A beautiful, quiet park with a great walkway and pet friendly. My wife and I enjoyed our time here and will visit again.

Great park for you to picnic and hang out with your friends/family. Also great spot to take your dogs for walks and for playdates. Every morning the baseball field is open as a dog park and dogs are free to be off leash leash. The only bad thing is that sometimes the grass is a bit wet/damp and dogs can get quite dirty from the mud or dirt from the field.

San Mateo Central Park is a nice little park located within San Mateo. This park has a lot to offer the community like tennis courts, restrooms, a parking garage under the tennis courts, playground equipment, baseball diamond and much more. There is also a Japanese Garden located within San Mateo Central Park. This is a great part of our community.

Nice and spacious park! Be careful trying to get parking though. There isnt a parking lot.

Had a nice picnic birthday at central Park. Enjoyed the rose garden and watching the squirrels jumping from tree to tree.

I used to come to this park as a child. Not much has really changed over the years. The covid crisis has stopped a lot of the activities from being held there lately.Kids cannot currently play on the equipment there. But you can have a nice picnic there for sure.

A great park! A great town! San Mateo has a great vibe! Lots of great restaurants, fun things to do...just a cool place to be and an even better place to live.

Spacious, beautiful, clean, well-kept park. Tons of families and dogs to enjoy their company while you sit on one of the many benches!

Its a small and beautiful Japanese park located in San Mateo, CA ... Must take pictures, you dont want to miss every corner of this beautiful garden.

Love this place. I come here to walk around the track-like rounded grass area and read before i walk a hill on incline. Sometimes i just sit and read in a more peaceful section of the park and its beautiful. Only reason i dont rate 5 stars is there always seems to be people drinking mid day in the bleachers. Not a huge deal but sometimes (and its always different people) they blast music or get loud. Not too big a deal its a public park no problem.

Our family of 8 went to the Japanese Park and our 21 month old grandson was totally enthralled with the Koi pond . We had Japanese take out in the park for lunch and he had fun watching the squirrels hiding acorns. Good times !

Love this large park with so many things to do. Tennis, baseball, childrens playground, picnic area, volleyball, Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, and Arboretum. Lots of paved walking areas, grass and large trees for picnicking. Restrooms, and underground parking. You, and your family or friends, will enjoy your time there! Buy a take out meal on 3rd or 4th Avenue, and walk over to picnic!

Always clean.. ... People all wearing masks while near others for the very most part. Everything is pretty much closed but if you need a nice snooze, this cud work.

Kids had a blast wish the train was open remember going on that when I was a kid

Needs more ilumination when getting darkness, needs biycicke security around.very nice and clean.

A nice place for kids. Has a mini train ride, the standard play areas and long swings. Being near eats is nice. Last time I went, the place was packed with pokemon players. Very pleasant environment just the same.

First time! Amazing event for kids and families. So many happy faces. Very nice... My son still talks about it!

This is a great park, free, love to have such easy access to such a large beautiful park.

It was dirty and lots of people just sitting around. I never got out of my car to eat. I remember better days here!

Clean and friendly people. Great rest spot near sfo airport

Interesting park. Very big and a large variety of equipment to play on. A cool mix of old School and new equipment. Definitely would go back if I was in the area. But I wouldnt go outta my way to go there if that makes sense.

Omg the county re opened the playgrounds! Wear your masks, bring your own hand sanitizer, and come run those sillies out!

Park is good and vast - playgrounds currently roped off and not everyone is distancing.. saw a birthday party going on there today

This is a great park as it is truly a open air design. Large trees and expanse of grass combined with all different plants flowers etc is beautiful. The Japanese Tea garden is like stepping into a whole other time and place. There is also a large play ground the kids love. Rose gardens are beautiful. Art in the little house exhibition is Thursday thru Saturday.

Love the pond fish. Great place for children

A friendly clean park with lots of views. A rose garden and a Japanese garden. Kept clean and grass area is kept up. Parking is metered unless you park on laurel street which is free for 2 hours. I would come here again to relax.

A lot of people of all ages getting along nicely

Great place to take a walk or relax.all sorts of events take place hare too

Grow up here! Still a great park...

So good and makes me peaceful

Best park Ive been to because it was clean, peaceful and it had the Japanese garden right next to it too! So many little places to explore and spend time with family and friends.

A quaint pleasant park in downtown San Mateo. Only downside is that the trash cans were overflowing - need more frequent pickups.

Was really nice not too many people where there!

I love this place in San Mateo, Im do glad its open. Also took advantage to support this amazing beautiful sunglasses brand .

Great place to hang out! I love to meet with my friends here and hang out, there is a lot of nice grass so you can even have picnic lunches, and the koi pond is beautiful(though it’s not open all the time) Nice park whether you’re taking your kids or are just meeting friends. :)

I haven’t been here in a couple of years but wow has this place gone downhill. Its definitely not ideal for smaller children as they literally get buried in the exaggerated amount of tanbark and leaves. My little one constantly kept tripping over the high level of loose tanbark. And did I mention how outdated the play-structure is?? This park still has metal slides and metal bars not ideal to play with on a hot summer day. The city of San Mateo really needs to invest in this place as it used to be such a magical place for me growing up!

So much to enjoy here all year long even in the dead cold winter they have an ice skating rink.Japanese garden, rose garden, huge childrens playground, tennis courts, live music in the summertime on an outdoor stage. etc..... Very Much More......

Nice big park with lots of space for the kids to play and for the grownups to play volleyball or just get some sun. They have music in the park in the summer time and they have ice skating in the winter! So much fun!

Great spot come enjoy!

Lots of fun!

Love this place the park goers are respectful of social distancing and masks!!! Super clean too!!

Great park. Lots of shade. Hate the sand and tannin bark but its pretty normal for parks. No shade in the swing area. Also nice garden area next to parking garage. Tennis courts on top of garage. Christmas they do an ice skating rink. Summer they have concerts. Really nice park.

We love this park. I love bringing my kids to the same park I used to come to when I was a kid and really nothing has changed. My kids love the train and how this park transforms in the holiday season.

Large green space and gardens. Perfect for family stroll or picnic. My parents go there for morning exercises with other seniors practicing Tai chi

Its a beautiful and relaxing park. The Rose Garden was therapeutic for me.

One of the best parks in San Mateo. Great place for picnics.

A great place to stop for a walk or the playground. There is also picnic areas that can be rented.The grounds are well kept with beautiful trees and flowers.

Favorite since childhood

Very nice

Beautiful park. Clean. Family oriented.

I grew up on this park many moons ago. Used to have A Iddie Train, Softball Games Hotdog Vendor, Etc!

Peaceful place to relax.

This review is specifically about the ice skating rink.We went there from Antioch to do the bumper cars on ice. We had planned an entire event around it. According to their website, they were open rain or no rain as long as it wasnt a danger to the skaters. When we arrived, there was no rain, people were skating but the bumper cars were closed (even though they were under a cover). There was no posting about it at all. We only found out because we went up to the window to pay for it.Other than that, the rink seemed nice and there was plenty of parking around.

Clean, fresh air, good stroll...

My favorite park.

Its large and clean, but has very few swings for how big it is, also no basketball courts. Its fine but nothing special.

Nice park adjacent to Japanese garden and pond. Has a big playground and various flowers and trees. One star less because limited parking. Dogs are welcomed

This is such a lovely spot. People of all ages and backgrounds use the diverse types of areas and facilities. One of my favorite parks on this planet.

Cute little park with a rose garden, small Japanese tea garden (with limited hours), and a playground. Close to shops and restaurants where you can pick up some food to enjoy on the lawn or on one of the many benches.

Central Park is one of San Mateos icons with a variety of fun recreational and restive activities and green open spaces. I especially enjoy the Japanese Tea garden and sitting by the Giraffe statue near the tennis courts. As a kid I loved coming to the park and riding the mini train (now closed ) next to the baseball field. Unfortunately the tennis courts, while a useful amenity in downtown, regularly crack and are difficult to play on, most likely because they are situated atop a parking lot. Im excited for the planned renovations and reconfiguration of the park.

Beautiful park, slightly disappointed in the management. Charging nine dollars to play tennis and require reservation through a buggy website. Dont we already pay for this with our tax money?

Large, central, popular park. Japanese gardens are a special treat. Baseball field, lots of playgrounds and picnic areas, and winding, shaded walkways.

Very nice park. Japanese garden, stone statues of animals line the entry bordered by beautiful flowering bushes. Large childrens jungle gym with public bathrooms on site. Parking structures with parking meters adjacent to park. Free park concerts between 6 and 8 PM on Thursdays in summer which is well attended. Parking is scarce during these events.

The Japanese garden is well kept, even in the winter.

Great place to walk your dogs and let kids play. The Japanese garden is beautiful but does not allow pets inside so plan accordingly. If you play tennis there are multiple courts. Parking underground. During the winter we have ice skates here.

Beautiful small calm park

Old but fun Play ground with swings, baseball diamond, tennis courts, roses, art ( clay) classes . Japanese garden... Which is beautiful though closed when we take our dog on a walk. A nice large park across the street from downtown San Mateo near Wells and bucks in the summer they have concerts in the winter an ice skating rink.

This park is beautiful and awesome!

Its an average-sized urban park that is kept clean and well-maintained overall. It is a little plain-looking, and so is the surrounding area, so theres not a lot of Instagramable spots, if thats what youre planning to be here for.

A little Japanese piece of central park in NY. So peaceful and mind-clearing.

Great place to walk and enjoy feel of nature in downtown! Lots of events take place here and even though theres usually people in the park, its never too crowded!

A great place for family. Playground is a little old but for kids, it is still a lot of fun.

This park has something for everyone. Tennis courts, Japanese garden, open space, rose garden, barbecue area, playground, you name it. Lots of activities take place here and it is walking distance from downtown San Mateo.

Great place to picnic

Great place for relaxing. Big garden with childrens play area as well. They have a nice Japanese Garden with a Kai Pond. Good public tennis courts as well, and mostly they are free as there are 9 courts (flood lights on till 11:30 PM).

Nice park needs more restrooms

Big open park with a baseball field, large open grass area, Japanese tea garden and large play structure area for kids. During the summer there are free concerts on Thursdays from 6-8pm and theyre always a ton of fun for all ages.

Very nice, everyone wearing masks!!!!!

NOTE: This review is for the baseball field only.The baseball field is aweful. found RUSTY SCREWS in the infield dirt, probably from the bleachers which are FALLING APART. There is no pitching mound. There are massive gaping holes in the outfield full of water, dispite the fact that it hasnt rained in weeks.On a positive note, it has some beautiful trees.On a negative note, the trees are in the outfield!?!Also, the outfield slopes down so that it is several feet below the infield.Ive seen worse, but not many.

Great place to spend the afternoon.

My favorite

Not as many sketchy people

Its a really nice location with a small Japanese garden that has limited hours. Theres a koi pond, paths, its lovely. Theres also some great kids play spaces including a kid train weekends (sadly the beloved operator conductor recently passed away). Its also a fairly large park. You can be so far away from the kids section that you wont know its there- not hear it not see it. There are benches periodically, but not frequently enough for limited ability walkers - so bring your accessibility devices like rollators for the pathways. Theres other things there like tennis courts and a stadium that Im less familiar with

Nice park to walk around, includes a small but beautiful Japanese garden. Many areas with park benches to sit down and enjoy a picnic. Close to many restaurants as well.

Great park and and fairly large considering it is right downtown. Lots of distinct areas for different activities. My only complaint is that the playground area is frankly pretty boring and unimaginative compared to some of the east bay parks that we have seen while visiting friends. Im not saying that those kids arent having fun there, they are! But I think in terms of creativity and innovation in play structures, Central Park is lagging behind the game.

Not to be overly hyperbolic, but this is a great little jewel of the city. There is a very pretty small rose garden, a WONDERFUL Japanese Garden, nice picnic areas, a train, great play areas for the kids, an ice rink during the holidays.....on and on and on. I walk there every single day and it is pristine and relaxing. If you are staying in the area and want a place to get a bit of exercise, this is it.

Big park with a baseball field, Japanese garden, several tennis courts, kids playground (fairly outdated). Plenty of space for all kinds of activities.

Green and Sunny ️

Great park with big playground and Japanese garden. You can picnic on the grass or play games on the central field. Tennis courts with parking.

I find the Japanese Garden so beautiful to see. Theres so much space in the park to have a picnic and to barbecue with family and friends.

Central Park is one of the best parks on the peninsula. It has something for everyone it has a koi pond, tennis courts, Rose garden, BBQ stands, picnic tables, juggle gym and other children playground pieces like slides. They have a trolly for kids on the weekends. Its walking distance to tons of places to grab food and bring to the park. Lots of trees for ample shade. I cant say enough good things about this gem in San Mateo!

Who doesnt love Central Park? Theres a Japanese garden, tennis courts, a big playground, picking and BBQ area. Additionally there are large areas of open lawn and a baseball diamond. In the summer there are weekly free concerts.

This Park is two and half blocks from my home, and I enjoy walking there and visiting the magnificent Rose Garden situated on the 9th Avenue side of the park. The Roses, clearly labelled, have been superb these recent months. The beautifully tended Japanese Garden on the eastern side of the park is another delight, with its colorful Koi fish, and bridges over the waterways, flowering azaleas, rhododendron, and a large Chestnut tree with scarlet flowers. A plant nursery where one can buy plants, and visit a green house, is also situated near the Rose Garden, open several days each week. There is a well-loved and frequented Childrens area with swings and climbing opportunities, and the park is flat and easily walkable by elderly visitors - many benches and picnic tables for resting as well.

The Japanese garden has recently been cleaned up. Both of the small waterfalls are now working and the water has been cleaned up. There is still some work to do but definitely an improvement. Havent seen the turtles for a while now. The park as a whole is a great city/neighborhood park. Walk downtown to restaurants and shops.

Nice and peaceful

Its relaxing, peaceful, has a small Japanese garden. I think its good for a walk, but if youre looking to spend an afternoon, Id suggest bringing some activity you can do with you, or find somewhere else.

Convenient parking to downtown under tennis courts.

Best place for grilling and partying, great place to bring kids to play - concerts, shows, gardens... great!!

A truly excellent park as an overall physical entity, but my only warning to the viewer of this review is to BE VERY CAREFUL WHO IT IS THAT YOU TAKE INTO THIS PARK WITH YOU, ESPECIALLY IF THE PERSON YOU TAKE HERE IS A CONFUSED FEMALE WHO THINKS SHE LOVES YOU AND WANTS TO DO ONE OF THE OLD WALKS IN THE PARK JUST TO FRIEND-ZONE YOU A MERE ELEVEN DAYS LATER.The park is great, though, for those without bittersweet memories so attached.

Great park for kids, playground and open grass.