Serendipity led us to Santiago Park across Main Street from the Discovery Science Center. My daughter spotted it when we turned into the parking lot. I’ve been to the center countless times, yet never noticed the playground nearby. In researching this post, I found an amazing website about the Santiago Park Nature Preserve and Santiago Creek Trail. You can be sure we’ll be exploring this website and all the natural wonders they’ve spotlighted.
Location: From Interstate 5, take the Main Street exit. Drive past the Discovery Science Center and turn right on Memory Lane. Turn right on Lawson Way into the parking lot. The playground is a walk back toward Main Street. There’s a path on the Memory Lane side of the parking lot, leading through a tree grove and over a bridge directly to the playground. [Address: 2535 E. Memory Lane, Santa Ana] MAP to Santiago Park in Santa Ana
Highlights:
- Wooden play structures are the best! (according to my kids)
- The structure for the youngest visitors has spring animals and nearby
- The big-kid structure has bridges, zip tracks and slides
- Picnic tables with grills surround the play area
- There’s a nice trail for strolls along the creek
- It’s a bird sanctuary and part of a nature preserve
Be Aware:
- No baby swings
- No stalls in restrooms
- One person I talked to said it might not be too safe to walk on the trail under the street and there’s suspicious characters every once in a while. I felt very safe there in the middle of the day. Just be aware. (You’ll notice one commenter warned to accompany your children to the restroom).
Checklist:
- Parking in lot off Memory Lane or walk in from the Science Center
- We walked to the park from the Science Center. There’s a path that goes below Main Street, but we were warned against going that route. However, Main Street is busy – so be careful crossing.
- Sand play surface
- Restrooms very near playground, but no stalls on doors
- Shade from eucalyptus
- The park has a cabin available for rental (Santiago Cabin reservations)
- We didn’t walk far enough, but there is also lawn bowling (Santiago Lawn Bowling Club House)
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for that extra info, John.
The Santa Ana Police mounted unit had been working the park at night since October of 2010. They had arrested and cited dozens of people for being in the park after dusk.
I lived in the other side of that park, there is a very nice and tranquile neigborhood and I used to exercise in this trail by my self morning or evening and nathing happen ( I am talkin about 6years ago). I really forgot about the park now I have a baby and thinking to take him to play.
Very good point, Samantha.
In researching park safety, I've found that to be consistent law enforcement advice for ANY park.
Be aware, trust your gut feelings — and then it's easy to get out there and have some fun.
Hi there Michele!
you are right about the suspicious characters. My husband is a police officer in Santa Ana. There is a lot of "goings on" especially in the mens restrooms. Mothers always accompany your sons to the bathrooms at this park.