We absolutely love coming to this park. The kids get so excited every time we pull up im front. The other kids are usually friendly as well and end up playing games together which is an added bonus! read more

Went to this park to give our grandkids a break from sitting in the car. We had a 7 year old, 13 and 16 with us. So only the 7 year old loved the park. She said give it a 4 star. She found someone to hang out with and didn't want to leave. read more

Alameda Park - The park - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

We came to this park primarily because we saw the huge playground kids world right near the street, had to drop by in the morning to explore it with the kids. Free street parking. read more

awesome playground for the kids We have been to many other playgrounds in the area, and this was my kids favorite by far read more

Alameda Park is a large, lovely, kid-friendly park directly adjacent to the Alice Keck Memorial Garden, another large, lovely, kid-friendly park where our two-year-old is obsessed with creeping on ducks and turtles. We brought him here after a Sunday lunch at Alice Keck, and he was not pleased when we took him home for his nap after less than an hour. I think he could spend a whole afternoon at Kids' World alone. Actually, to be honest, I don't know what the rest of Alameda Park even looks like because we were immediately drawn to Kids' World, an attractive mega-playground designed in keeping with the downtown Santa Barbara aesthetic--lots of wood, no bright-colored plastic. Most of it seemed designed for older kids, but there was a toddler-friendly section that was fun and accessible for our little one. He enjoyed running around and riding the baby swings. There were a lot of other families around, but the place didn't feel crowded. It was a pleasant, entertaining place to spend a weekend afternoon. We're in Santa Barbara about once a month, and Kids' World is a great addition to our rotation of activities. Our children will grow up stomping through this wonderful park. read more

Kids World is a must stop when we travel back home to Santa Barbara. Had a blast, ran into my buddy from High School (sbhs) our daughters hit off! Play dates cometh! read more

See all

Probably the best playground I've ever seen in terms of size. Big, and something for everyone! And right across for Alice Keck to see the turtles! read more

See all

This is a large park in Santa Barbara with ample grassy space, paths and benches, and a good amount of street parking. The star of the park, though, is the playground. If you search online for things to do in Santa Barbara with toddlers or kids, this park comes up because of the large playground. The playground is a big "castle" with swings, rings, and lot of things for kids to climb and 4-5 slides of varying heights. The steps in the castle are too steep for my 2 year old to step up but a good height for him to climb. He had a really good time going down the small slides and climbing up and down the big steps. I don't think this park is better than the beach, but if you are in Santa Barbara with kids for a long time and are sick of the beach, it's worth going. read more

So much fun! Excellent location. Beautiful space. Picnic tables, plenty of shade, parking. Huge play structure.

On our way down from our central coast trip, we decided to stop in SB. We wanted to find a park to spread our picnic blanket out enjoy the beautiful warm weather. This neighborhood park was perfect! Completely surrounded by homes, this park is tucked into a residential neighborhood but it's big! There's an entire playground, which looked like it had more than your typical slides & swings. Had I been a little one, I'd have loved this place! There were people walking their dogs, having picnics like us, watching their kids play & just strolling. read more

There are only a few Kid Friendly places in Santa Barbara but the Alameda Park is a must stop if you visit Santa Barbara with family. There are two parts to this park, one has a very large wooden playset, the other has a large duck and turtle pond. The kids loved this park and we spent over an hour why they ran through all of the wooden playset. Parking is located on the streets around the parks but be mindful of parking hours and limitations via the posted signs. There was also a women selling mangoes on a stick for $3. She'll add some type of seasoning if you ask. Creeper Alert! - There's a creeper in this park, a giant with gray hair. It was hard to tell why this person was in the park, when he wasn't lounging in the dirt next to kids park, or rummage in the trash bins, he was spending a lot of time in the bathroom or off trail in the bushes.. Because he kept staring at the kids area for no apparent reason ( i.e. he had no kids) I was mad-dogging him pretty hard. Eventually he got in his car and drove off... Or so I thought. When we walked across the street to the duck pond park he showed up again?!?! This time he was walking in the back bushes off trail and then he was crawling around in the reeds next to a young couple having lunch...( see picture) Something tells me that people that live in SB and go to this park often know about this giant. Keep your head on a swivel if you have kids. read more

See all

One of my favorite local attractions! I'm fortunate to live right across the street from this beautiful, two-block park. It's a peaceful space with a lush lawn comprising the majority of it. Even with Covid in place, the grounds are maintained on a regular basis. The main attraction is the Kids' World playground which debuted some 28 years ago when I was in kindergarten. I have had countless fun times here as a child, and it's wonderful to see it still being utilized just as it was when new. There's really nothing else like it in Santa Barbara. The other block of the park is anchored by a large gazebo area. It's an attraction for the annual Earth Day and Summer Solstice festivals. I can't wait until we able to celebrate both again. The tall shade trees and meandering paths really make this spot feel serene. I am looking out to the park from my window as I write this. I think I'll go head across the street and enjoy its beauty right now! read more

Alameda Park - Having the time of my life at Kids' World in probably 1994 - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

This park is great for birthday parties and weekend visits. They rent out the grass areas for larger events and have a picnic table inside the park for smaller events. A couple of times we've gone and there is free entertainment like a clown or magician, one time the local library was there handing out books. I think that the bathrooms need to be cleaned more often and parking is never fun! Hence the 4-star versus 5. read more

Great place for kids to enjoy their time at the park. Playground is big enough to keep them entertained for at least 30 min

Visited SB for a day and stopped by this playground to let my daughter get her energy out. I was really impressed with this play ground. It was big enough for kids to run around and my daughter really enjoyed the maze-like castle for kids to climb and explore. Def stop by if you have kids! read more

See all

I love this park! It spans three city blocks, with one section having a huge and awesome wooden castle-play-structure and one section having beautiful botanical gardens, gazebos and a fantastic turtle pond. So, in reality it's not that cool that the pond is full (overflowing practically) with turtles since it's due to people dumping them there, but if you just want a quiet place to relax and enjoy some nature, this is a great park. I've been here on several occasions to use it as a photography background and last weekend I stopped by just to chill out and kill some time. I saw lots of turtles, ducks, gulls, and coots. The botanical gardens are beautiful with plants still in bloom. The day I was here taking engagement photos for some friends we saw no fewer than six other photo shoots going on for families, couples, and modeling. It's really such a lovely spot. I can't recommend it enough. If you have an hour to kill and aren't sure where to go, come here. It's pretty easy to find free parking spaces on the streets and you'll have a really nice time. read more

See all

Kiddo happily played to her heart's content today afternoon in the Kids World- a welcome respite from sightseeing. This is one of the more extensive kids playground structures I have ever seen and as a parent, it gets two giant thumbs up! My only struggle is that it is so massive that it can be tough to keep track of your kid unless you follow them around. The entire play area is surrounded by a gated fence, which keeps kids from running off but doesn't necessarily keep all the creepers out. Definitely worth a visit for some kid-friendly fun! The giant fig tree next to the playground is pretty neat too ;) read more

Alameda Park - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

My all time favorite park, I was blessed enough to live across the street from it. The very first time I looked for where to move I discovered this wonderful space. Across the street is another garden / park too, which is lovely to walk through or meditate at. This park offers so much for kids and adults alikez read more

Such a beautiful park! It's lots of green space and benches. Our fave part was kids world which is a gated large play area for kids. Easy free parking. Lots of areas to walk around. Overall we had a great time! read more

Top marks! There's about 8000sf of play structure here to run, climb, and explore. Lots of slides and swings. Plus many unique attractions like the marble maze and huge "finger maze". read more

This is a great park! Kids can have a real adventure here: exploring the labyrinth of towers in the castle, playing hide and seek next to an enormously gigantic tree, getting balloon hats created for them by balloon artists, swinging on a big yellow tire or enjoying a variety of twisty slides. What a fun place! We will definitely be back. read more

I adore this park and it is truly a Kids World! It is so well designed and has children at the heart of every detail. I heard that volunteers helped design and build the park and that they still take great care of it and it shows! I absolutely love it and my kids do as well. Thank you for this wonderful park! read more

Most amazing big wood play structure I've seen. Not just another playground in this age of cookie-cutter bright colored plastic ones. No wonder they call it "Kid's World." Highlights: - Play structure: huge maze of a castle with multiple levels to explore. Incredibly impressive and fun. Seems to me like it could fill half of a football field or more. - Variety: several slides, balance beams, tires, driving wheels, and monkey bars - Age levels: a smaller version for the little ones off to the side - Sea creature statues: a whale and a shark to play on - Picnic area: good for lunching, taking a break for a snack, or chilling as a parent - Steps away from the garden across the road with a pond and turtles, ducks, pretty flowers, and a gazebo - Shaded area: not too hot Midlights: - Tanbark: I'm undecided about this filler but reminds me of my childhood Lowlights: - Need to be extra vigilant: lots of kids running around and bunches of crevices so easy to lose sight of your kid Hard to find a solid old school diamond like this, so and I'll come back as often as I can. read more

Kids growing up around here are so lucky. This is playground in this park is SWEET! It's a huge area with so many things to climb on and under just perfect. I couldn't resit it and I had to play on it, swinging from the hanging rings like a monkey. =p On the bottom level of the structure there are crawl spaces built in, it's a great place to get away from the hot mid-day sun and look at all the "art" kids drew inside. Fun stuff it's covered like the Sistine Chapel, I don't know how many adults get that vantage point but check it out yo. Then as if that park wasn't cool enough there is a whale and shark chilling, great picture taking spot (I hugged the whale). The rest of the grassy park is shaded by trees, the coolest ones are the large Moreton Bay Fig trees that have twisted roots and stretching branches begging to be climbed on. Those trees just evoke happy memories of me in elementary school playing "tree tag". =) Santa Barbara has it's fair share of vagrants, but in this park most seemed friendly and was there to enjoy a comfortable nap. Since I was here for the Summer Solstice celebration, there was vendors, food tents and a music.I bought some food and had a little picnic listening to music and watched barefooted hippies dance along with a couple of hooping girls. What a colorful place. =) read more

With two toddlers who wanted to play, we were returning from our trip to Solvang when we found this huge playground that resembled a tree house, playground and obstacle course in one. My boys loved going up and down the slide and they also had fun watching the entertainment at the center of the play area. He was doing four shows that day. A little bit of comedy, magic and story telling. My boys loved it. The park is quite large so make sure to park at the northeast corner of the four quads. There's only street parking but still had enough space for us to find parking. There's also a fruit and ice cream vendor there on weekends. I would highly recommend the spot to people passing through. read more

What a cool park! It's huge with lots of grass and a large wooden jungle gym where kids go wild. There are also large marine animals to climb on and take fun pictures. Lots of trees and tables if you want to bring the family for a nice picnic or host a party. Street parking surrounding the park too if you come from afar! read more

Alameda Park - Super cool wooden jungle gym - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Sometimes I imagine it from many years ago. This place was so overgrown with trees hanging to the ground, palm and bamboo forests. It was a jungle. Sometimes we'd hop the fence at the El Mirasol property but we were scared of being caught...it was a fun place to play. It's great now too as I sit here feeling the warm sun shining through the tall trees and hearing the sounds of happy kids. It is a wonderful park. read more

My little one LOVES coming to Kids World. After the modifications they did, it became a lot more safer and nicer. The castle has many sections and is divided by a bridge, wish I had a similar playground growing up because I would have loved it. Best part is there's a seating section for parents to just watch their kids. I can just relax while my little one plays with other kids and gets tired lol then the next stop is downtown. There's also towers of fingerprints of kids from all different schools, very admirable how they involve members of the community into these areas. read more

Alameda Park - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Very nice park for everyone! Enough space/paths to take a nice stroll. Children have their own play area that looks pretty safe, clean, and fun. The playground is fenced (short wood fence) so there's one entrance/exit. Not many benches to sit at, it's mostly to sit on the grass or walk around. It's not a huge park, but I found it to be nicer than some bigger parks. Grass is very patchy, there's a lot of mostly dirt areas, but green grass makes up the majority of the park. read more

See all

Great park with gardens and a pond. Perfect for a picnic. We visited during Covid-19 while playgrounds were still shut down. Perfect for a walk around the park and to let our toddler play! read more

A great playground and park off just off the downtown. The centerpiece is the "Kid's World" play structure. Its rather big and complex with lots of nooks and crannies for exploring and pretending. (Parents be forewarned: the structure isn't really made for adults, so you might very well get stuck in a nook or a cranny.) Nice touch is a little theater -in-the-round stage in the mix for parents to sit and watch and/or for kids to pretend they are star performers. Also swings and sand near by. As part of the same block, there is an expansive grassy area for playing catch, running around and barbecuing and picnics. Across the street, there a garden with lilly pads, koi and ducks. Its nicely secluded form the hubbub of the neighborhood by trees and bushes. read more

I love Kids world.. The gardens, the turtle and koi pond... ahhhh so beautiful. Great memories here :) It's a beautiful area to take a stroll, read a book, drink some tea or take the kids to play :) You definitely want to spend some leisurely time just for you or the entire family here! read more

I wasn't really a fan of this playground because the way it's built is so dangerous. There's a lot of narrow spaces all over that children and tots can fall into while playing or climbing and overall it's just poorly designed. I'm also not a fan of wood chips over sand because the whole purpose of a park is to take your sand toys along. Good thing we're not from the area and we won't be coming back. read more

Great place for kids to run around and get their wiggles out. We were in SB for a family vacation and the kids needed to blow off some steam so they had fun running around the whole playground. It's nice bc the kids area is enclosed by a gate and there is a separate toddler section geared for the smaller kids. There are lots of pathways the kids can take though so it can be hard to keep track of your kids. read more

When my daughter was young whenever we'd come home to SB she could hardly wait to go to Kids World. It's a great place to play because kids can spend hours of intense activity crawling, climbing, swinging, hiding, running, sliding, in a safe, contained area, close to the parents, but still independent. That's what this space was intended for - and I remember this was a major issue when it was built back in the 1990s. It's the antidote for overly safe, sterile playgrounds where parents constantly breathe down their kids' necks and don't let them have any fun. read more

Alameda Park - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

Is it weird that I drive all the way from LA to come to this park? It's amazing! There are no shortage of fun activities for kids and adults alike! read more

We initially went to the park because they had this cool castle like play structure. The kids loved it. Across the street was a duck pond and as we were looking at ducks and turtles in the pond, we could hear what sounded like folk Gaelic music coming from under a huge shaded tree. We walked through to find a large group of musicians who gather each Wednesday to play. Random people just show up with their instruments and join in on the tune like a drum circle. read more

Alameda Park - Parks Near Me - Santa Barbara, California

See all

This was a nice playground to find in Santa Barbara. The playground is included as part of a nice park near the downtown area. The park itself is rather pleasant; paths lined with different types of trees and some beautiful ponds in the area. The playground itself has the odor of a hamster cage needing cleaning, likely due to the fact that wood-chips composed the grounding. The equipment is also composed of wood, and through it's definitely a splinter trap, the equipment was plentiful with slides, bridges, ropes and climbing areas. Lots of kids in the area, so it's easy to find play-friends. There are picnic tables near the playground and lots of park benches scattered throughout the playground. read more

It's a nice park and nice location plenty of parking you could do your walk around the block you look across the street for the yard park and feed the ducks in the lake and it's a kid world is to said he did a good job for the kid world OK thank you I'll give it five stars read more

A gorgeous day in SB and an awesome park to spend it in.. Google search helped us find this place on our halfway point to LA. Easy parking for a Sunday ... Free... What??? And an amazing play structure. These days it doesn't qualify as a park without the requisite play structure, so it passed the kiddo's standards for a fun playground. Ladies selling fresh ripe mangos on a stick and homemade potato chips and shave ice... Yes, real shave ice, not that snow cone cr-p, from a cart. Tried them all, and food permit absence aside, our tummies are not full of crummies and we are ok. Amazing picnic area adjacent, clean bathrooms nearby and overall, a wonderful experience.... Worth a visit for any family! read more