My husband brought us here. We loved our time. So great that…read morethey sold cold water !!! We enjoyed the train ride so nice and we were the only ones since we came in a week day! I'm looking forward to coming back and bringing more family. Great photos and the ride is definitely worth the price.

Came here on a Saturday morning around 11am. Tickets for train and carousel is $5 per person and…read morefree for kids 2 and under. The train ride is less than 10 minutes with no cover so we brought our hats. It's a quick ride and you pass by the parking lot and a park. My girls enjoyed it. After we played by the nearby park. There is a bathroom close to the train ticket booth and lots of tables to enjoy a snack or even lunch. They were just starting the grill to cook the food for lunch but our girls were hungry so we left to get food elsewhere.

Again, my tourist trip brought me to a popular spot just north of Cannery Row on a Friday around…read morenoon. After walking from my hotel to downtown and exploring, I planned to have lunch at a place here. When I reached here, I was surprised with the number of restaurant and shops there are as it reminded me of a place back home, not the one by the same name in my hometown. As I walked down the pier to the very end, I looked at the various themes and cuisine types that were offered, naturally with seafood being the emphasis here. When I got to near the end, I saw a line for an attraction that my local friends recommended to do in my free time. Unfortunately, my schedule on this trip was limited so I was unable to go. As I headed back to the starting point, I walked into the restaurant that I bookmarked for lunch. I was fortunate that, despite the foggy morning, the weather was blue skies and sunny as I sat down for lunch. As I walked back towards Cannery Row, I looked at the other food stands more carefully, looking for possible future meals here. The attraction that I plan to do on my next visit is whale watching. I saw at least two companies that offered this on staggered schedules and I will try to work this into my next trip to the area. The wharf is friendly for locals and tourists and again family friendly. I noticed a sign about a special event happening for Halloween and the Festa Italia was being held just a few steps away on this particular weekend. Do stop here to shop, eat, and catch some of the sights and sounds of Monterey.

My family and I enjoy visiting Monterey every summer. It's a wonderful and relaxing getaway from…read moreSouthern California. During each visit, we always take time to go to the wharf for lunch or dinner to see and experience the marine life and the overall vibe of the ocean, the wharf, and the city itself. One of the larger restaurants on the wharf is undergoing extensive renovation, so a big part of it is closed to the public, which diminishes the overall experience. On our recent trip, we visited the wharf twice and enjoyed our time either dining or taking videos and photos of birds, seals, and sea otters. Tip: There are many homeless people at the entrance to the wharf asking for money. Most are very polite, but one was very aggressive, so please stay aware of your surroundings when visiting.

This was our first visit to the playground. I saw the size and diversity of structures here and…read moreknew we had to visit. Since we were going to be in the area, it was added to our agenda for the day. From the parking lot, you see a baseball field, life size train behind black gates and restrooms. The parking lot was adequate in size and held about 20-25 cars. We were fortunate to obtain the last open parking space while others circled and departed. At the entrance of Dennis the Menace, there are the restrooms, a case for free books to leave or take, a stand on the background of the playground, an oversized lion who's mouth serves as a water fountain (so cool!) and a Dennis the menace comic strip page. Directly behind the train, to your right as you enter, is an oversized figure of Dennis the Menace enclosed in the gate. There are 2-3 stands sharing the history and significance of the trains presence. There are large rocks to climb with two tunnels to walk through, a rock climbing wall, a cross bridge connecting two large rocks, swings, slides, a maze made from gates leading to a smaller play structure, a tube based slide, an oversized sunshine staircase, a boat, and so much more. This space is incredible to experience as an adult, our daughter ran around for hours allowing us to share in her fun running along side her. There were few spots offering refuge from the sun and seating was minimal. There are a few benches, but mostly the stone structure surrounding the play area was used. The gnats...they were everywhere in swarms making it difficult to navigate and fully enjoy. We were constantly swatting at the tiny buggers, our daughter was existing free as a bird making her way around the park - doubt she noticed. There were a few spots on the park we were able to find relief, very few. It would be great if the park implemented some bug deterrent to lessen the presence of the gnats. Other than that, it was an incredible experience we all enjoyed. We were there for a few hours and only departed because she needed to eat dinner. 4.5 due to the presence of the gnats. In their absence a solid 10.

Dennis the Menace Playground, Monterey…read more August 2026 I've been here a few times with my family. This is an awesome park and it's pretty big! This park is great for all ages even for adults too! I highly recommend going on the weekends, although there are a lot of people, I think they close during the weekday since there's a preschool nearby. Right next to this playground entrance, there's a baseball field and there's a small snack bar, it's called El Estero Snack Bar, they sell hamburgers, fries and drinks. We ordered the nacho cheese fries with jalapeno peppers on the side. It came out piping hot! Although it seems so basic, it was really good on a cold day! Highly recommend this playground and would come back if I'm in the area. This place is awesome!

My only complaint about Oak Meadow is the parking situation is super tricky! The lot is way too…read moresmall for such a big and wonderful park! Other than that, the carousel and train are so much fun and I can't say enough good things about the staff that work tirelessly here on weekends! I had my kid's birthday party here and it was so much fun. The only downside was parking was difficult for guests and our magician. I had to haul ass to the parking lot multiple times to help with parking and it was a bummer. But I will love this park forever.

Went on a trail walk and ended up at this park to eat the snacks and e brought with us. It was a…read moreMonday afternoon, so it was pretty quiet. We sat closer to the bathrooms, so far enough away from the playground. If you're going to sit on the grass just be careful about not sitting in geese poop. They have several areas where they keep picnic tables. You might just want to bring a wet rag or something to clean off the space. If you're looking for entertainment for the kids, you can take a mini train ride throughout the park. On weekends they have the snack bar open. They sell candy, soda pop, hamburgers and hot dogs. Never had anything there but in case you came to the park and decided to stay a little longer, then there's food available. They keep the park relatively clean. Plenty of garbage cans so no littering. There's a beautiful creek that is close to the park.

This is the most thrilling attraction at Gilroy Gardens. We did have to wait almost an hour for it…read more(we went during holiday season), but since we're not locals it was a must to try at least once. It is themed after the mines, and you ride on a mine cart. When you're in the queue you can see pictures and some historical snippets, but not much to look at in general. The ride itself isn't super fast and doesn't go very high so the drops don't feel anything more than someone quickly going down a hill in a car. So when they say thrilling that may mean thrilling for kids, but as someone said, this is a great trainer coaster. Fun, but not something I'd wait over 30 minutes for. It is neat that it goes through the trees here and it's the only ride that has it's own separate check in on Yelp? I know Disney has separate check ins for everything, so maybe it is time to change that LOL.

The website boasts this "thrilling mine coaster speeds you through dips and turns surrounded by…read morenearly 600 trees!" Built in 2001 by DH Morgan Mfg, it's billed as the only "thrill ride" in Gilroy Gardens, although their wobbly Sky Trail Monorail ride makes my adrenaline rush because it feels like it's going to fall. The track is 2,139 feet with a top speed of 32 mph. The highest of the two lift-hills is 38 feet, which is about 7 yawning grandpas end to end. Basically, the smooth dips and turns of this two-lift steel coaster disguised as an abandoned cinnabar (mercury) mine train that is a very basic but enjoyable ride that's thrilling for someone barely reaching the height requirement (42" to ride with an adult, 48" to ride alone). It's a good training coaster. The cool thing is that they'll often let you stand by the exit wall for a chance at a second ride if they anticipate that the next train won't fill up. Think "Big Thunder" but not that big. Think "Small Thunder" but not that thunderous. Think "light rain", or "hummingbirds spitting on you".

Ohh Nealon Park, how I love you. Let me count the ways:…read more 1. You are a fully accessible park with activities for everyone. 2. You have room for your small and large friends alike, including parents, which makes my achy back and knees so happy. 3. You're well-maintained with plenty of parking, manicured landscaping, and all park equipment in good working condition. 4. You're fully fenced in so I don't need to worry about my child running into traffic or straying too far. 5. You're close to coffee and food shops. 6. You're great for birthday parties, with tons of space and tables! Whether you're a parent of a human child or a dog child, this park is fantastic. Fenced in playground, large open grass area, and plenty of shade. Wonderful little gem that we're lucky to have in the area!

Loved this park. Great fenced in playground with multiple structures that catered to big and small…read morekids, including this merry go round structure that the kids were obsessed with. There's a huge green space, tennis courts and it's great for picnicking. There's side of street and also some limited lot parking. The green space is pretty dark after sunset and isn't well lit, playground was still usable after dark. Overall, great location!

Carousel Columbia the first thing you see when entering Great America. How can you come to the park…read moreand not ride the carousel. Pick your horse or a bench sit down and enjoy the view. They even have a leopard horse and if you know, you know. Fun for all agents and a seat for everyone.

It's a classic. I prefer the upper deck where all the horses go up and down. Sometimes it's really…read moredifficult if you have shorter legs to get on the horses that are in the fully up position.

A very popular park for picnics, biking and walking…read more I've been going to this park ever since I was a child. The playgrounds were great when I was a kid and they still are today. Always great to see birdlife here: geese, coots, ducks, grebes, herons and an occasional hawk. Very popular with dog walkers on a leash (the dogs, not the people ). Recommendation: The park officials would be praised if they organized a separate trail track for humans and bicyclists. It would make both walkers and bicyclists so very happy. This park's popularity makes it crowded at times. Especially weekends.

Is it just me or did this place go down hill? The grass area does not seem to be maintained at…read moreall. It's not leveled, tree trimmings and dead grass everywhere. Paid the $6 parking fee to enter and left 10 mins later. Went to a local park in Saratoga that had beautiful grass. Didn't pay parking. Laid out a picnic blanket to have lunch.

Beautiful, charming, affordable. A must do if you're with children in GG park. The only con…read more is that there is really only one spot to take a pic. We will be back! P.S. don't get discouraged by the long line in the area-it's for a coffee/food stand

Old time Beautifully maintained Carousel. $2.50 for adults and $1 for children. Ride is long enough…read moreto enjoy and has traditional music. The attendant was nice and interactive.