16559 Bellflower Blvd, Bellflower, CA 90706
Hours: Monday-Friday (9 AM-4 PM) Saturday (10 AM-4 PM) Sunday (11 AM-4 PM)
Restrooms? No
Playground Surface: Rubber
Parking Lot? Yes. There is a small parking lot adjacent to the playground that is shared with the local businesses
Gated/Fenced? Yes. The entire playground is fenced with a gate that closes once you enter
Overview
The pirate park in Bellflower, is a small but incredible playground. What it is lacking in your typical playground equipment, it more than makes up for with its incredible pirate ship with intricate details. This is possibly the most well done pirate ship I have seen on a playground (Barrington Rec Center has a really well done one as well). In addition to the pirate ship the playground boasts a fort and skull cave among other pirate themed nuances. Kids imaginations can and will run wild here. The park is located smack in the middle of the main strip in downtown Bellflower. There are no picnic areas or lawn areas. There is only the playground but this will assuredly keep the kids busy for quite a while. One of the cooler aspects of the park is the incredibly realistic mural just outside the playground.
Features
Pirate themed playground with an incredibly well done pirate ship that kids can climb and play inside of
- The pirate ship has incredible detail and cannons on the inside as well as spots for kids to sit
- There is a fort that you must walk through to enter the playground
- Kids can walk across a bridge and go inside to the top of the fort. Really nice concrete slide at the bottom
- Row boat that kids can get inside of and a treasure chest with coins
- Once again, there is amazing detail on the pirate ship, including a mermaid on the bow of the boat. There is also a cave shaped as a skull that kids will love to crawl and hide in (It was rather dirty with a lot of trash inside when we visited). There is also a slide coming off the bow of the boat.
- Huge amazing mural just outside of the playground by the fountain
- Bamboo covers the fenced area giving the playground a nice vibe
Drawbacks
- Be aware of the operating hours. They are very limited and a bit funky. The gate is locked outside of operating hours.
- No Restrooms
- No Swings
- Can be a little dirty at times with people leaving their trash behind
- No grass or lawn area for kids to run around
Scout’s Story
My wife and I took our daughter Scout to the pirate park in Bellflower for a bit of afternoon play time. Scout had just turned one the week prior and was still adapting to her new walking ways. This playground was great for her. Scout had fun with the treasure chest and running around the pirate ship and using the two small slides they have. Furthermore, there is an absolutely, mind blowing mural just outside of the playground area. Scout seemed to think that the dog in it was real and kept trying to walk into the mural. It is really incredible and realistic looking.
One of my biggest gripes about visiting playgrounds has been the fact that sometimes parents knowingly bring their sick kids. There was a kid with some patches and redness on his face and he was super friendly so I didn’t want to be mean and tell him to get away. My wife, having been a pre-school teacher, said she was uncomfortable and that I should have kept our daughter, Scout, at a distance. A few days later my Scout ended up with a 104 temperature and we all ended up with hand foot and mouth disease. My symptoms were by far the worst and consequently, I ended up at the urgent care.
Scout’s Story
Following this park visit with our daughter, Scout, we were devastated by a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer less than 3 months later. Something Scout and our family have been battling ever since. We still try to take her to parks and get outside when her blood counts are good but it has been a struggle. Numerous times we have encountered kids that are clearly sick and have decided to leave, to limit the risk of her getting sick. Dealing with a compromised immune system, it is much harder for Scout to fight off illness than others. I understand that kids are constantly sick but I have now become more aware of going places when me or my family isn’t feeling well. All things considered, we had a great day at Bellflower Park and learned a few lessons to carry with us going forward.
May 17, 2022
