We love to visit Waterfront Park in downtown San Diego! Playing in the water (which is free!) is such a fun way to cool down on a hot day. The playground is super fun and it’s a great place for picnic or party! The only downside to this park is that there is very little shade, so you’ll want to bring a pop-up tent or shade structure if you’re staying for more than a couple hours. Read more about my suggestions to what to bring to Waterfront Park here!
These images are from August 2019 (when I was in the middle of also researching parks for my searchable database), and also from January 2020 when I returned to get photos of things I had missed the first time around!
Here’s a good tip: This park is a San Diego County Park, and they are very good about keeping their “park notices and closures” page up-to-date. If you want to make sure the water fountains are on, check out their news page before you go!
Restrooms, Showers, Gender-neutral restrooms, ADA friendly, Bike parking, can reserve, drinking fountain, picnic tables (very few, not shaded), public transportation, street parking (paid), parking lot (paid)
Playground, Tot Lot, baby swings, regular swings, group swing, slides, spinners, splash pad, climbing structure, rubber ground
Large grassy area, bocce ball
Alcohol Allowed WITH RESTRICTIONS (permit for events only), art, dogs allowed (leashed, no more than 6 feet), fountain, garden, historical, play sculptures, sculptures
San Diego County Administration Building
Waterfront Park surrounds the San Diego County Administration Building. An added bonus of an afternoon at Waterfront Park is that you’ll sometimes see newlywed couples smooching outside after their courthouse weddings. You might even see a small, casual wedding on the grounds. There is also beautiful fountain, “Guardian of Water,” that was presented to the people of San Diego in honor of Helen M Towle on June 10, 1939.
Playground at Waterfront Park in San Diego
The playground at Waterfront Park is built for climbers! It’s also a lot of fun for children who love to swing, slide and spin.
Climbers can enjoy two large climbing walls, a rope climbing wall, a hill (up to the slides) with arches, and an intricate climbing dome made of rope and metal. The two spinners in the playground (one on each end) can hold groups of children and look super fun (and, obviously, a little dizzying!).
For children who love to swing, they’ll find a group swing disc, two saddle swings (regular swings), and two bucket swings (infant swings).
The two metal slides in the playground can be accessed by climbing up the hill (instead of a ladder or play structure). I think that metal slides were an interesting choice because they get HOT in the summer.
The little bit of shade that Waterfront Park has to offer is just outside the playground (note: it’s not near the interactive water features at all!). You’ll find some picnic tables and a few trees.
Tot Lot
Waterfront Park has an area for children aged 2-12 and another area for children 5-12, so it doesn’t have a dedicated toddler area. But it does have play equipment appropriate for toddlers, including baby swings.
It also has a play sculpture for ages 2-12, which would be so much fun for a toddler (and would make for some great pictures)! The play sculpture is called “Large Seal (element of Seals)” by Niki de Saint Phalle and is suitable for children ages 2-12 to climb and enjoy. It is on loan from the Niki Charitable Art Foundation.
Interactive Water Features
The most fun thing to do at Waterfront Park is play in the interactive water feature! The water jets are fun for all ages and the water in the reflecting pool is only ankle-deep. However, it should be noted that it is deep enough for very young children to drown so do keep an eye on them!
There are 13 jets on the south side and 18 jets on the north side. Most of the time I see that the south side is crowded… I’m not sure why this is because the north side also has restrooms (but it is further away from the playground). I’d advise to start out on the north side to see if you can avoid the crowds. Also, caution your children not to stand on the jets or try to interact with the water too close to the jet itself because it can damage the jets (and the security guards will ask them to stop).
The fountain jets are on from 11am – 7pm daily.
Remember to bring sunscreen, towels a swim diaper for babies/toddlers (regular diapers are not allowed). Read more about my suggestions on what to bring here!
You can leave the toys at home because they only things allowed in the water are balls.
Bathrooms
You’ll find two restroom buildings, one of the north side and one on the south side. On each side, there is a men’s side, a women’s side, and one gender neutral family restroom stall (with a changing table). Each side also has two outdoor showers to rinse off before and after playing in the interactive water feature.
Art at Waterfront Park
The sculptures at Waterfront Park are so cool! They are on loan from the Niki Charitable Art Foundation. In addition to the play sculpture described above, you’ll find a large sculpture on either side of the County Administration Building.
“Arbre de Serpents (Serpent Tree)” by Niki de Saint Phalle is on the north side.
“#19 Baseball Player,” also by Niki de Saint Phalle, is on the south side.
There is also an art installation in the stairwell from the parking garage under the park. It is a reproduction of “Starting Over” by Harold Cohen.
Bocce Ball Court
I don’t know anything about bocce ball courts, so I can’t speak to the quality of the bocce ball court at Waterfront Park… but there is one located near W Ash Street, sort of tucked behind the playground areas.
Parking at Waterfront Park
I would say parking options at Waterfront Park are limited because there are few very free parking options, unless you’re visiting after 6pm or a Sunday when the metered spots are free.
There is a paid parking garage under the park that you can access from W. Ash Street, but the parking garage is only for County Business weekdays 8am-5pm. Other paid parking lots/garages are nearby. This parking map shows available public parking. Also, Park Me has parking information so you can find a close, cheap spot.
Most visitors to Waterfront Park park in the metered spots on N. Harbor Drive. There are approximately 50 spots, including two (2) accessible spots. All the spots are 2 hours, Monday-Saturday from 8am -6pm, and the cost to park is $1.50/hour. You can find additional metered spots on Pacific Highway (sort of behind the park). The problem with metered spots is that you’ll have to move your car if you want to stay longer than two hours (or refresh the meter). Metered spots are also available across Harbor Drive (on the water side).
There are a very few spots that are free, but you’ll want to grab these if they’re free!
- Immediately in front of the County building (in front of the fountain), there are a few spots that do not have a meter. They are 2-hour parking from Monday-Saturday 8am-6pm, but you don’t need to pay to park there.
- On Grape Street (on the right side, immediately turning from Harbor Drive), there is a stretch of curb without meters and without parking restrictions (except 2am-5am Thursday mornings).
Public Transportation
Perhaps the best way to access Waterfront Park is by public transportation. Buses 280, 290, 923, 992 stop right in front of the park, and the Sycuan Green Line trolley stops at the County Center/Little Italy which is a short walk from Waterfront Park.
Events at Waterfront Park
The spaces at Waterfront Park are “all first come, first serve unless there is a prior reservation” per A.20 of the park rules.
If you’d like to have a permitted event at Waterfront Park, this is the form to complete and email to park staff. Permits are required if you want to serve alcohol, have a caterer, have a bounce house, have a stage or expect more than 100 people.
To host a small birthday party for 20-40 people, you can get there early and set up a canopy. See my list of anything and everything you might want to bring here! Most people set up in the grassy areas along the reflecting pools (interactive water feature) with a canopy and table (and lots of towels!). You can also set up in the picnic areas beyond the playground. The image below (from the brochure for Waterfront Park) has a map of reservable areas.
If you have any questions, you can call park staff at (619) 232-7275.
Snack Bar at Waterfront Park
We visited Waterfront Park several times before I even realized the snack bar was there! It’s great!
The snack bar is open daily from 10am – 5pm and has reasonably priced snacks and drinks. You can get string cheese for $0.75 and an ice cream sandwich for $1.00. Click below to see the whole menu. You can also purchase swim diapers and barbecue permits at the snack bar, and even rent a canopy (for $15)!
The snack bar accepts Visa, Matercard and cash bills under $20.
Next to the snack bar, there are a couple of tables with umbrellas so you can enjoy your snack 🙂
No Bicycles/Scooters at Waterfront Park
The “use of motorized and non-motorized bicycles, scooters, skateboards, in-line skates or other similar wheeled devices is not permitted (except with written authorization)” per the rules of the park. So you’ll need to leave your bikes parked outside the park. The area pictured below is the corner of N. Harbor Drive and W. Ash Street.
Gardens
The park features intimate garden rooms with distinct themes. There is the Grass Garden, the Mediterranean Garden and the Diversity Garden, all located on the north side.
Mediterranean Garden
Grass Garden
Diversity Garden
Ceremonial Wedding Arbor
According to a monument, the “ceremonial wedding arbor is provided for civil wedding ceremonies performed at the County Administration Center and was dedicated on Valentine’s Day, 2001. The Latin phrase in the arbor translates to ‘Love Conquers All.'” The Arbor is located just to the north of the fountain, facing away from busy Harbor Drive.
Regional Law Enforcement Memorial
Waterfront Park is also home to the San Diego County Regional Law Enforcement Memorial. The monument is to the north of the fountain and honors all San Diego County law enforcement officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. The San Diego County Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation holds an annual ceremony, usually in May, to honor these individuals.
Waterfront Park in San Diego Map
