Garfield Park

Updated April 15, 2024

Garfield Park, South Pasadena | Everything You Need to Know

## Garfield Park (South Pasadena): what’s actually here, and why it matters

Garfield Park is a 7-acre city park in South Pasadena, California, at 1000 Park Avenue, South Pasadena, CA 91030 (approx. 34.1160176, -118.1470114). Pasadena

It’s best understood as a neighborhood recreation park—the kind built for everyday use—rather than a destination park with large natural trails or major attractions. The City describes it as an “improved park” with multiple amenities and community programming. Pasadena

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## Quick facts you can rely on

– Address: 1000 Park Avenue, South Pasadena, CA 91030 Pasadena
– Size: 7 acres Pasadena
– Amenities named by the City:
– Playground equipment Pasadena
– Two lighted tennis courts Pasadena
– Picnic areas Pasadena
– Walking path Pasadena
– Drinking fountains Pasadena
– Healing Garden Pasadena
– Youth House (Garfield Youth House) Pasadena
– Small fire ring Pasadena
– Park setting: The City notes the park is surrounded by residential development. Pasadena

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## What you’ll find on the ground

### Playground + family space
The City explicitly lists playground equipment as a core feature. Pasadena
This matters because Garfield Park is also described as a popular place for birthdays and picnics, which usually clusters activity around the playground and adjacent lawn/picnic areas (that popularity is stated directly by the City). Pasadena

### Tennis courts (lighted)
Garfield Park has two tennis courts, and they’re lighted. Pasadena
If you’re comparing parks in the immediate area, the City’s own facilities guide lists Garfield Park under athletic facilities with 2 tennis courts. Pasadena

### Picnic areas + reservable covered structures
The City maintains a page specifically for Garfield Park Gazebos, indicating that gazebo structures exist and are part of the city’s reservation system. Pasadena
Separately, the City’s community services guidelines include Garfield Park among city-owned parks and provide park hours and general rules that apply to parks and picnic areas. Pasadena

### Healing Garden + Youth House
Garfield Park is listed in the City directory as including a Healing Garden and a Youth House in addition to the park’s standard recreation facilities. Pasadena
Those aren’t throwaway details: they signal that the park isn’t only turf + courts—it also has at least one designated garden area and an associated indoor/structured facility (the Youth House) tied to community use. Pasadena

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## Community events (confirmed, not assumed)

Garfield Park is identified by the City as a location for “Summer Concerts in the Park” and other community gatherings. Pasadena
That’s useful if you’re planning around noise/crowds: the City is telling you the park is used as an event venue at least seasonally. Pasadena

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## Park hours and core rules (what the City publishes)

### Standard open hours
The City’s published guidelines for parks and facilities state:
– Unless otherwise specified, South Pasadena public parks are open daily from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., referencing SPMC Section 21.2. Pasadena

Garfield Park is explicitly included in the list of city-owned parks covered by that guideline. Pasadena

### Fire and barbecue limitations (general, citywide policy language)
In the same City guidelines document, the City states it is unlawful to make a campfire or hold a barbecue anywhere other than stoves or pits provided by the Community Services Department (referencing SPMC Section 21.6). Pasadena

(Note: The City directory also mentions a “small fire ring” at Garfield Park, which indicates at least one fire-designated feature exists there.) Pasadena

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## A sustainability detail that’s unusually specific

The City states that Garfield Park is the first zero-emission American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) Green Zone municipal park in the United States, and that gas-powered landscape equipment has been replaced with alternative technology intended to be quieter and cleaner. Pasadena

That claim is significant because it’s not generic “green” language—it’s a specific designation the City chose to highlight in its official directory entry. Pasadena

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## How Garfield Park fits into South Pasadena’s park system (context from the City)

If you’re building a day plan (or choosing where to go based on available facilities), it helps to know Garfield Park is one of the City’s five “other parks” besides the large Arroyo Seco Park acreage. The City reports 92.2 acres of parks in South Pasadena overall, with 73.9 acres in the Arroyo Seco Park area, and lists Garfield Park among the other parks within city boundaries. Pasadena

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## Data freshness + what could be outdated

– The park amenities and the AGZA designation are taken from the City’s Parks & Facilities Directory page content as retrieved here. Pasadena
– The park hours statement (“5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.” unless otherwise specified) comes from a City PDF dated October 19, 2022. If the City changes policy, that document may lag updates. Pasadena
– The Code Publishing site hosting the South Pasadena Municipal Code indicates the code is current through Ordinance No. 2405 (passed Oct. 15, 2025), but I wasn’t able to open the specific “Chapter 21 PARKS” page content directly in this session due to a tool error—so I’m relying on the City PDF’s explicit reference to SPMC 21.2 for hours rather than quoting the code text. Publishing

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## Internal links
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If you want, paste two relevant slugs (e.g., your Pasadena guide + a “best parks in LA” roundup) and I’ll weave them in cleanly without inventing URLs.

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