a wide range of users, from elementary school-aged kids to teens and adults, with the goal of offering a more playful, nontraditional approach to fitness." You can run all 11 stations in order or use them one at a time.
If you spend summers near the Delaware shore, the design may look familiar. SouthBMore pointed out its similarity to the obstacle course at Evans Park in Millville, Delaware, which visitors familiar with Bethany Beach may recognize. Now the same kind of course is on the Inner Harbor.
The Phase I playground and towers are still there for younger kids. Phase II gives the rest of the household something to do while they play.
Courts: what's open now and what's still being set up
At the Sept. 9 opening, SouthBMore reported that the volleyball and pickleball courts were open for open play. Baltimore Fishbowl reported that Waterfront Partnership marked the opening with a grand-opening celebration, a ribbon-cutting and free activities along the Inner Harbor.
Beach volleyball has history at this spot. Baltimore Beach Volleyball ran leagues at Rash Field for 25 years before moving to Copper Union in Mount Washington. The new six-court layout comes with a different operator. SouthBMore reported that Volo will run leagues on the volleyball courts, but the start date in its report had already passed when it was published. At least one Volo open-play session at Rash Field, on Sept. 30, was listed as cancelled. If you want organized volleyball this fall, check Volo's current listings directly before you go.
Volo doesn't manage the pickleball courts, which are open for public use. Waterfront Partnership's park page doesn't post a reservation system or court fee for either sport, so plan on showing up and taking an open court.
Getting on the water from the south shore
The finished park includes a kayak launch. Rentals run through Rent.fun, whose page puts the kiosk at 400 Key Highway and lists it as open daily from sunrise to sunset. Here's how Rent.fun says it works:
- Download the Rent.fun app and scan the QR code on the kiosk.
- Paddles and life jackets are included, and you have to wear the life jacket on the water.
- Return the kayak by ending the rental in the app.
Rent.fun lists $25 for less than two hours and $40 for less than four. You can't reserve kayaks in advance. They're first-come, first-served, and the app shows how many are available. On a mild Saturday, checking the app before you leave home could save a wasted walk.
Fall at Rash Field is mostly unscheduled, and that works in your favor
Most of the park's adult programming runs in warm weather. Waterfront Partnership's Recreation page says its free Waterfront Wellness fitness season returns in May 2027. The same page describes Boards & Breakfast, a free monthly class at Jake's Skate Park for children 12 and under. It doesn't list fall dates, so check with Waterfront Partnership. Without a full class calendar, the lawn, gardens and obstacle course are open for whatever you want to do with them.
Hours make a bigger difference this time of year. The SoBo Post reported that Baltimore City Recreation and Parks lists the park as open dawn to dusk. With shorter days, an after-work volleyball game or obstacle course run gets harder to fit in through late fall. Weekend mornings will be the easier window.
The seasonal draw moves next door in late November. Christmas Village runs at West Shore Park in the Inner Harbor from Nov. 21 through Dec. 27, 2026. Its official site lists hours of noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Both of the organizer's pages list Thanksgiving hours of noon to 5 p.m., but they disagree on which day that week the village is closed, so check with Christmas Village before going over the holiday. A walk around the water from Rash Field to West Shore Park makes an easy December outing with out-of-town guests.
Across the harbor, the next project has no firm start date
Rash Field is finished. The project on the other side of the harbor is still in limbo. At the ribbon-cutting, Waterfront Partnership president Dan Taylor told WBAL, "They needed a park, and when you take a step back and look at our waterfront and especially our Inner Harbor, we hadn't given it to them." WBAL noted that with Rash Field done, attention now turns to Harborplace.
According to The Baltimore Banner, MCB's permit applications cover site work at Harborplace, McKeldin Plaza, West Shore Park and the promenade, with Oct. 15 listed as a proposed start. The Banner also reported it was unclear whether work would actually begin on that date. Rash Field is not part of those permits. On Sept. 21, a second Banner report said MCB had not given a demolition date and pavilion tenants had heard conflicting timelines. The next day, Baltimore Fishbowl reported that seven residents had filed suit to block the demolition and replacement of the pavilions.
If you walk or run the harbor loop, here's what matters. Waterfront Partnership told The Banner that pedestrian and bike routes would stay open during construction. MCB said work would be sequenced to keep public amenities accessible. Whenever crews do start on the north and west shores, the south shore will still have the new park to use.
With my engineering background, I like seeing a park built in phases, with each section finished and opened before the next one started. If you live near the harbor, or you're thinking about how close you'd like to be to the new park on your next move, I'm happy to talk through what these waterfront projects mean for the blocks around them. Reach out to Kate A Barnhart anytime. Let's Connect.
