Lacy Park is an amazing 30-acre park located in San Marino, California. Not only is there a stunning rose garden, there are 2 enormous playgrounds, 6 tennis courts, walking trails, a large green space, and more. Follow along as we talk about all of these features!
This video by Alex Chandra shows the entire playground that kids will fall in love with!
To start off, there is a parking lot off of Virginia Road with dozens of spots but no handicapped spots. Be aware that the gate will be locked at 10 PM (the park closes at 8 PM, anyway), so don’t leave after that or you’ll be walking home! Virginia Road also has dozens of spaces for street parking. Saint Albans Street also has a parking lot with a few dozen spots; there is more street parking on this road if the lot is full. This lot will close on weekends. Non-residents will have to pay a $5 fee on weekends.
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The park is named after Richard H. Lacy, who was the mayor of San Marino between 1924 and 1942. It used to be called Wilson Lake in 1875 but was bought by the city in 1925 and designated as a park. The lake was drained in the mid-1920s - it was also known as Kewen Lake.
Next up is the rose garden, my favorite part of the park. There are a bunch of white pergolas with white, pink, yellow, and red roses on the border. As you walk through, you will be able to see some of the plants climbing up the pergolas. The center is grass and more plants, some of which are roses. On both sides of this area are a wall of tall trees. It really feels like you are in a forest! English Springs Park is just as beautiful as this!
The green space takes up the entire center portion of Lacy Park. These 3 acres of grass are perfect for a picnic, playing a game of football or soccer, or just relaxing. There is a place next to the playground where you can play baseball; the backstop and the bases are all present. Plenty of picnic tables are scattered around the area, including many near the playground. Perhaps the worst part is that all of the trees encroach into the areas where you can recreate.
Occasionally, there will be very expensive cars on the grass, including some Lamborghinis. It’s very popular in San Marino!
Lacy Park has more than 2 miles of walking trails within its boundaries. There is one loop that is 0.75 miles (the inner loop) and another that is 1 mile long. All of these sidewalks are cement. They will take you by every feature in the park, and you get to see hundreds of beautiful trees, shrubs, and other plants along the way. Both walks will take only 25 or 30 minutes to complete!
On the eastern side of the park, there is a memorial to General George Smith Patton, Jr. (the General Patton Memorial). He was the son of San Marino’s first mayor. There are quotes and more names of soldiers who lost their lives, and some flags behind the memorial. You can sit on one of the benches here.
There are very clean restrooms (that’s surprising) near the play area. Next to it is a water fountain and another for dogs. You also don’t see dog fountains very often.
An area of the park can be reserved for $145, or $290 for non-residents. Also, dogs are allowed as long as they behave and are on a leash. The San Marino Park Department and the San Marino Historical Society both have buildings at the eastern park entrance.
Lacy Park can get crowded some days. The most crowded days are Tuesday and Thursday; the least crowded days are Saturday and Sunday according to Google. It seems weird to me that the fewest people go on the weekends. The busiest times every day are both 11 AM and 6 PM for the weekdays and 3 PM for the weekends. The least busy times are in the early mornings or near closing time.
David Holland says, “Nice open park with a great play area! Only a couple of outlets into and out of the park for more peace of mind with multiple children. We enjoy sitting and chatting and meeting other parents. Nice circular track for riding bikes or an outer loop for walking. Pretty rose garden and scenery all around.”
San Marino Tennis Center
The San Marino Tennis Center is at the northwestern corner of Lacy Park (next to the Saint Albans Street parking lot). Each of the six courts has a couple of shaded benches, lights on 3 courts for nighttime playing, fences in between each court, and trees surrounding them!
In the center of the courts, there is a Pro Shop that offers tennis rackets, gear, strings, and snacks. They also have changing rooms and showers. Non-members and the public can play for $10 per day. Memberships cost $300 a year. Outside of the Pro Shop are some picnic tables with shade covers. You may not even need them if the hundreds of trees are providing shade.
San Marino Tennis Center Address: 1196 St Albans Rd, San Marino, CA 91108
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 7:30-11:30 AM, 3-5 PM. Sunday: 4-6 PM
Coordinates: 34.120805, -118.124117
Lacy Park Playground
The surface of the playground is wood chips and mulch, so wear some shoes to prevent things like splinters and cuts. There is a lot of shade covering the playground, along with some wooden fences on the outside to prevent kids from running away. A Little Free Library is off to the side. Here, you can get a free book as long as you put one of your own in; it’s a great way to save money in today’s world. A lot of tables are here, too (no grills, though).
One of the Lacy Park Playgrounds is treehouse-themed and has a clubhouse with a slide, more slides, a rope wall, a small tunnel, monkey bars, and stairs.
The other playground is meant for younger children, but anyone can use it. It has slides, ladders, games, a tunnel, a swirly slide, and more.
In the center are 2 traditional swings, 2 bucket swings for smaller children, and a handicapped-accessible chair swing. The best part of the playground is a 20-foot-tall rope tower to climb. Your little ninja warriors will absolutely love this feature; just make sure that they stay safe!
Next to this area, there will be a lot of music concerts, civic events, and birthday parties.
El Molino Viejo is a cool feature that is only a minute away. Also known as The Old Mill, it is the oldest commercial building in Southern California. It was a grist mill built all the way back in 1816 by Father José María de Zalvidea from the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. If you are interested in going here, the address is 1120 Old Mill Rd, San Marino, CA 91108.
Lacy Park Address: 1485 Virginia Rd, San Marino, CA 91108
Hours: Monday-Friday: 6:30 AM - 8 PM. Saturday-Sunday: 8 AM - 8 PM
Coordinates: 34.120587, -118.120036
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