It's Tiny, shaded, fenced, with water fountain , giant trees and sand pit. Perfect size to keep an eye on a toddler without having to run behind them. Perfect view of the train station across the street for the kiddos. -1* as one of the doors does not stay locked. Its a neighbourhood park, so the usual visitors are from the neighbourhood and there are no restrooms. read more

It's tiny, but that's what makes it so easy to manage with toddlers. We usually stop by here for short outings or snacks in the shade. -Play Area: Playground suitable for younger children. -Amenities: Picnic tables, benches. -Shade & Scenery: Mature trees providing consistent shade. -Accessibility: Flat layout, easy for strollers. -Parking: Street parking available. -Good for: Families, nannies, caregivers, daycares read more

Cute little park. The play area is completely enclosed which is nice. There are two small structures and a sand pit area. The structures are geared toward young toddlers, there isn't much for older kids. There's also a nice grassy area that was really pretty to walk around in the Fall, it's on the smaller side though. There are water fountains, benches, picnic tables. But the main downside of this park is that there is no bathrooms. I also love that it's right next to the tunnels that lead to California Ave. The tunnels are painted with underwater scenes, so its fun for the kids to go through it. read more

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I'm quite a fan of this park and it's accommodations, but the crown jewel is the running car whose legs look in great shape and really don't need to go to the gym anytime soon. One of the best things to do is to take a picture with the car statue, but you want to make sure you get there early because the lines can be quite long. Bring water. Gotta Run--- RRRun read more

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I came to this park today to eat my lunch. Very nice park. Close to the caltrain station.Very pretty place . There is a pedestrian, bike tunnel to get to the otherside of california ave were there is plentiful shops and resteraunts. read more

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i have driven by this park while driving on central expressway/alma for many years, but only had the chance to visit last week! i was meeting a friend for a quick meeting and she suggested meeting here, which was super convenient. there are benches, some picnic tables, lots of grassy area and a playground. there are no grills though, and also no bathrooms, so plan accordingly! although i never knew, since i could not see while driving on alma, there are actually 2 parking areas adjacent to the park, which was super convenient...don't even think about parking, or stopping along alma! if these parking areas are full, there is plenty of street parking along california ave, high st and other surrounding streets my only issue with this park is the noise..unfortunately, the train tracks are parallel to alma, so when the train comes through, it's noisy...and we had to pause our conversation each time a train came by. otherwise, this is a nice park, away from downtown palo alto, to meet a friend, sit on the grass, or bring your kids to let them work off some energy! read more

Jerry Bowden Park is a beautiful, well-maintained park in the heart of Palo Alto!!! I decided to check it out right before sunset - it was a peaceful, fantastic place to chill, hang out, and eat if you brought food (I did). It is a spectacular oasis of nature in the middle of a bustling city - there are vast expanses of grass, robust thriving trees, and plenty of big crimson and cornflower blue flower bushes lining the sidewalks. In addition to the park offering a fantastic pocket of nature to all, it is a great gathering place. For example, it features a canopy formed from a combination of the trees naturally and a man-made wood lattice like structure. Many sets of benches and tables are available for sitting on and at for soaking in the wonderful ambiance! Bowden Park is dog-friendly and also kid friendly too - plenty of children were enjoying themselves on a spacious playground with two large, shiny play sets. With unique statues and sculptures (there was a quirky running car!!! and a modern sculpture of balanced rising cubes!!!), and a convenient place to visit and access due to its location right next to the California Avenue Train station, the park is truly a haven that can be enjoyed by all. I would definitely recommend visiting Jerry Bowden Park, it is a special place!!! Update 9/4: Took some pictures of the beautiful ocean creature tunnel that leads to Bowden Park! read more

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If you have to wait for the Caltrain off California, and it's a nice day, take the tunnel to this small swatch of land. This at one point was no longer a park (official status) and was going to be train parking. Then the area froze still for a while including the station. It's not too big but at least it's still natural with benches and kids area. The crazy statue of the man-car is worth checking out if you like psychedelic art. read more

Bowden Park - Parks Near Me - Palo Alto, California

As kids we used to ride our bikes around the park, swing on the swings, play on the playground equipment and watch the trains come and go -- the things an idyllic childhood is made of. It's a small park but we've had 4th of July picnics there and I suppose you could get a small softball game going in the center grassy area. It's a neighborhood oasis, the source of many fond childhood memories. The nearby pedestrian underpass was our route to buy sugary treats on Calif. Ave. It was always a thrill to see the nearby fountain filled with soap suds -- green on St. Patrick's day -- and we would venture up Park Blvd. to visit the larger Peers park. Good times. To the city's credit the park is always clean and well maintained. read more

Great little park for toddlers! It has 2 play structures both enclosed so safe for the little ones to not run off. There is a large grassy area with ramps around it which is great for riding scooters and bikes for bigger kids. We also love seeing Caltrain pull up so close by every so often. read more

Bowden Park is located just north or the California Street CalTrain station. For kids, one of the best parts of a trip to the park will be walking through the tunnel under the train tracks. The tunnel entrance is located by the fountain and the tunnel has a lovely underwater theme. There is a large, gated, toddler playground which, oddly, has no grass at all. There are two play structures and swings; this is the only place I've seen a "big kid's" swing that is low enough for a toddler to get on and off by themselves. Unfortunately, the best benches are angled so you can't see the swings. But there is shady seating, for eating the treats you invariably picked up at Mollie Stone's (http://www.yelp.com/biz/mollie-stones-markets-palo-alto#hrid:bviNtUCH6eRwr3UK4vS2zg). You can read about the park's landscape architect in the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Royston read more

This park has been here a long time. I have such fond memories of it as a child. Long ago it had a set of bars with two clowns on each end. We use to all it 'the nose park'. ========================= Enough reminiscing on to my review: This is a great little park that I go and have lunch at from time to time. Park features: 2 play structures in enclosed fenced area Swings Grassy area...more for picnicking and relaxing since the park is located so close to very busy Alma Street. Great place to sit and watch the train with small children Benches No bathrooms Located directly across the street from the California Avenue, Palo Alto CalTrain station there is an underground tunnel right next to the park that you can walk through to get over to the train station. read more

This is a really fun park. There are two play structures for different size kids and they are both enclosed in a fence and very close to each other, making it easier to watch the kids. There are no fancy new features but there are lots of slides and places to climb around. It is fun to watch the trains go by too. There is a grassy area (outside the fence) but it is not really a playing field. It would work nicely for a picnic. No bathrooms here. There are parking spots though, which I don't see much of around here for parks. read more

There's as much to say about this park as the amount of land it covers. It's tiny. The playground is ok. The walking paths are kind of pointless and your view of the park is bland when sitting on the benches. Nice area, however, if you're looking to cross under Alma to get to the train station. At least it's a clean park and well maintained. read more

Like to park here and walk to downtown. There is constant bike traffic through the nearby tunnel. The park is in a good neighbor, but disadvantages are the heavy traffic on two sides (well isolated) and the nearish of the train station, and the nearish of the California street and its more interesting residents and visitors. read more

Bowden Park - Late night, Cal trans leaving - Parks Near Me - Palo Alto, California

The best feature of this park is its location next to the California Avenue Caltrain station. If you're looking for a fun outing for preschool-aged train-lovers, this is the ticket. We rode from Santa Clara station to Cal Ave. with a bunch off 2-year-olds, got off the train and went by a fountain (toddlers love it), grabbed some snacks at Mollie Stone's, went through the fantastic tunnel (the kids love love this - yelling to hear their voices echo and pointing out the fish painted on the walls) and surfaced right next to the park. We played for a little while, ate a picnic lunch on shady benches, and then trotted back to the station to head home. The park itself is just OK. It has all the basics - swings, tot and big kids play structures - so most kids will like it just fine (ours did). The playground is somewhat older-style, so it lacks the "spongy" play surface. I liked that it was gated and had shady areas. The kids did get quite dirty here romping around in the sand and bark. Also, it seems that this field trip is a popular one, so the playground was crammed with several school classes. Fortunately, they departed and calm was restored. I also met some friendly and helpful neighborhood regulars who told us about other parks in the area. Overall, I'd come here as part of a train outing, but this park isn't really a destination in and of itself. read more

Great, small, neighborhood park here. You can wait in peace for the train here in addition to walking and other low - impact activities in this unique in - town green space. Be careful of the Alma traffic, too. read more