Fault Line Park is kind of a fun little park in the heart of downtown! My husband and I visited one afternoon before heading to Petco Park for a Padres game (we did not have our daughter). It’s a very urban park, with a couple of fun play structures and a very cool art installation.
Bike parking, drinking fountain, public restroom attached to the nearby restaurant (unclear if it is open), lots of places to sit. There is not a parking lot, only metered street parking.
Tot Lot with small structures and sand box, play structure for bigger kids with lots of things to climb! There is also a pair of swings and some spinners (although not in the playground).
There is some fitness equipment and a large grassy area.
The art installation is very cool! Also, there is a lovely succulent garden area.
Address:
1433 Island Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
- Dogs Allowed (leashed)
- Alcohol NOT Allowed
- Tot Lot
- Bathroom Facilities
- Closed from midnight to 6am
Playgrounds
There are two playgrounds: a tot lot and one for older kids. In a separate area of the park there are some spinners too.
Big Kids
If your children like to climb, they’ll have lots to climb here! In addition to the play structure, there are lots of big rocks. The only swings available are the regular swings for bigger kids (no bucket swings for littles).
Tot Lot
The tot lot has a sand pit with lots of places for parents to sit nearby. The play structure encourages them to use their imaginations and there is also a fun sand toy. You won’t find any baby swings or slides at this park though.
Spinners
Separate from the playground are three individual spinners, which might be a good spot for children who like to play off on their own.
Art at Fault Line Park
The most interesting thing about this park is the public art piece, “Fault Whisper” by Po Shu Wang. The Rose Canyon Fault runs between the two giant metal spheres (hence the name Fault Line Park). When you look through one sphere, the other lines up perfectly in view. So, if there was ground movement, you would be able to detect it by looking through the spheres. It’s pretty cool.
The spheres remind me of the Chicago Bean, so I’d imagine it would be a great spot to get a some fun pics!
I couldn’t get a great pic looking through one sphere to the other (attempt pictured below), but I think you can get the idea… it’s centered so there hasn’t been any big shifts since they were installed (whew!).
Succulent Garden
This charming little garden area would be a nice spot for a lunch or dinner picnic.
Alternatively, you can sit on any of the many walls for a nice spot to eat.
Fitness
I always love a big grassy area in parks! There is so much you can do in an area like this (maybe just watch out for dog poop though). Additionally, you’ll find a piece of fitness equipment (pull up bars) near the playgrounds.
A Downtown Park
For those unfamiliar with the surrounding area, I should mention that downtown has a big homeless population. Other reviews and articles I’ve read about this park talk a lot about people drinking alcohol at the park or sleeping there. I didn’t see anything close to the major problems I’ve read about (I did see a man washing his hair in the drinking fountain though). I think the situation must have improved.
There was a private security guard and several signs around the park. My feeling is that there has been an attempt to make families feel comfortable here. Personally, I think I would feel safe bringing my daughter here to play if we lived downtown.
Bikes and Scooters
For locals, there is bike parking and I also saw several scooters at the entrance.
Dog Visitors
For people who live downtown, this would be a good park to walk your pup. There are no doggy drinking fountains though and, while there are some dog bag dispensers along the perimeter of the park, there aren’t convenient dog bags around should you need one in the middle of the grassy area. In short, it’s not a destination for your pup if you live outside walking distance.
