Eugene has great parks but this is definitely a classic…read more For those in the basketball community this used to be the best park to catch a pickup game any day of the week in the summer. It rivaled the Bean courts and Underbridge as the place to play in town outside. Those who play here simply call it U.P. All the highschool and college players would come down here to play on the modest court that was small enough to run 4 on 4 fullcourt. Halfcourt shots were well within range of some of the guys who filled it up regularly. The wait could be long and would stretch as deep as six games on a good afternoon. But half the fun was hanging out with all the other ballers and watch the sunbathers out in the grass. Sadly, the old wood backboard is gone, replaced sometime in the early 2000's by a ridiculous single stantion, double rimmed metal behemoth. The games aren't as good anymore but you can still catch a game here if you're lucky. Usually just some out of town UO kids or nostalgic South cats. Good luck, and keep running those games.

University Park is a great neighborhood place to take your kids, dogs or even just yourself for…read moresome time outside. They have a playground for kids, basket ball court, large grass area with picnic tables, bathrooms and a baseball field. I always see many different types and ages of people enjoying outdoor activities here and it's located close to Sundance in case you need to grab a snack. There are trees to sit under on hot days and plenty of grass to lay out on. The bathrooms always surprise me that they don't have doors on the stalls! That's definitely something I've had to get used to living in Eugene because I've noticed this as multiple parks. This park is accessible by bus and has a bus stop very close to it. People do a good job of keeping this Park clean and I hope it stays that way. I'm pretty sure some events go on here during the summer but not positive which ones.

I was there for a Eugene Emeralds game on Pride Night. When you arrive there is merch on one side…read moreand a bar/beer garden on the other, then a couple of porta potties including a handicap one, and then a huge flight of stairs to get to most of the park. There must have been an elevator but it wasn't obvious to my eyes. I took a lot of photos of food options, because if you have a more restricted diet you might want to know what's available before you go. I did not get a shot of every menu but I got most. Or course it may vary from time to time. I was happy to see that Peek A Book Delight was there, and was able to get a cup of mango slices with seasonings like chamoy and lime. You can get peanuts for $3 and Prince Puckler's ice cream. The stadium itself just has one main screen and there were no instant replays during the game, but they did have those fun and silly fan games in between innings that were sponsored by various local businesses. The park being outside got chilly at night but the restroom was warm. There was a couch in the women's room. Note that they have a clear bag policy and if you have a prepaid ticket to park in the East Lot, the entrance is at MLK Way and Kinsrow. Google maps took me to the wrong place and I had to drive a bit to figure out where I was supposed to go as the signage was not so good.

PK Park is the home stadium of the UO Ducks baseball team, and shared with the Ems during their…read moreseason. PK Park is not very old--baseball only returned to the university as a NCAA sport about 15 years ago. Most of the donations came from a prior athletic director, whose initials for the name of the ballpark. It's small but mighty, with a total capacity of about 4,000. There are suites, a picnic area, and so on. We walked all the way to the other side of the stadium and down to ground level to the only merch booth that exists in the stadium and they had one toddler shirt. That was a bummer. I was really hoping to find at least a couple options between which to choose, and would have liked to find their Monarcas gear in something that wasn't a jersey (I'd like to wear it as an everyday shirt, and the only times I've ever worn a jersey--which I can count on one hand--was at an actual baseball game); even better if they'd had children's monarcas gear. Some of the food was ok and rather reasonably priced. We were able to get a hot dog and corn dog for about $4 each--go to one of the "regular" concession stands, not the one with fancier items, where you would see a footlong hot dog for $17. They had some nachos that looked tasty, but we skipped them this time. The favorite was the cotton candy. Even my sister remarked on how good it was, because it actually tasted like raspberry (or whatever flavor it was supposed to have), and often cotton candy doesn't really have much of a flavor. It was also only $8 and I was expecting it would be higher than that. Whew, a price break. Parking is plentiful. I think it was $2? You have to pay by card only as they don't accept cash. The line at the ticket booth was really long and it took my sister 15-20 minutes to get tickets, so probably better to buy online if you can. And if you have an "oversized bag", apparently you're required to enter through the south entrance even though there's nothing indicating that (nor what an "oversized bag" is, so check the website to see if there are actual details on it).

We had so much fun watching our hometown Hops play them…read more Friendly staff lots to f entertainment and Sunday happy hour! I wish they had a little more selection of food though. The Hops stadium has spoiled us!

The Ems are a hometown institution. They've been part of the fabric of Eugene of over 70 years!…read moreThey originally played at (now defunct) Bethel Park in, as you may have guessed, the Bethel neighborhood. They spent most of their years at Civic Stadium in Eugene before moving to their current location, PK Park, which is actually a University of Oregon facility for their baseball team. I remember going to games with my mom when I was young, when her workplace was doing a whiffle ball promotion with the team. And they have some fun promos nowadays too; we went to "Take Meow't to the Ballgame", where Pete the Cat was there and attendees were invited to bring their cats as well. We saw two cats... I'm not sure they were excited to be there, but I appreciate the out of the box thinking! Their official mascot is a Sasquatch, which is a fun nod to the legend in the Pacific Northwest. They also debuted an identity which they use occasionally called Monarcas de Eugene. Their Monarcas uniforms are gorgeous! I know that there was some talk about the Ems needing a stadium of their own (not as guests of the UO), which didn't pan out, and they've said they're going to move elsewhere. I'm not sure if that was the final word on relocation or if maybe they've backed off it a bit. I'd like the Ems to stay because it's good for Eugene. They do need to work on their merch, though. We went recently to the game and they one toddler shirt and a onesie, and everything else was a kid's small or larger. I wish they had more of their Monarcas identity in merch (I don't want a jersey; I want an everyday t-shirt) or the Exploding Whales (especially for kids!).

I'm a park hopper LOL I go to new ones weekly for my toddler. This was a really good find! They…read morehave a big park (pictured) for older kids then off to the side there's a smaller toddler park with swings. There's a tennis court, 2 basketball courts and a baseball field. Everything was clean and well kept

Such a nice complex. Our youth in the community are so fortunate and blessed to have this complex…read moreto play sports. Very well maintained, the events are organized and well done. Nice facilities. Spacious parking!

We are so fortunate to have a gym like this available to the public. Rental rates are reasonable,…read morethe place is beautiful, and the staff is friendly. They have been taking COVID seriously and that is greatly appreciated. It's a shame that the field has to be locked away behind a huge fence, but I understand the need.

There are stadiums... and then there are places that feel like they've been stitched into the soul…read moreof a sport. Hayward Field is the latter. I've always had a soft spot for this place. Maybe it's the ghosts of greatness knowing that Steve Prefontaine once tore across this very track with that fearless, front-running style. Maybe it's my love for everything University of Oregon the culture, the pride, the legacy. Or maybe it's just the way this place sits in Eugene like it belongs there, like it's earned its keep. But this visit hit different. We'd been out the night before one of those reckless, laugh-too-hard, probably-made-a-few-bad-decisions kind of nights. I woke up feeling like absolute trash. The kind of morning where your body is negotiating terms just to sit upright. But instead of folding, I dragged myself out to Hayward Field. And I ran. Not pretty. Not fast. Just honest. A few laps turned into more. Sweat started pouring, lungs opened up, and somewhere between the pain and the rhythm, something shifted. It was like the bad decisions from the night before were getting wrung out of me, step by step. A full-on purge. I'll be real there was a moment I thought I might throw up right there on sacred ground. But then the endorphins hit. And just like that I was back. Energy. Clarity. Fire. I went from wanting to crawl back into bed to feeling like I could take on the whole day. "Let's go fly," I said. "Let's go do something." That's what this place does it resets you. It brought me back to the last time I was here for the Eugene Marathon. That race... man. Grinding up hills, coasting through valleys, pushing through every doubt you've got and then finally coming back into Hayward Field. You hear your name, see your time, get that medal placed around your neck... it's more than a finish line. It's a moment you carry with you. This place is known as TrackTown, USA for a reason. It's hosted Olympic Trials, world-class competitions, and some of the best athletes to ever lace up a pair of running shoes. But beyond all the accolades, records, and history... it's personal. Because yeah I love the wild nights, the stories, the chaos. But places like this remind you of something just as important: take care of yourself. Move your body. Earn your breath. Even if you made a few bad calls the night before. So if you're in Eugene don't just drive by. Walk it. Run it. Feel it. You might show up feeling broken... and leave feeling like the king of the world.

Visiting Hayward Field for my nephew's track meet, I walked away impressed. The design of the field…read moreis impressive and there's much for the eyes to see. Walk along the outside of the field to see 155+ country flags of everyone who competed at a senior level meet at the field starting with the U.S.