2864 N Tustin St, Orange, CA 92865
Hours: Monday-Sunday (5 AM-11 PM)
Restrooms? Yes. One by the main playground and another closer towards the lake
Playground Surface: Mulch
Parking Lot? Yes. Two dedicated parking lots above the main playground with plenty of parking spots
Gated/Fenced? No
Overview
Eisenhower Park is a fantastic, spacious park that is popular with families wanting to barbecue and gather on the weekends. You will also see lots of quinceanera photos and other professional photos being taken here. The park has a beautiful lake at its far end and an inviting pond near its front end. Two playgrounds exist, including a more secluded one that is a little bit hidden on the upper reaches of the park. For those looking for exercise, a paved path winds its way around the entirety of the park. Outside of the playgrounds, there is tons of lawn space for kids and families to run around and barbecues are dispersed all throughout the park. A huge bonus to visiting Eisenhower Park is that it is located just across from highway 55. Every major business and restaurant imaginable is present just down the road along North Tustin Street.
Features
Two separate playgrounds located in different areas of the park
Lower Play Structure
- 1 bench and 1 baby (bucket) swing
- 2 slides (spiral slide and standard slide)
- Snake ladder climber, spiral ladder climber and vertical ladder climber
Upper Play Structure
- Tucked away in the upper section of the park
- 5 slides (2 spiral slides, 2 race slides and standard slide)
- Zipline and motorcycle spring jumper
- Small clubhouse and monkey bars/cyclone spinners
Other Amenities
- Large lake at the back of the park
- Scenic pond area at the front of the park
- Stream with little cascades that flows from the pond all the way down to the lake
- Large lawn areas with tons of barbecues everywhere and lots of spots for picnicking
- Expansive jogging/walking path that stretches through the entire park
Scout’s Story
While I wouldn’t necessarily describe Eisenhower Park as one of my more favorite parks, it does however, hold a very special place in my heart. When our daughter, Scout, was 15 months old we ended up living at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Anaheim, for a prolonged period of time, as Scout was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. As Scout would fight this disease, we would end up being readmitted to the pediatric floor for weeks at a time at points, for treatment, neutropenic fevers and other things. The Kaiser Hospital in Anaheim pretty much, became a second home to us.
As we spent different periods living at the hospital, I looked for a place close to the hospital, where I could briefly escape too and get some exercise at. Eisenhower Park became this park for me as it was only a five minute drive from the hospital and I could often stop here and jog around ponds before stopping and getting dinner for my wife and I. The park offers a peaceful setting and became a bit of a safe place for me, where I could go to clear my mind and exercise, a few days out of the week.
Scout’s Day at Eisenhower Park
Scout was diagnosed with Germ Cell Neoplasm on August 18, 2022. The next two months went by slower than any time I could ever remember in my life. Two months later, Scout was on the very last day of her final round of chemo, ending her first cycle of treatment. Earlier that morning we visited the Oncology Clinic at Kaiser and Scout received her chemotherapy before we were free to go. The Doctors and nurses of the Oncology Unit at Kaiser had a very special Halloween event set up later that day, for all of the kids who had been fighting this horrible disease. We were super excited to see some of the Doctors and nurses who we may not had seen in a bit and for Scout to enjoy the mini Halloween Party in a safe environment.
We had about two hours between the end of Scout’s chemo treatment and the start of the Halloween event. I decided to take Scout to Eisenhower Park for her first time ever, to kill some time. I figured, where better to kill an hour than the park that I had spent so much time coming to over the past two months. We had a great time at Eisenhower Park and although we spent a short time letting Scout play at the more secluded upper playground, we spent the majority of the trip here walking around the paved jogging path and around the lake.
It felt amazing to finally be here, not by myself, but with my wife and our daughter Scout as well.
After about an hour, we made our way from the park and back to the hospital at Kaiser. The Halloween event that they threw ended up being such an amazing time for us as a family. The doctors and nurses were so incredible and the time and effort that they put into making this a special day for the kids was something that I will never forget.
October 28, 2022
