Parks, Recreation and Marine

Orizaba Park

Information

Operating Hours
Monday - Friday 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.

History

The City purchased the first 1.21 acres of the site in July 1923, for use as a Street Department Yard. It was abandoned in 1938 and given to the Park Department for landscaping. Robert E. Lee Elementary School students named it Orizaba Park. 

In the mid-1980's, the Pacific Electric Railway was abandoned and the right-of-way between Anaheim Street and Long Beach Boulevard was sold to a developer. In lieu of paying Park Impact Fees for residential development proposed on the right-of-way, the developer dedicated an over one-acre of the right-of-way adjacent to Orizaba Park for park expansion in 1990. The one-acre expansion along the southern edge of the park included two half-court basketball courts, a mural, and lawn and trees separating the site from the industrial uses to the south. The playground was redeveloped at that time with funds from the Los Angeles County Safe Neighborhood Parks Bond Act of 1992. A trailer was added in 1998 to provide an office to supervise increased park activity after the expansion.

KaBoom, with Jet Blue as the primary financial sponsor, installed an additional set of playground equipment and new swings on January 23, 2007.

The Long Beach Redevelopment Agency purchased an additional 1.1 acres in 2008, to extend the park south to 14th Street during 2009 or 2010. This expanded the park to a total of 3.72 acres of park space.

The first development of 3.72 acres opened on February 2012. The project included new landscaping, irrigation, trees, sidewalks, a new skate park, soccer field, full sized basketball court and outdoor exercise equipment. Orizaba Park is home to an art piece titled "The Train Has Left the Station," which was designed and fabricated by local artist Patrick Vogel. The 12-foot by 10-foot stainless steel replica of the Red Car that historically ran from Long Beach to Los Angeles is also located on the former Pacific Electric Right-of-Way, and memorializes the importance of trains in the City's development.

The new Orizaba Park Community Center opened on August 2 2014 and completed the second phase of the park's renovation. In January 2012, an expansion of the park opened. The former Long Beach Redevelopment Agency (RDA) invested $3.7 million to acquire four adjacent blighted industrial properties to add 1.1 acres to the park's 2.62 acres, and create a total of 3.72 acres of open space to expand the park.

The building has been designed to achieve a LEED Gold certification and reduce water and electricity consumption by over 30 percent compared to a traditionally designed building. The building was constructed with $2.2 million in Proposition 84 grant funds.

Amenities

Open space, KaBOOM! playground, picnic area, basketball court, restrooms, Fitness Zones, Playground, Skate Park, Walking Paths

Map to the Park