Alameda Point has a great newer playground called Whale Park with tons of space to run, climb and play. I took my five-year-old on a recent cloudy summer day and we had a lot of fun. From the big whale climbing structure to the fun swings and basketball court, Whale Park offers tons of variety and space to play.
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Alameda’s Whale Park Features
Location: 151 Coronado Avenue, Alameda 94501
Unique Features of Playground: Whale play structure, platform swings, ping-pong & chess tables, half-court basketball, a field with a small hill, and spinny and balancing features.
Swings: One platform swing; one bucket swing; one adult and baby swing together.
Fenced in? Not really. It does feel set back a bit from the road, but you’ll have to keep your eyes on toddlers.
Surfaces: Soft cushy rubber mat in the play structure area; grassy field, blacktop.
Bathroom: Yes! With water fountains, right next to the field. It was kinda yucky when we were there, though.
Lunch tables & seating: Many lunch tables throughout, with one shaded area with a few tables. Otherwise full sun.
Parking: Free street parking, which can be crowded or not depending on the time of day.
Shade: Since this is a newer park, the trees are still pretty small, so most of the park is fully exposed to the sun. There is one shaded area with tables.
Pros: Big and open with lots of variety. Pretty clean. Short drive to Target if there are things on your list.
Cons: Very little shade. Yucky bathrooms.
Whale Park is wonderful for little kids
Toddlers and little kids will love just running up and down the gentle hill on the field, chasing balls, and playing tag. We saw several kiddos doing this, as well as a few barrel-rolling down the hill, awash in giggles. Kids will also love it if you tell them why the playground is named Whale Park: it’s in honor of Allie the humpback whale who visited Alameda in Seaplane Lagoon back in 2019. The general ocean theme and whale climbing structure are super fun for little kids.
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Whale Park is engaging for bigger kids
Big kids will love that this park has a half-court basketball hoop, ping pong table, chess table, and exercise area. So if you come with mixed-aged kids, there’ll be plenty to keep everyone entertained. The only problem is that these big-kid-friendly features are on one side of the bathrooms, while the younger-kid play area is on the other. So it’s difficult to keep your eyes on both age groups with the bathroom building blocking line of sight, especially given that it’s a pretty long playground.
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What to bring to visit Whale Park in Alameda
- Soccer ball, basketball, kite
- Ping pong set or chess set
- Hats/Sunscreen since there’s so little shade
The Bottom Line on Alameda’s Whale Park
We had a great time at this park because of the wide variety of play opportunities. The whale structure is unique and is a dream for little climbers. The swings and other fun twirly and balancing features, as well as the wide-open nature of the playground, make for a fun afternoon of open-ended play. I wish there was more shade and that the bathrooms were cleaner, but all in all, it’s a great spot to add to your park rotation. Oh, and there’s a great donut shop just on the corner, so we’ll definitely be back!
1 thought on “Park Profile: Whale Park in Alameda Point”
I went here today and it was a scary experience. First I noticed it smelled like pee every where. My daughter and i were the only people there which should have been a sign to leave. Then 3 creepy drugged out looking men came and starred at us.one started asking In appropriate questions I grabbed my daughter so fast and ran to the car terrified. I would nt recommend this park to anyone as it is very isolated and creepy.