1600 W Balboa Blvd, Newport Beach, CA 92663
Hours: Monday-Sunday (6 AM-10 PM)
Restrooms? Yes. Insanely cool how they placed the restrooms here. They are hidden underneath the main lighthouse structure next to the slide
Playground Surface: Rubber but mostly sand
Parking Lot? Yes. Dedicated parking lot with pay meters and about 20 spaces. It was about 3 dollars per hour. Street parking exists but can be very hard to find, especially in the summer
Gated/Fenced? No
Overview
Marina Park is a spectacular park in Newport Beach, that allows kids the opportunity to play on an amazing playground and to get their feet wet at the same time in the calm, protected waters of the lagoon fronting it. The main feature of the playground is the huge lighthouse that will beckon visitors from a distance. Kids can climb the stairs to the top to access the slide that comes out of it. The harbor is directly behind the playground and is a great spot to watch the boats, have a swim in its shallow, calm waters, or even kayak. A few basketball ball courts and a reasonably sized lawn area also adorn the grounds.
Features
Marine Themed Playground
Toddler play area (kids ages 2-5 years old) and climbing themed play area as well as a lighthouse that serves as the center piece of the park
- Lighthouse with a winding walkway that leads to the top and a long tunnel slide coming out of it and restrooms inside of it
- Monkey bars, spider web climber and multiple other net climbers
Toddler Play Structure (Kids Ages 2-5 Years Old)
- Small slide and bridge
- Saucer swing and circle spinner
Other Amenities
- Playground backs up to the harbor with calm, shallow, protected swimming waters.
- Beach showers next to the lighthouse to rinse off in after
- 2 half basketball courts
- Small but reasonable amount of lawn space
- There are a few covered picnic tables
Drawbacks
- Paid Parking ($3 per hour)
- No Swings
Scout’s Story
I stumbled upon this park about a year ago when my wife booked a bed and breakfast directly next door. My daughter was about eight months old at the time, and we briefly took her over to see the playground. She was too small to really enjoy it but I told myself we would come back one day.
On this overcast Monday morning, my wife and I decided to get outside and let our daughter, Scout, who was now two years old, play and visit a few new places. We love the Newport area, so I chose a few places in close proximity to make stops at.
This had been our first real excursion outside to play in some time. Our daughter, Scout, who has been battling stage 4 cancer for what was now closing in on almost a year, had recently undergone a 10 hour tumor resection surgery to remove half of her liver and to attempt to remove as much of the tumor in her pelvic area as possible. After two weeks of living in the hospital and battling fevers, we finally arrived back home. Two days later, Scout would celebrate her second birthday while recovering from her surgery. The following day on May 8th, we were presented with the news that the pathology of her tumors were back. Our oncologists informed us that Scout’s surgery had gone as well as they could have imagined. After a lengthy discussion of all the finer details, we were informed that there was currently no active cancer in Scout’s body and that she was being placed into remission.
Scout’s Day at Marina Park
We spent every day of the next week at the hospital, battling fevers and trying to figure out what was causing them. Scout still has her central line that leads directly to her heart, so fevers and illnesses are still a serious worry for us. Finally, the fevers subsided and we never ended up finding out the actual cause, despite tons of blood work and cultures. A massive step for us in this process is Scout having her central line taken out, which her surgeon will be removing within the next month. This was a great opportunity for us to get back outside and enjoy what the future has to hold. Scout spent time throwing rocks into the water and then went down the slide more times than I could count.
After making her way up to the lighthouse, Scout would instantaneously throw herself down the slide. Scout had a ton of fun and it was amazing watching her play so joyfully.
The playground is mostly sand and that still creates a huge problem for us, so we were super mindful of what we allowed Scout to do. Sand or water getting into her central line could cause major problems for her. We are looking forward to the line being removed and taking one more step towards letting her run loose a little more. While Scout still has a long journey and uncountable doctors visits and checks to come, we are as grateful and hopeful for the future as ever and will never take these days or moments for granted. Above all, we are so thankful to be in this position of positive hope, after a year of staring at our worst fears.
