Thomas A Dixon Jr Aircraft Observation Park

Hate to update them so quick, but I just discovered that they’d removed the play area. I’ve contacted BWI (who is in charge of it), and they could only say that it was removed to be replaced… but they have no idea ~when~ it will return. That’s a huge disappointment, as bringing children to play and see the planes was a huge draw to the location. Without that playground, small children probably won’t be content for long just staring at the occasional landing airplane.
Thus, this place only warrants 3-​stars and is no longer suitable for small children until BWI replaces the play area. Parents, please be warned!

This playground is gone! All of the equipment is gone. We were so sad to come to the playground and find nothing there anymore. I don’t know what happened.

The Dixon Aviation Park is perfect for the weekend warrior in me. It’s convenient from my home, it’s safe from traffic and its just the right distance to allow for me to adjust my riding. The parking lot can get over crowded at peak times and there aren’t any benches or tables but this hasn’t really been a problem to date. Plan a few extra minutes if you’re riding on Saturday or Sunday, that’s all.
Now if only I could get more of my friends to join me.

I have been meaning to make it to this park since I moved to the area but I’ve always been told it’s a great place for kids. The day I went I was looking for a place that had nice scenery but would allow me to get lost in my thoughts. Parking is a pain but after circling a few times I found a good spot facing the landing field so I didn’t even have to get out of my car to watch the planes come in. I can’t speak much for the actual park but this was the perfect spot to do some self reflection and not have to deal with people.

Great park to spend evening with kids. Mummy son loves planes and you can watch planes landing or take off or both from this park. There is enough parking and it’s free !!! Families also have nice picnic and stroll areas. Many people even come to just walk their dogs or bike. In all a great family park:)

Been to this park a few times with my family. and after the novelty of watching planes land dies off, you realize that if you aren’t walking/​biking the trails there is not much else to do here. The playground is small and crowded, and full of snotty over protective stay at home moms. Who probably shouldn’t bring their precious bundles of joy to such crowded playgrounds if they are worried about their little ones getting hurt. There are a lot of other pars in the area that are bigger and less crowded, but this one has the best view of the planes. A one time trip isn’t a bad thing, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a place to go on the regular. Try Kinder Farm, Elvaton, or Quiet waters.

A nice place to visit at dusk on a weekend night and watch the planes land. Many people use this area to park their cars and head down the path around the airport.
Requests — build a bigger parking lot and please expand the playground. It is quite small for all of the kids who use this area.

If you like planes, then you’ll love this park. Field with a playground and jogging/​biking path, and of course, plenty of airplanes.
Parking is right off the Dorsey Rd, and the little rat bastard kids can watch planes taking off, but more often than not coming in to land.
My only complaint is that every other airplane is a Southwest. Sure, they’re pretty planes, but they all look the same.

Three stars for watching the planes land right in front of you, but the playground leaves much to be desired for kids. My 4 and 5 year old step kids were so excited when we told them we were coming here but once they got to the playground, the looks of disappointment were written all over their faces (it’s suitability for enjoyment ranges from 1-​maybe 4 years old depending on the caliber of playgrounds your kids are used to). 1 star for the playground. I did notice quite a few bicyclists riding the paved trails and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was also a little food truck/​trailer selling sno-​cones and water which was nice. I know the kids wouldn’t want to return (other to sit in the car and watch the planes), so we probably won’t be back. (Didn’t see any bathrooms there either).

Great location. I come here to take my boy bike riding, it also has a nice little play structure.

This is a small, clean park with a playground, benches for planespotting, and the BWI Trail. It’s a pleasant place to watch the planes land, but because it is difficult to see actual landings (and takeoffs occur on the other side of the runway), it is not for hard-​core planespotting aficionados. But it’s a nice place, otherwise.

Watching the planes come in is a unique and fun experience for kids of all ages. The playground is small, but mostly clean. The trails nearby seem popular with bike riders or a long walk/​jog. My biggest complaint is the nasty dirty porta-​potties. Thankfully, my child is still in diapers and the adults just held it. Yuck!

Nice little park, but it always seems to be crowded. It seems a lot of people drop their cars off and head to one of the many nearby trails. No big deal, except that it can make parking difficult.
Watching the planes is nice and relaxing, especially with them flying so close.
My major problem with this place is the playground. Tons of metal and potential for injuries. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the use of rubber mulch material in case of a spill. But why in the world would you put metal bars in and around a movable bridge? Talk about dangerous. Unfortunately, my son found out first hand how unsafe this can be when another kid (older and larger) anxious to get across caused it to shake tremendously, giving him a bloody nose thanks to these bars. They definitely need to add some added layer of protection to keep kids safe.
I submitted a suggestion to the park and rec division after this incident happened, but more than 2 months later the issue has still not been addressed. How do you tell a kid that they can’t go on the playset because it is unsafe? It can be done, but will lead to a huge case of disappointment.

June 27, 2013… Just a heads up… for some reason, planes are not-​flying over the park right now, they are taking an alternate approach, a mile away, over the end of the light rail station at 648/​Dorsey Rd instead. I assume it’s because there is construction going on across the street from the observation park.
Since I don’t have kids, this unfortunately was a wasted trip for me tonight. I do not know if planes will go back to their original routes or not. but If you’re planning to go, try to check on flight paths somehow first. I have not yet found a Facebook page or webpage with current updates about the status of the park. Thank you.

Wheeee! Perfect place to park and have a deep conversation with yourself or if you have someone special take a walk down the trail way. Be careful of the bikes going by. There is also playground for the kiddos.

Plane spotting is one of my favorite things to do. I had always wanted to go to BWI to see the park and see if I could catch some SWA special schemes. I finally got out to Baltimore and spent a good part of a day at the Observation Park. It was quite busy with bikers, and the bike trails are a unique feature around BWI.
As for the observation area, there are several benches, a decent amount of parking, and a lot of planes – correction, a lot of Southwest. You’ll see about 75% Southwest, and a mix of US Airways, Delta, airTrain, and American among others. Look out for ATI DC-8’s arriving as well.
Definitely give this place a shot!
PS. There was even an ice cream truck sitting there when I went. Nice :).

For a child or adult, a large flying aircraft descending from miles away and landing nearly 100 yards away from you is a sight to experience once in your life. This park offers a unique experience no other local park has.
Family friendly, a playground overlooks a scenic field, with paths connecting you to the B & A Trail, you will find that there is much more than just plane /​bird watching to do at this park.
Benches, and a parking lot face the field and play areas and is great for all ages to enjoy, 5 stars great for a free activity.

My in laws took me and the kids out today for a surprise trip to see the Airplanes! You have to understand my son loves airplanes, and it is an absolute joy to see his face light up at the sight of a massive vehicle gracing the sky.
It was quite a nice surprise to even see this place. Families were having picnics on the ‘lawn’. There’s a park, that actually needs a bit of an update… or maybe just a good scrub down. Even the kids decided to simply sit on a ‘bench’ outside the park and take in the airplanes (instead of running to play with the other kids on the jungle gym). Hmmm.
It was cool to see the planes take off. I must be honest in saying that I think I prefer watching them come in. ;) Reagan International Airport spoiled me.
BUT BWI was really fun! There’s a long bike trail that a lot of people were on. My God-​sister in law (rolling my eyes at all these titles) told me her husband took her there once in their dating days for wine on the hood. ;)
Good times.