Such a cool part of Poway. This park has been here for a LONG time. Even so, it is quaint, yet large enough to spread out and has so much history. Oh yeah, and a real working train the kiddos and parents can ride on around the park. A real old steam engine. So cool. On Saturdays there's a farmers market, so it can get crowded, but it's well worth a visit. There are several places to explore through the park, there's a gazebo for shade and special occasions and even a small koi fish well and fruit trees. Theres a bridge that leads to the park area with several old trains scattered throughout. It's a great spot for pictures, you will see people taking professional pics here on the regular. There's also a restaurant right there called the Hamburger Factory if the kids get hungry. Definitely check it out. read more

Nice little park to walk around in and take pictures. There are picnic areas with BBQ grills that can be reserved for parties as well as train rides during the weekends. There are also a couple of historical buildings like the Nelson House and Templar building banquet hall. Saturdays are a great time to visit because of the farmers market and all its yummy food offerings. The only play structure is across the street at Aubrey Park. Parking was easy. Overall a nice way to spend a weekend morning. read more

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We go here for family photos and have beautiful results all the time. It's so quaint and quiet with a lot of unique features. There are also a lot of big, beautiful trees. We love this park! read more

Quaint. Very unique, must see for any San Diegan. I'm a local photographer and had seen other photogs use this place and I finally got to check it out this past weekend on a test shoot. I went on Sunday, it was very crowded (I think there was a boyscouts event and some other things)... And I spotted 3 other photographers there doing shoots while I was there. It was a bright bright day, but I very easily was able to work in shaded, secluded spots as if no one was in the park at all. I will definitely be using this park more often! read more

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We got married here in July! What a magical place! We really made the right choice by getting married here! The staff was very friendly and helpful! And the park is such a beautiful place! We rented the carriage turn (and actually hired a horse drawn carriage), the gazebo, the hall, the parlor room, and the rose room. And it was all so affordable! We highly recommend getting married here! You won't regret it! Plus you can come back and relive the magical moments over and over again!!! read more

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Beautiful park!! Great place to visit! The scenery is great for photos. Looks like a place out of the movies. You can ride the trains. They have different trains running each time. Fare prices are reasonable. Great for kids! Nice place to walk around. They even offer farmers market on the weekends. Only downfall is sometimes it gets so crowded with people taking photos. read more

Great park with a river to relax with the fam and they also have a restaurant nearby in case one gets hungry after hanging out and walking in the park. Scenery is also perfect for taking pics. read more

Went on a weekday and the had farmers-market. Nice little getaway and place to take your little ones if your looking for a family friendly place. read more

Nice park with Sycamores, a tiny stream and a train ride. I attended the Community Band Festival and the park had the feeling of an uncrowded Disneyland Main Street. Great concert bands were playing in the outdoor pavilion accompanied by the occasional train whistle. read more

This is a nice park. It's got old buildings and museums around, a nice walking path area and good for weddings and family get togethers. They also have a 4th of July event that goes on here every year. They've got a nice gazebo area that bands play on, nice picnic area and then there is the Old Hamburger Factory. It's cute inside with lots of western type themes and all sorts of stuff hanging from the ceilings. They food isn't as good as it used to be there. They've also got a train museum and you can get on the train for a short ride. If you're expecting a long ride, forget it. It's mostly for show and the kiddies seem to like it. The area's stores and elementary school has that old west style to it. Come on by, take some pictures and relax in the park. read more

Pretty boring. It seems like I'm missing something based on the great reviews. Don't expect to spend more than 20 minutes here. Park is pretty small and there isn't much to see. Old Poway Park is located in the middle of the suburbs and the biggest attraction here seems to be the train. It might be worth it to take smaller kids here, but there is nothing really to do here if you are in your teens or older, but walk around. There are a few historical buildings here, but I highly recommend not going out of your way to come here. There were a couple events taking place here like a graduation party under the gazebo and a baby shower in one of the buildings, so it might be a decent venue to look into if you want to throw a small party. Don't think I'll be back unless I have kids and live around Poway one day. read more

Awesome location! Had my wedding here in June and it was gorgeous! All my guests loved the location. Staff is nice, just be prepared to set up and breakdown everything yourself but it's worth it! read more

Cute little park in the middle of Old Poway. Really feels like a small old time kind of place. You got your restaurants, a few shops and the park with the Gazebo and small hall for events. The park even has a mini little train station with a train running around the park. Not sure of the schedule but it's bound to be a hit with the smaller kids...how quaint! read more

No water fountains? How can a public park not have water fountains? Went there and I was thirsty and asked the 8yr manning the cash register in the train shop where the fountain was and was told me to drink from the sink. I wasn't sure if she was talking to me or the dog next to me but I walk on two legs and don't drink out of bathroom sinks. read more

The family I nanny for lives two blocks away from this park. The children just love the park! Very clean & safe! Nice shade & fun things to look at! read more

Cute park! Plenty of free parking, lots of playground area for the children, cafes and things nearby if you are parched or need some refueling, lots of shade for those sunny days, and lots of picturesque settings (saw a lot of photographers out there). Lots of joggers and walkers too! read more

This park is fantastic, always clean and the people are very friendly. My favorite part about this park is all of the special events that go on here, whether it be the Farmers Market or a Summer extravaganza. If you have small kids it is great to bring them here for the train rides or even just a stroll through the park. Oh and one last thing they even book wedding receptions in the Templars Hall which is a super nice venue. Keep up the great work Poway! read more

This park is beautiful! Water fountain, picnic tables, little creek, gazebo, Train tracks, working train, AND a farmers market on Saturday!! I love this place for walking, laying under a tree, and doing photography! read more

Love the morning walks i take there. Also great for picnics,birthday parties or simply a refreshing walk.

I was at the Old Poway Park for the first time over the weekend and was blown away! We were there in the morning to set up for my Sister's wedding that was taking place in the mid-afternoon. We saw the Farmer's Market when we first arrived and checked that out. We bought some kettle corn, a gyro and a crepe! The food was great, all the vendors were friendly and there was some great products out there for us to check out! We walked around for a bit seeing the gazebo (where my sister was getting married) the bridge, creek and grassy area. It was a beautiful area for my sister's ceremony and reception! I was blown away by how the park came together for this beautiful event! We also were able to ride the cable car during the entire reception, how fun! The park officials helped us through the entire clean up process in the evening time too! It is a beautiful and well maintained park that I would highly recommend not only for photography purposes but also for a wedding! It is a beautiful and fun venue! read more

This might be my favorite park in the world. I mean come on. It has restaurants, museums, trees, grass, trails, rocks, tables, trains, and a farmers market on Saturday. The only downside, everyone else thinks it's great too. So it's usually crowded. Also, if you're thinking of taking family photos here, don't. Everyone else will also be doing it at the same time. read more

This is a great little park. Not very big, but a great place to take your little one. There are cool old trains and memorabilia to look at, and there are different trains that run on the weekend that you can take the kids on. They can play on the grass, walk on the trail, or catch tadpoles in the creek. The other part of the park across the street has a playground and softball fields. There are a lot of wonderful shade trees and some barbeques and picnic tables scattered around. It's a great place for a family picnic on a sunny day. read more

I had my homecoming pictures taken here and the old fashioned railroad surroundings are so beautiful! I really like vintage stuff and it's a great place to exercise and have picnics too. read more

This is a cool spot to bring the kiddies, play on the trains and have a picnic.

Great for photo shoots! I had my maternity photo shoot here and I'm so glad I did. It's not a big park but it has lots of cute little spots for the family and kids to enjoy. There is also a restaurant there, although I haven't tried it yet. They also have a farmers market on Saturdays... you have to try the crepes - delicious and sooo filling. read more

Went here for the Tree Lighting ceremony. It was a lot of fun. I could not believe all the people that showed up. I've always liked the drive down Midland Ave it sorta reminds me of Knott's Berry Farm. read more

I got married here about three years ago, and it was amazing. The staff was clear and extremely helpful. We just rented out the Gazebo and Templars hall and a couple back rooms to get dressed in. It was amazing to also take pictures there. We didn't have too many people walk through our wedding because we got married on a Tuesday, but in general I believe OPP is just a great venue. Depending on which rooms or spaces you rent they come with certain things, but like I said you can possibly work with the rangers because they were so helpful. read more

This park has been our favorite in all of San Diego! Not only is it beautiful (would love to take family photos here!) but a short walk across the street to Aubrey Park gave the little one some much needed play time! Can't wait to come here when the train is running! read more

Kids LOVE this park! Play areas, big open grassy area with tables, and of course trains! Very fun experience to ride one. This venue is great for reserving a room for a kids birthday party! read more

My kids loved it here. We brought a picnic lunch and then the kids ran around. We only spent three cents here, for three wishes in the fountain. Awesome, clean park... lots of fun. Children already asking to go back read more

My daughter in law got married here and it was wonderful. The staff was nice and the price was very reasonable.

If has a great view so its great for taking photos with family and friends. Also, different restaurants around the park as well.

What a great park with such a cute historic feel! I did not know about this hidden gem despite having grown up in nearby PQ. We found this place by chance when we needed a convenient and easy location for maternity photos and yes, this place is packed with photo shoots on the weekends but honestly, what's the harm? It's kind of fun to see all the happy couples, pregnant women, family photos, etc. There is still PLENTY of space to enjoy even if you aren't conducting your own photo shoot. The train and railroad tracks are so fun and the buildings are so charming. I love the rustic and historic charm of this park and now it is our go to whenever we need a park setting. Parking has never been an issue for us and they have a super cute farmers market on Saturdays. Since first discovering this place, I've learned that the City of Poway even has a lot of special events here...we heard great things about the tree lighting ceremony in December but I was bummed we were unable to attend. Hope we can make it next year! read more

This is a great way to spend a morning with the family. They have a good farmers market and a small railway that operates a variety of historic trains. My kids love to take a ride with me (2 times around the loop) while my wife takes a tour of the market. The attached park is small, but very nice. Old and large trees provide shade to the picnic areas and there is a small creek running through. Across the street is a newer park with a playground and baseball fields. All in, a good way to spend a weekend morning. Good job Poway. read more

Love this park! Best place to take your kids and just hang out. The whole park looks like a movie set, which explains why there are always photographers there taking family portraits. Its like a little treasure park. With the train and gorgeous grass and old trains just standing there for kids to climb. This place is just too cool! I wish it was bigger! read more

Great little park with a (short) train ride around it. We have 2 kids 2+4yr and they absolutely love going for a train ride at the weekend. Older kids would probably be bored quickly read more

We had a wedding in the gazebo for our grand-daughter on 11/15/14. It was a beautiful day with hundreds of families in the park enjoying the surroundings. The train was operating and along with the rustic buildings made the experience feel like we had gone back in time. The park rangers and staff were very helpful and made our day go very smoothly. Make the time to visit this great park especially on a Saturday when there is a farmers market and an old time crafts fair! read more

So disappointed with the train, I had to write a review. We drove 40 minutes or so from Eastlake to take my child on the train. We arrived just as it was ready to set off, so were told to hurry and buy our tickets as the next ride wouldn't be for another 20 minutes - young children are free, adults $1.50. We boarded the train, the driver and his assistant told us the ride would be twice round the track, then the train set off at what seemed like it's top, fast speed. It's only a little train and a small track, so going flat out was a really bumpy, noisy ride, it felt like the train was bouncing off the track and you didn't get a chance to see anything as it was going so fast. My child just sat frozen on the seat and didn't really know what was going on. So twice round the track (which was maybe under a mile), lasted all of a few minutes and I didn't get a chance to look at the park as we went through it, I just focused on how fast it was and whether my child was about to cry or not!! Very disappointing, not in the least bit enjoyable. We got off the train and I noticed the driver and his assistant hurried onto the platform so they could start eating their lunch and I overheard them saying that if the train was full, they would take the train out, but if "there were only three people waiting to go on it, we wouldn't go, as we don't want to start a taxi service or anything"!!! - so much for providing a nice family attraction!! I was so disappointed at the experience, especially having driven so far, that I had to mention something to the driver. I told him that it was a very fast and bumpy ride, especially for younger children (there were no seatbelts or restraints considering how fast he went), it would have been nicer for it to be a little slower so we could enjoy it, considering how short a trip it is and actually get a chance to look at the scenery and park we were going through, I just got a look and was told "I see", nothing else. The driver was an older guy, who seemed to have an attitude and I just got the impression that taking people on the train was a hassle and not a nice family attraction as it should be. Would not recommend this to anyone, unless they slow it right down. read more