Tongva Park

For an escape from the tourists hustling and bustling about Santa Monica, Tongva Park is the place to go.Truly an urban oasis, Tongva Park was developed by the same people who were the architects of the High Line in New York. The park itself is not entirely linear with multiple levels adorned with a wide variety of flowers, grasses, and succulents. Inside are little mini playgrounds suitable for children while the perimeters have circular outlooks with beautiful views of the Santa Monica pier. A major plus is that the place bathrooms for public use which is hard to find otherwise unless shopping along the Third Street Promenade.Because of its prime location, you are bound to see a wide variety of people walking about. Several people have mentioned that it is filled with homeless people. Although partly true, I do feel that it does not necessarily detract from the beauty of this park. Part of its appeal is that it is a public space open for all to enjoy. Plus, the people who maintain the park do a pretty good job of keeping the place fairly clean.Overall, Tongva Park is a beautiful achievement that is worthy of visiting especially if you want to get some respite from the city.

Nice park with sits that overlooking the Santa Monica beach, pier, city hall.

Gorgeous park with tall canopy trees, trails and lots of fun things to do. This is a park for biking, running, and sight-seeing. It is similar to Balboa in Los Angeles and Im told bigger than Central Park.Alice 97.3 puts on a great Summer thing with free concerts!

Great place to visit and have fun with all the family

The design of the park is extremely unique and interesting. There are plenty of places to sit down and enjoy the sunny days. The park seems to be relatively well maintained and I did not notice any major issues. The only downside is that there tends to be a decent amount of homeless people living within the park, so it might not be the best idea to go late at night.

A nice park to casually picnic or take a nap in. Clean bathrooms open throughout the day with an attendant on site regularly keeping the peace and the park clean. If youre homeless or travelling and need a safe and drama free place to rest and take the edge off without worrying about being messed with or having your things stolen while you nap, this is an excellent place which the city willingly protects. Plenty of shade trees and lovely lawns. A treasure in the city.

This is a beautiful city park near the Santa Monica Pier with interesting fountains, architectural details and a few play areas for kids. Its well-staffed by city employees who maintain the grounds and bathroom areas. Because its in a high-traffic area, I wouldnt come here by myself, but its a fun place to come with friends.

A nice place! Pretty and with a lot of variety of things to do. Everything was unexpectedly closed when we visited though, and paths were not clearly labeled/defined.

A very beautiful park for all walks of life. Gorgeous trees, flowers and water fountains. At night the lighting is just absolutely cool.*Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Its a shame with all the comments here that people are so critical, and judgmental against homeless people. How about helping someone, instead of condemning them!? Mercy shown, Mercy given. Homeless people need love to.

Smaller than it looks on map. Grounds are well-kept and very clean the Sunday morning I went which was surprising because there are many homeless people everywhere in this park.

There was this one time we were here hanging out around passed midnight and barely anyone was there. (better during night time)

Beautiful park with unique floral design through the park; however its also an encampment for the homeless. Exercise caution

If it werent for the homeless encampments leaving garbage everywhere, this place would be much nicer.

Really nice modern park in Santa Monica. The park is across the street from city hall and full of modern fountains. It has a public restroom with a guard. The entire park is no smoking. Only complaint is the abundance of homeless people around the park, made it feel unsafe.

This park wasnt there few years ago. Its nice to walk into some green after a visit from the beach. Its so big that you can walk to through the park from the City Hall to the Pier.

My new secret garden. Many millions of tourist visit Santa Monica and totally miss this park. If youre asking me...its a bigger attraction than the rides and cluster of people gathered on the boardwalk. Im convinced that just like ants, humans love the crunch together thing. I do not. I love nature and my space. This park is beautiful!! And is a perfect date park. The local police travel on horses on occasion for safety. There are cameras in place monitoring activities. Its a great getaway from the hub-bub of Santa Monica. Love it or leave it alone. Bike friendly and the cleanest restrooms around!

One of my favorite Parks in LA. Near the Metro Expo Line, Santa Monica Pier, and the beach. Its a well designed modern park with nice water features and some great views of the Pacific. Great place to relax and lots of activities for kids. There is a playground, water to wade through and a splash fountain in the summer. Lots of benches and some picnic tables. The park is a model for low water use plants and all the water is reclaimed, cleaned drain water.

This has to be considered one of the coolest parks around since it literally draws people into it from every side, street, and entrance! Its very modern and intricate, similar to Disneyland in a sense of how magical this place can be. There are so many different places to this park that you honestly couldnt even know that without exploring it yourself. Tongva Park does an amazing job at letting you escape both Santa Monica and reality itself by engulfing you in a vast array of modestly tall trees with dense shrubs that provide all of the shade in this miniature forest. The only thing that this park could be missing, is a massive redwood in the middle of it!

We love it. It’s fabulous! One issue though is whenever we walk through the park, it’s a shame to see the homeless people taking it over. Sorry for the beauty and the benches.

Fun place for kids and adults! Perfect to relax under the shades!:)

Exceptional city park dedicated in 2013 and named after the local Native American Tongva people who have lived in the Los Angeles Basin for thousands of years. Full of art and beautiful garden spaces and a modernist jungle gym. Dont miss the public art piece Weather Field No. 1.

It is a 5 star park but it has turned into a homeless campground. I felt the benches and playsets were unsanitary because of all the vagrants who sleep and live here. Such a shame because when police were actually allowed to police the city, this park was filled with laughter and happy people.

Adorable and surprisingly clean!! Great place to walk around and for families. Lots of restrooms too!!!

On my first visit to Santa Monica I stopped at this park across the street from the Pier, it is so beautiful! Home of incredible sculptures, landscaping, walking path, and it is so quiet and clean. A huge contrast from the chaos at the pier. If youre looking for a nice place to have a picnic or bring your kids to play, its the perfect spot!

I met here a few home;less but presence didnt put me off from enjoying my time here. Landscape is beautifull, park well kept. In the close proximity of the famous pier.

Lots of hiking trails, great scenery and ocean views. Wide variety of hiking trails of various difficulty, they are well marked. You could spend a whole day of exploring here. #playground #picnic

Great water playground, bench area, and very clean bathrooms! Right across from the pier; great location for a full day of fun. Parking tip: if cannot find street parking, park at the Santa Monica court house. Daily max at $5 on wkend only!!

Beautiful structure by the beach

What can I say its nice but dangerous

Cool park. The water jets that shoot out of the ground were a lot of fun for my kids

Grat place to bring kids. Take water and snack! :)

We walked through this park on our way to Santa Monica Pier, as there was parking on the other side of it. It was very beautiful, with winding trails separated from each other by gorgeous landscaping, allowing for private walks. The succulents were huge and awesome, really great example of the possibilities for Southern California landscaping. Also has a water play area, and some sculptural observation points with good views of the pier.

Beautiful design, landscaping and architecture. Fabulous childrens areas and wonderful water features.

Love this park my kids love it, they also a water side on the park that it’s fun to cool down, beautiful view and nice to go for a stroll

Tongva Park is a nice, peaceful park in the center of Downtown Santa Monica, adjacent to the citys administration buildings and Police Department headquarters. It features exotic natural plants, and its a nice spot to take a break from the more touristy sections of the beach side community.

Many homeless around, not dirty but definitely not enjoyable.

Its peaceful. Thw surroundings are perfect on a bright day.

A beautiful park with a variety of visual themes. Always a nice visit. Plenty to occupy young kids. Includes a nice ocean overlook. A stones throw from the Santa Monica Pier.

Great viewing deck. The park is well designed and even has a play area for kids with water sprinklers they can run through. The pier is waking distance from here.

Great gen in the heart of Santa Monica. Most people pass it up without walking though. Theres benches little hills and water features. I always enjoy strolling around in my time off of work. Thank you Santa Monica!

Nice park the bad thing is their a lot of bumps at night

Such a little heaven in Santa Monica!I went with my family for a walk and it was such a big surprise to find a really nice park, so well maintained and very nicely designed!!Looking forward to come back :)

Great park just across the street from Santa Monica Pier. Splash pad, slides and climbing structures for kids to play on. They also have picnic benches set up in the shade. Easy to walk over to the beach afterwards.

This park is beautiful and serene. There are areas designated for children with water features and play equipment. Along the edge is the most amazing fig tree you will ever see! If you look to the sky and trees you may get a chance to see the falcons and hawks who live and frequent the trees there. It truly is a lovely place for children and adults alike.

Really nice little park, great for young kids. Spongy flooring and a rock climbing wall that encourage exploration with low risk of a tumble

Nice park but a lot of homeless

Great place to visit

This is a great little park between main street and 3rd street promenade. Quiet, easy to navigate with strollers or wheelchairs.Public restroom available, small childrens playground with small water play area, so bring a change of clothes for the kids.Our family always stopped here for a play whilst walking around the Santa Monica pier or shopping areas.Perfect to get away from the hustle and bustle whilst still been in the centre of things.

The park is clean and the toilet is really clean too. The kids playground is amazing but there are lot of homeless in the park. You can see them everywhere drinking and smoking.

Pretty landscaped park with play areas and art. Theres a ranger keeping an eye on things. The day we visited, there was police tape around one area, so maybe dont go in the early morning by yourself.

Beautiful park to bring the family Nd have a great time although theres a lot of addicts and homeless, other wise this park would be perfect

This park is always clean even the bathrooms. Great views to the coast line. They have a small play area for the kids. Peaceful to sit and read a book or listen to your music. You have a small panic here with your friends

Certain areas had a homeless encampment which made the experience not as enjoyable as it could have been.No presence of park employees to regulate such activity.

This is a beautiful city park near the Santa Monica Pier with interesting fountains, architectural details and a few play areas for kids. Its well-staffed by city employees who maintain the grounds and bathroom areas. Because its in a high-traffic area, I wouldnt come here by myself, but its a fun place to come with friends.Pro Tips:- If youre in the area, they have exceptionally clean and well-kept public restrooms!- Theres parking in Santa Monica Place, which is about a 5 minute walk

Love the artwork at this park. A photographers playhouse!

Having fun

Small park for the kids, sound of water and good amounts of shade for reading. Tongva is a great oasis in the midst of the busyness of Santa Monica to walk through, take pictures, take your kids, or just enjoy the beach breeze.

A cool little park to visit. You can go for s jog or walk and enjoy the park.

An exciting and beautiful park a couple blocks from the pier... A hand full of plaques explaining some of the historically significant items in the park...amazing, although short, trail lined with benches and trees to relax. Also has a few large picnic tables for groups, a small children play area and a large grassy area...the downside is that that the local homeless community had taken this area to be their haven and on several occasions seen groups of them partake in less then savory activities... Would not leave children unattended nor leave belongs out of reach.

Cool little place nice view of the pier

Nice park minus the homeless population that is always there. There is water fountains and nice kids play area.

Its beautiful until you realize youre sitting near a bunch of homeless people or unable to sit because all the homeless people are sleeping on every bench. At least sleep under the bench so I wont know youre there. I feel so bad seeing so many homeless people that arent getting helped off the streets and into a comfortable life. If I could, I would make sure that homelessness is never a thing. Theres just so many factors to consider when trying to eliminate homelessness, especially in America.

Cam loves Tongva Park. He wants to go there every time he visits.

Amazingly beautiful. More of a garden than a park. It was the highpoint of my weekend in Santa Monica. Stay on Main and walk the blocks to and just past Finn McCools for some cool shops. See a few tourist traps and elsewhere and move on. You can see everything there is to see in SM in one day.

Fun park in downtown Santa Monica for kids. Bring swim suits for running through the water equipment.

Lovely park in great condition. There were many families enjoying their day there and at the jungle gym. It was a nice place to sit down with friends and relax. Definitely will visit again.

It is always so amazing lay out, beautiful, great views of the ocean as well!

This is a beautiful and unusual park. There are several different areas of different plants. There are also many seating nooks and benches, 3 scenic outlooks and a playground with water feature for small kids. Its best enjoyed by wandering around, taking in details and reading signs.

Great park

Incredibly beautiful park with streams and water features and lots of benches to sit on an Amphitheater play area including water fountains for the kids to run through and slides its really great for both young and old the only thing I would mention is not to going after dark as tourists and homeless population up to no good however during the day there are ambassadors there on site and its a very safe place to take the kids to great place to have a party for birthdays for the young little ones

I love going to this park. Its a hidden oasis in the middle of busy CA!! I dont live too far from here so its super convenient. I bring my dog and we like to lay out on the grass. I sometimes bring a book to read, or my laptop or just lay and take in all the nature. Its a good spot also for a work out. And a great location for photo ops. & there is a parking lot which is great!

Best itakian cuisine (originak italian), great food, kind staff

Love it beautiful

Clean safe park to take tge kids.

Right by the pier! Relaxing and safe atmosphere!

Great place to take your kids on a hot summer day

Love love love this place.

You get a great view, almost 360 of SF up here. Golden gate bridge, downtown, golden gate park, etc. Site can be quite romantic with the moonlight guiding your way up. Beauty day and night!

Lovely park well kept and mostly clean, has a nice play area for kids and cool sculptures. Would recommend as a nice break from the busyness of the pier and it is just across the street. There are lots of pretty succulent plants

A multi-level park thats close to Santa Monica Pier/3rd Street Promenade without the crowds. A water garden, wave structure lookouts to Ocean Avenue, playgrounds for little ones, lots of plants. Across the street from City Services - great place to spend your lunch hour. A few homeless people but they were keeping to themselves. A park for everyone to enjoy!

This park is well kept for its location, but most of the very few playground equipment items arent appropriate for toddlers. Its mostly dressing for City Hall and the tourist pier. Its fine to go to if you need to kill time, but youre not going to spend more than an hour there.

Art in the park. Great for kids and the family.

Clean and beautiful park. Perfect for kids. Great payground.

Great for summer season it has water fountains and beautiful views to the Pacific ocean, very clean, and police always around for the community safety .

Dont recommend to come to this place with kids during pandemic.

I always direct visitors, who are going to Santa Monica, to that park. It is wonderful. We wish it was closer.

Beautiful park

Safe, clean park with slides, splashpad and climbing structures. Supervise little ones as theres a higher probability of slips and falls. Bring a towel and s change of clothes.

Frozen concentrative orange juice,btt, I would marry you, Brian

The parks design is simplistic, yet very beautiful. I love the trees with the scarlet flowers, and the succulents, and wavy grasses with the meandering paths. Its a relaxing environment suitable for the dog lovers, nature enthusiasts, joggers, touristy families, just about anyone! Its also really safe, especially during the day, so I wouldnt worry too much about that.

Good view

Great quick trip from Mid City to the MTA train. A block or two away from the station to the park. Clean park. Cool rock climbing area, splash pad, slides, (no swings), areas to climb, & picnic tables. A nice little oasis in a busy area.

A beautiful park near Santa Monica pier! I never expect to have a park like this with nice restrooms.

The playground is cool. Dont forget to take changing clothing for kids ;)

Enjoyed the activities available, considering the location it didnt feel out of place. Great to hit the playground then walk to the beach

Nice Park in Santa Monica near the Beach & Pier and legendary Pacific Coast Highway.

There is a good play area with a water deck for kids to get wet as cook down clean restrooms a over look..grass area for catch racing bubbles or kite flying the park is lit up at night simulated rivers and waterfalls

This a really cool place to wander through if youre walking in the area.

Great views, trees and challenges for all ages

Awesome place. My kids like it