1731 Vermont Avenue, Anaheim, CA 92804
Hours: Monday-Sunday (5 AM-10:30 PM)
Restrooms? Yes. Located halfway between the parking lot and the playground
Playground Surface: Mulch and Rubber
Parking Lot? Yes. Dedicated parking lot with adequate amount of parking
Gated/Fenced? No
Overview
This 25 acre park, located in Northeastern Anaheim, is a fun park that is mostly known for the U.S. Navy Cougar Jet Airplane that was used in the Korean War and which has since become a prominent playground fixture at Boysen Park since 1959. Lots of amenities such as ball fields, tennis courts and large areas of lawn adorn the grounds of the park. However, the rocket ship playground and Navy Cougar jet are undoubtedly the highlight of the park.
The park can get a little busy post school hours as Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School is located adjacent to the park as well as Katella High School being just down the street. A few of the unfortunate aspects of Boysen Park are that a busy road runs directly next to the park and that the park can often be a gathering spot for a less than friendly homeless population that like to congregate at the picnic tables near the bathroom. Despite the growing homeless problem here, which is becoming prevalent at so many parks, I have never felt unsafe here and the park can be a ton of fun.
Features
2 separate rocket ship play areas. One area for 5-12 year old kids and another for kids ages 2-5 years old.
- U.S. Navy Cougar jet from the Korean War is the focal point of the playground and has been here since 1959. A bit hard to get into but you can sit in it (just be careful climbing up into it).
- Smaller rocket ship has 2 slides and an area inside that kids can stand.
- 4 baby (bucket) swings, 4 bench swings, jet spring jumper, rock wall and color climbing dome
- Bigger rocket ship has 3 levels, a flight deck, ladder that leads to “shuttle entrance” and 1 slide.
Other Amenities
- Huge open lawn space, picnic tables and barbecues
- 3 Baseball fields, soccer field, tennis courts and volleyball court
- Separate, second playground (very standard and basic)
Scouts Story
Every time I sit down to reflect, it blows my mind at how much has occurred in the past two months. Almost exactly two months ago, our 15 month old daughter, Scout, was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Scout has made good progress but we are still left with a lot of unknowns as she proceeds forward in her fight. The past 2 months have felt like an eternity to me and it is hard for me to fathom all that Scout has been through in this short time. Scout will spend all of next week undergoing her final round of her first cycle of chemo. A few weeks thereafter, Scout will have P.E.T scans to see the effect that the chemo had on shrinking her tumors. We are hopeful and also grateful as the nurses and Doctors at the Oncology Clinic have been so amazing at helping Scout and have become like family to us. We are lucky to have such a devoted and loving group looking over Scout.
Scout’s Day at Boysen Park
Today felt like a great day to let Scout get outside and have some fun. The October weather was as pleasant as one could ask for and with a smattering of rolling clouds in the sky. With Halloween just around the corner my wife decided to throw a Halloween shirt on Scout and we were off to Boysen Park in Anaheim. In spite of Scout’s recent treatments, her energy levels have remained rather high. Once at Boysen Park, Scout ran towards the playground as we followed behind her. We attempted to show her around the play areas but in no time, Scout pointed and directed us to the swings.
One thing that hasn’t wavered since Scout was little is that she loves to swing.
My wife and I placed Scout in the baby swing and took turns pushing her as we discussed the past few weeks, as well as the upcoming few weeks. I cannot state enough, how important mornings like this have become for our family. Watching as Scout joyfully plays, giving our fears and worries a brief pause, as Scout’s infectious smile allows our minds to solely focus on the moment at hand.
October 20, 2022
