Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Central Park

    4.4 (167 reviews)

    Central Park Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Central Park

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Rose
    Nick C.

    I just want to show my appreciation for the wonderful people who maintain the Rose Garden. The palette of colours on display here is dizzying. The overall effect is a beautiful marriage of tradition - the rose is brimming in historic symbolism - and modernity - look at those colours!

    John D.

    The Park Side 16.3-acre park that used to house a the Kohl Mansion before the City of SM purchased it back in 1922. It's a nice city park with lots of amenities that we decided to check out one day. The Good: *Japanese Garden located within. *Tennis Courts & Baseball Diamond *Reservable and non-reservable picnic areas *Rose Garden that you can rent for a wedding. *Several interesting animal sculptures including Leon the Giraffe :) *Centrally located to DTSM so there's plenty of restaurants within walking distance. *On weekends you can purchase plants from the San Mateo Arboretum Society (11 a.m. - 3 p.m.) *Several public restrooms The Meh: *If you visit M-Sat you'll have to pay (75¢/hr w/ no max) for parking at the parking garage but it's free on Sundays and after 6 p.m. Street parking will run you $1/hr w/ a 3hr max *They claim there's a train but couldn't/didn't see any evidence of it. :( The Ugly: *Surprisingly low amount of Local Outdoor Enthusiasts™ (I only saw one) patrolling the park, but there was a table of the local borrachos sippin' on some recently decanted Tecate®. Tldr: Great park with a good location but be prepared to pony-up some dough for parking.

    Phil A.

    This is a great park in a great location!! Central Park is located in Downtown San Mateo, and this whole area from the park to downtown is flat and walkable, which is the best way to enjoy everything here!! This park feels bigger than it is to me!! It has a playground, a Japanese Garden, a baseball field, tennis courts, picnic areas, a rose garden, a small train (which was inoperable when I was there), along with some animal sculptures - The Shaggy Dog Statue, Leon (the giraffe) and some bears. I'll be chillin at this park whenever I am in San Mateo, cause the vibe here is just that, chill!!!

    Picnic Areas - can be reserved
    Eva M.

    For a relatively "neighborhood" or "city" park, this "Central Park" has earned its name. Without looking like much around the perimeter (as we drove the entire perimeter looking for parking), this turned out to be an impressive park. Created nearly a century ago (1922), some parts have a rough-around-the edges look while others are clearly well maintained despite of age. Overall, it's worth visiting and certainly a good place to be for locals. Some of the Amenities and "finds": - Sizeable play set areas for the kiddos. Note that the ground is sand, so put on appropriate shoes for the kiddos if you want to minimize sand in the car. Nearby, there are benches with mature trees providing shade for the parental units to chill and keep and eye on their kids. - At least 3 picnic areas. They are meant to be reserve-able, but the reservation must be using a San Mateo address. - A rose garden with a cute gazebo. There are also huge hydrangea bushes nearby. - A fantastic little Japanese garden with a big pond, well stocked with koi, a little bridge, and a couple of pagodas. This was the most crowded area in the entire park. Be aware if you have COVID concerns. - Just outside the Japanese garden are some beautiful and unique flowers. Time of year dependent. See photos. - Several sport courts - tennis, a small baseball stadium, etc. Some of the outside adjacent surroundings have been built up such that unlike the NYC Central Park, it's not as obvious to see there's a park. We circled a bit, going into the side streets before finding parking.

    Kristine J.

    i am so happy i came here to walk around while playing pokemon :p i love this park! large, very clean park! i went on a saturday so there was a lot of people like lots of bbq, birthday parties BUT i didn't think it was crowded at all! so much space to walk around and even take pictures of the beautiful flowers! this park has different sections: rose garden, japanese tea garden (closes at 4pm) , fairy garden (it was close though when i was there), bbq area, lots of picnic tables. tbh, there was a lot of people here but i never have any trouble of finding a bench to sit on. i love this park!!! they even have a little train rides for the kiddies. dogs are allowed :) which is a plus! i will love to bring my dog here. they also have different flowers that ive never seen before! so pretty. i thought i was looking at mini lanterns but it was flowers that looked like lanterns. so pretty!! i will def come back here. and it's sooo close to downtown san mateo with lots of yummy restaurants! i was able to find parking just fine.

    Morning tai chi is the order of the day at the San Mateo Central Park.
    Bradley N.

    So: which matters more? The journey; or the ultimate destination? Typically I chose the destination, but I put a lot of time into mapping out an awesome entry route along the way. Why stick to major and often traffic clogged highways when obscure backroads are a ton more fun? San Mateo city has a pretty impressive Central Park by mid-peninsula standards. Which is to say, this ain't Golden Gate Park of the Big Apple, but when it comes to lovely shaded trees, tai chi friendly locations, blooming rose gardens (in season, naturally), ball fields, playgrounds, promenades, dog walking routes, picnic tables, and pretty great cell phone reception, well it really adds up around here. Personally, though, this park exists in my mind for one reason and one reason only: it's a pretty path to MY ultimate destination whenever I have an hour to spare in downtown San Mateo. The Japanese Garden. Opens at 10 am weekdays and 11 am weekends. That place is an oasis and possesses an intimacy, delicacy, and quiet unassuming grandeur that draws me in like an all powerful electromagnetic field that is as strong as it is undeniable. So, the baby sitters, dog walkers, tai chi masters, joggers, promenading couples, smart phone addicts, picnickers, gardeners, ball players, and other visitors can have Central Park. Me? I'm just passing by. It's the journey, not the destination for me. Because the Japanese Garden: it beckons.

    Angel L.

    I stumbled upon this park when I was visiting the Japanese gardens and it definitely gave me NYC vibes. I wish I had taken more photos of the park but it was huge and had lots of space for people to sit on benches and the grass. There is a lot of shade too! I saw that there is a nursery that is open fridays and saturdays so I bet the park gets busy on weekends in addition to people walking/sitting. The rose garden was also super pretty! I love that there is this beautiful public space for people to visit, be active, and share memories.

    Henry L.

    We enjoyed stopping by here to visit the Japanese garden. Although the Japanese garden is small, it is extremely well maintained and in terms of East Asian geomancy (fengshui), the arrangement allows great channeling of energy for visitors. The animals here genuinely seem happy. Koi are very friendly and always greeting visitors, and the turtles seem to enjoy basking in the sun. You will also enjoy the birds that visit as well. Do not miss the beautiful Japanese maple(s). Excellent place for a slow stroll, a date, or for a family walk. The explanations are wonderful, with both English and Japanese (with beautiful standard Kanji). If you're a student of Japanese language or a native Japanese speaker, you will appreciate the simplicity and beauty of the Japanese descriptions.

    wildlife guide
    Michele C.

    This is a great park for walking around in. there is a large rose garden with a gazebo as well as many hydrangea plants. The gazebo helps make it very picturesque. It is quite beautiful when the weather is overcast because you can appreciate the colors of the plants. There is a statue of a dog which is very nice. The garden is a nice calm place to stroll. There are some picnic tables at the entrance for a convenient place to eat a casual lunch. There are some interesting old buildings there too. There is some other interesting art and some educational plaques there as well, including one about the wildlife in the park.

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mario B.
    1231
    549
    2016

    2 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 1
    Love this 7
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 23
    Thanks 0
    Love this 17
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 13
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bradley N.
    1897
    1206
    3031

    4 years ago

    Helpful 16
    Thanks 0
    Love this 15
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Benny H.
    2462
    2617
    15551

    5 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Angel L.
    1144
    518
    2093

    5 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Henry L.
    493
    1056
    6383

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Michele C.
    577
    693
    4722

    4 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 8
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cuazzy N.
    34
    399
    95

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Si C.
    190
    14
    7

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ming C.
    321
    2414
    15154

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Edwin R.
    50
    1471
    12326

    14 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 15
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    I love this park. I love tree vine over by picnic area. Nice where stage is across way.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Beautiful and big park. It is a great place to take pictures and go on a walk. They have a small japanese garden around there.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of David D.
    2293
    359
    1750

    9 years ago

    Helpful 31
    Thanks 0
    Love this 30
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Meg T.
    798
    3311
    1969

    10 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Central Park

    Review Highlights - Central Park

    There is a Japanese garden located on site that is very serene and with koi fish swimming around in the pool.

    Mentioned in 58 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Parks 19,108 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Sunnybrae Park

    Sunnybrae Park

    4.3(7 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    Sunnybrae Park is a fenced-in neighborhood park in residential San Mateo…read more Features: * Play structures with slides, http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MyeVB0vQpM4zO1sbI_cbIg?select=eSSw-aeMI3DUxTLnsdwSjg monkey bars, etc. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MyeVB0vQpM4zO1sbI_cbIg?select=YQ3qblZNMKrWqMPUOtEYmQ * Two bucket swings http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MyeVB0vQpM4zO1sbI_cbIg?select=o9cJAznoSebiGhGn3qekzw * Two strap swings * Sand * Playhouse with chalk for drawing on the roof http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MyeVB0vQpM4zO1sbI_cbIg?select=H9GZ-QkcT4lhhNEqj35btQ * Play vehicles http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MyeVB0vQpM4zO1sbI_cbIg?select=82X5KrpJ_u9PfgivWcfXXQ * Picnic tables and benches http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/MyeVB0vQpM4zO1sbI_cbIg?select=iBGXY_9Pa52-UiNLNUveEg * Drinking fountain * Lawn * Trees (shade on the periphery) * Street parking It's not a huge park, but there is plenty to do here. There are no bathrooms. The nearest public restrooms are probably Trader Joe's or K-Mart. Leashed dogs are welcome.

    This park has a couple of unique play structures for imaginative play. It has one structure where…read morechildren can drop sand down tubes onto different levels. My toddler likes this. It also has a little house structure. In addition, it has the large and small play structures for children. It is nicely all fenced in, including a small lawn. It has swings and tables too. Unfortunately, there is no restroom. And it does not seem in easy walking distance of shops.

    Photos
    Sunnybrae Park
    Sunnybrae Park
    Sunnybrae Park

    See all

    Central Park - parks - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...