3/21/26 What a great find! It is a good seven minute walk from our place and I just happened to stumble upon it on my morning walk. This park is a great gathering and refresh place for the community of San Gabriel for leisure exercise nature walks for children and adults alike. There is a couple of playgrounds located inside Vincent Lugo Park, one of which is La Laguna playground with huge animal shaped installments for children to play & explore and a regular playground with swings & climbing/jungle gyms. For adults, there are outdoor exercise equipment, which I saw are located in two separate places.. There are more nooks & crannies for me to explore that I may find in my next visit. Picnic tables are found some shaded some not, bbq grills, too. Additionally, there are covered tables and chairs as well for the community to hold parties or any kind of celebration. Walking paths are available, both cement & ground (clay-like). I noticed that there were a few sets of people doing tai chi-a few of them brought their music to coordinate their movements. It seems like small park tucked away, almost hidden. It's like a nature trail for me. I figure I could cut across the Alhambra Wash path to walk to it next time. Restrooms available, ample parking spaces. Lots of trees, greens. I love this "discovery" read more

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I used to come here as a kid and it was the best park in my opinion. Love the character slides with dragons, whales, and dinosaur. This time there's seals, a boat, dolphins, octopus, snail, and sea star. The downside is sometimes the slides may have been used as a restroom so you can smell it and might need to avoid those slides. They do have a restroom which is a smelly and dirty but useable. Other than that, great park with sand! So be careful! read more

I was being silly, and just wanted to see the sea creatures. We found the more traditional playground first with the octopus decoration and sea serpent, and were about to leave when my eye caught some colors on the other side of the ballfield! Eureka! La Guda de San Gabriel! With the slides, and creatures to climb or ride! read more

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Cute park. Not toddler friendly. My child was scared but the older kids (8,9) enjoyed themselves. There's two parks connecting through a small trail. It's very quiet and pretty clean. read more

Amazing, one-of-a-kind park!! Take your kids, they will love it. The structures are so fun and they have made updates recently.

I love taking my kids to this park! They have a playground at the front with swings. If you follow the trail going towards the back of the park there is a giant sandbox with these characters that my kiddos absolutely love! read more

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Love this park. I've been coming here since I was a kid. Bring my daughter here now. Those old concrete slides/play apparatus are vintage and classic. Not the safest by today's standard but if it was good enough back in the 60's, it's good enough for kids today. read more

A beautiful historical park that feels like a hidden gem bc it is indeed hard to find! read more

Vincent Lugo Park - Lighthouse slide! - Parks Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Great park for kiddos! They've just redone a lot of the kids "lagoon" area and it looks better than ever. There's some walking paths, California native plants, and quite a few wild bunnies. There's also a rentable covered picnic area. read more

Looking for something to do, give this place a try. It's a good size park next door to a school. There are picnic table areas where you can set up for a birthday party. There are big sculptures like a dragon that kids can climb on or a giant snake that's a slide. You also have an octopus looking sculpture that kids can climb along side a snail that is a slide. There is also a whale, a boat and many other sculptures that kids can play on. A traditional playground is also available aside from the sculpture side. Kids can run, climb, slide and play. There is also a little trail that you can walk on that leads you around the park and there is also a big grass area. If looking for a new park to have kids run wild give this place a shot. read more

We stopped here last month as we had some time to kill while my wife was taking her classes. This park has two sides - a pretty good modern style playground on one side and then an old school side with more creative sculptural play structures (a little rundown though) like sea serpent, snail, dragon, whale, etc that the kids loved! I only wish they would proceed more quickly with the restoration of that part of the park as the sign indicated it has been a few years. read more

Wow! This is vintage yet looks ahead of its time. This park has hidden gems at the back. I went here for a birthday party. At first, the park seems small but the party was behind the small bridge at the back, and behind the covered party area, there was this amazing kids' park. LIke, AMAZING! So let's talk about the party first. It was a bit hidden and though it's out in a park, it has a lot of privacy. The covered area was big, I think it has about 6-8 long tables to fit a huge crowd of guests. There was a bathroom not too far and there were areas where kids can run around like loose canons. This place was kept clean with a lot of trash bins nearby. The table has this design like wood so when you put a tablecloth on it, your drink might decide to do a summersault, so be careful. Then, behind these trees with arguing squirrels, and bushes, there was this majestic kids' playground. It was like back to the future type of thing. There were giant dinos and whales, and all sorts of giant stuff for kids to climb and play. I couldn't believe that it was made decades and decades ago. This place is HISTORIC!!! Our kids enjoyed it so much. read more

Open during covid-19. This park has done a lot of renovation over the years. Plenty of picnic tables. Nice scenic walk path. Playgrounds are still closed. Plenty of parking in the lot and street. read more

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This is my kids' favorite park right now. My 5 and 3 year old love the sea creature themed section with the snails, sea monsters, starfish, and other creature themed slides, rocks, etc. Watch your kids carefully, because it is cement, and gets pretty slippery and dirty after it rains. There is also a more modern playground for 5 and under with the typical plastic. When I don't want to chase my kids, I take them to this side. There are also some cool weight training and cardio machines in three or four stations, and an easy but fairly scenic hikimg trail. read more

Absolutely love this location for a mini photoshoot session in San Gabriel! A lot of beautiful lighting in a the area read more

Love this park! I appreciate the walking trail around the perimeter and our son loves the playground area, the swings, as well as the sand playground area in the back. Always lots to explore! The big grassy area is perfect for a picnic as well. read more

I have been around the San Gabriel region almost all my life and I have never ever set foot in this park.The location of the park doesn't sound appealing as it is adjacent to a flood canal and it's kind of hidden out of sight. I came upon this park searching through Google and fortunately I was able to come here with my two kids. The concrete statues, slides and monuments are random and rare. The reason is that this play area was created in 1965 prior to any regulation and safety. They still have the metal slides on a steep concrete slope which almost burned my son in the heat lol.. it's very colorful but dont expect swings and a playground. However, it's actually pretty fun because it's different. The play area is rather large covered with sand. There are other areas where you can workout though their outdoor equipment. Lastly, you can rent am area for your parties. read more

Vincent Lugo Park - Walkway from the parking lot to hidden playground - Parks Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Vincent Lugo Park, located at the corner of Wells & Ramona Streets, is the city's largest park and recreation resource. This beautiful park is home to La Laguna de San Gabriel, also known as Dinosaur Park, which has been named one of nine of America's coolest playgrounds! La Laguna is home to 14 concrete play structures and an adjacent picnic area with 10 tables and barbecue area, which can accommodate up to 100 people. Also available for reservation are the Sage and Oak Picnic Areas, which each have six tables, barbecue grills, and a capacity for 50 people. Overall, it's a decent sized park for kids but for adults it's very small. However, you will enjoy the fresh air and open space at Vincent Lugo Park! read more

On our way home from a different park's soccer game for my daughter the other day, we passed Vincent Lugo Park. I had not been here in 35+ years, and yet I had a distinct memory of being here as a kid with my family. In the mid-1960s, Vincent Lugo served as the Parks Supervisor for the City of San Gabriel, and was responsible for converting a city landfill into this park. A local artist, Benjamin Dominguez, created more than a dozen concrete sea creatures here (why this part of the park is often called La Laguna), fashioned as slides, climbing structures, and novelty art. Over time, the structures fell into disrepair, and were scheduled to be demolished as safety hazards. Thankfully, local groups rallied to refurbish and preserve this historic part of the park for future generations to enjoy. In 2017, the park was added to the National Registry of Historic Places; still, signs warn visitors that these 65 year old features don't quite meet the safety standards of today. No matter-- still a cool place for kids to play, and mid-40s dudes like me to remember when parks had dangerous climbing rocket ships and heavy, sharp-edged steel spinning merry-go-rounds that we'd push each other on until you eventually got way too dizzy and flew off. Somehow most of us survived..... Moreover, the park has grown up around La Laguna: picnic areas, a walking path featuring native plants, a baseball field and other sports facilities, and an exercise/fitness area provide opportunities for others to enjoy here. This is a well-kept secret, as the park sort of hidden in plain sight within a residential neighborhood. The Laguna features are also far enough from the street that unless you know to go look for it, you wouldn't see it there, especially with some of the additions that have grown around the park. Still, it's worth the trouble to go check this place out, take a few pictures of your kiddos, bring a picnic lunch, and enjoy an hour of shade or sunshine at your discretion. read more

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This is a pretty decent sized park. Definitely not as crowded as Barnes or Garfield Park which is good. It has a nice playground for kids and the environment is pretty nice. read more

The playground section of the park is recently redone and the smaller side was perfect for my young toddler (19 months old) to play on. They also have new body weight exercise equipment. They are out of hand sanitizer so bring your own! read more

Nice park, clean, lots of slides no swings, there was an outdoor gym I thought it was pretty cool. I saw a lot of joggers there, families with their kids. I like how the theme was like the ocean with sand and sea animals. The only downfall is that we couldn't find the park at first, they have two names they have the playground name and they have the park name. To find this playground you have to work behind the baseball field :) my son loved it there . And for those who play Pokémon there's two gyms and I believe two pokestops read more

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This is a decent size park. It has a nice playground for kids. The environment is pretty nice. I like to come here to relax and enjoy some moments of silence to myself. I had a few photo shoots from here too. Overall, it is a very peaceful, fun and nice size park. read more

This is an old park with good, old-fashioned playground equipment. Last time I went, there was very little to no shade around the big slide, etc. There are picnic tables near the front, and a path that leads to the old, sea-themed stuff in the back. Really cute and fun. We took our toddler here on a field trip before, through the city. read more

I love the spacious playground. The park is always clean and I have never seen this place crowded. I love taking the kids here to play and explore. Specially when they feel like becoming into human excavators. Perfect for picnics and outdoor play time. We will come back with our beach toys to play. You're looking for: -great cleanliness -safe environment and neighborhood -perfect outdoor playground read more

A truly one of a kind park! You may have heard about the many wonderful ceramic sculptures here and may be confused as you pull into the parking lot. Thee is a path just to the right of the baseball field that will bring you right to it! "La Laguna de San Gabriel" or "Monster Park" was created in 1964 and was out on the National Registry of Historic Places in 2017. Benjamin Dominguez made the sculptures at the age of 70, which was his final project. Even despite Covid, it's fun to visit just to take in the slides even without riding them. There was virtually no one in this section of the park when we were there. A must visit! read more

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What a very cool park this is! The structure are extremely imaginative and very fun. While there is a decent amount of shade on the periphery of the play area most of the structures are in full sun. There are plenty of picnic tables and benches and other seating in the shaded areas. There was a party that was winding down having fun on one end and another just about to kick off on the far end. The bathroom was pretty clean especially for a park. Parking was fairly easy with plenty of spaces. My two daughters (7,3.5) had a lot of fun despite the sun and heat. Their collecting imaginations ran wild as they climbed up the interior of the lighthouse and zipped down the slide several times. Playing in the mouth of the whale was also a big hit. This slide was metal so at the very top that was not shadowed was hot. A return trip here is warranted as the park was very clean and fun. We will definitely try to get there early or pick a less hot day. read more

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I love taking the kids here for the slides! It a place where kids can use there imagination and have these huge slides come to life. There's a dragon slide, whale, eel, octopus, snail....ect. Its so fun to hear them come up with these funny storys. The slides are all the way in the back so if you have never been there its behind the baseball field. read more

My son hurt his foot in the sands play ground！So many sharp stones in the sands. So terrible！

We absolutely looooove this park, it's different than any other park, the slides are fun the structures of the slides is what makes this park different and memorable for kids. More parks should make the slides structures a lot more fun! read more

Vincent Lugo Park - The light house is my son's favorite slide, I love the snail though it's the fastest! - Parks Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Not sure what the pet rules is at this park, but there is dogs in this park (small) but still dogs. No leash running around. Just observed two of them peed in the sand area where kids are playing...OMG!!! n now the kids are suppose to play with dog pee sand... so, disguising!!! Hope parents clean their kids hand really good!! read more

Good size park to take the kids. They have a smaller section and larger ply ground. They also have elderly work out equipment and a large grass area for running around. They have a decent size parking lot and more parking on the street. There's a cute mini bridge that would be good for some photos. My kids had fun and enjoyed themselves. read more

I love coming here whenever I visit family and it's just so beautiful and fun for all ages! It also has a lot of places to sit and have a picnic. read more

Vincent Lugo Park - Just a little introduction I honestly love coming here! - Parks Near Me - San Gabriel, California

Love this park so much! By far, one of my favorite parks in SGV. Grew up visiting it as a family so always nostalgic for me. I've returned with friends and it has changed and they've added work out machines as well as plenty of tables for picnics or parties. East parking and plenty available. Great place to go for a walk. Very safe neighborhood. I remember coming here as a child and there was a giant rocketship slide, so sad to see it gone but saw there are other cool slides and things. Hope to being my kids in the future! read more

This is a nice big green grassy space. Perfect for a picnic or a game of pick-up soccer or a tai chi lesson. Its also a little bit of a history lesson! There are explanations of the local flora and fauna and how it was used by the native tribe that once lived here. The Monster Lagoon is cute and was restored awhile ago. But, some of the sculptures have been out of commission for a long time. There is also a dirt path for running, that trails all through out the park. read more

(: What I lovee about this park is it's own little secret that of course everyone already knows about. But if it's your first time there it's just an amazing find! From first glance it just looks like your average park with swing sets and monkey bars but if you continue into the park behind the baseball field you'll find the dinosaur park! (: during the summer they usual fill the kiddy pool that they have right in the front of the park too. It's also a good place to hold bbqs, picnics and parties (: read more

Monster Park is about 30 mins from where I live and it was wroth it for my kids to play at a park when I was when I was a kid. I remembering going her as a kid. A lot of the sea animals at "Monster Park" which is another name for this park have been painted over to bring the color of the animals back to life. My kids enjoyed the park. I also liked that there wasn't any homeless people there. read more

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This is the coolest park! A must see! The whole park is either workout equipment or these huge water creatures for lids to slide, climb, and rock on. Very quiet and shady and even has a little stream and bridge. 10/10! read more

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My family and I have been coming here for years and we love it. They have a lot of tables to enjoy some lunch or snacks after running around with your kiddos. It's never crowded and usually clean. It's nice to walk the small trails and see what you find. read more

Small, beautiful and well maintained park, one that I would consider a little hidden gem of the SGV. I've been coming here since I was a child, and the highlight is definitely what we used to call the 'Dinosaur Park' because of all the fun and whimsical slides in the shapes of creatures of animals. It's nice and clean ( please help keep it that way! ) and many people come here to walk their dogs. The park itself is relatively small, with a grassy green area in the front, a small baseball field, and the dinosaur park area. There is a nice dirt walkway alongside of the park. A great place to come with kids, and a great way to relax on the weekend. read more

Vincent Lugo Park - whale slide! - Parks Near Me - San Gabriel, California