I'd never heard of Pirate Park in Bellflower until one of my readers pointed it out to me. (Thanks for telling me about it, Cat!).
It's a VERY small park and really geared towards the younger kids for that very reason. I think preschoolers and Kindergartners with BIG imaginations will love to play pirate here.
And, yes, I realize that Bellflower is NOT in Orange County. It's actually in LA County across the 605 Freeway from Orange County near Cerritos - which is also NOT in Orange County. But I like to cover parks along this corridor because #1 - it's a great place to meet friends from LA and #2 - if it's a neat park then I figure you want to know about it.
Directions to Pirate Park in Bellflower: The park is reachable off the 605 Freeway with a short jaunt on the 91 Freeway to exit at Bellflower Blvd. (Address: 16559 Bellflower Blvd, Bellflower) MAP TO PIRATE PARK IN BELLFLOWER
Highlights:
- This has all the makings of pirate pretend: a fort, a bridge, a row boat, a pirate ship, treasure, and a skull cave
- The playground is gated and has operating hours
- Near restaurants (Subway, Ricci's Italian, 600 Degrees Pizzeria, Johnny Reb's True South - and more)
- Even though the park is basically in the middle of a parking lot, the perimeter is planted with bamboo and other view blocking plants so it feels very lush and tropical inside the park
- My favorite part of the whole playground isn't even inside the gates -- the mural outside sets the mood!
Be Aware:
- Did I say the park is small? Well, it is. I think some children might be able to spend hours playing and pretending here. Some kids will be ready to move on rather quickly. I wouldn't block off a whole morning or afternoon for a visit, but rather pair it up with another park outing nearby.
- The park is not always open. There are monthly hours posted on the gate and a PDF download called "Pirate Park Hours Calendar" on the city's page that shows hours every month. For example in January 2022, it's mostly open around 9am/10am to 4pm.
- There is a Bellflower Sheriff substation right next to the playground. I have no knowledge of crime in the area, but just thought I should share that as a "heads up." The location is right off the main downtown strip of Bellflower Blvd so it felt pretty safe to me when we visited early on a Sunday morning.
- There's a note on their official web page that it is NOT rented out for private parties
- The sign below offers up other "be aware" warnings about hot surfaces, shoes required for kids, and for caregivers not to wear heels
Checklist:
- Recycled rubber play surface
- Free parking in a lot dedicated to the surrounding businesses/restaurants
- Not sure about restrooms because we visited before the park was open (there are definitely NO restrooms inside the small playground)
- Drinking fountain
- Official Bellflower page for Pirate Park - click on the PDF called "Pirate Park Hours Calendar" to get official hours.
- Visit my list of 15 Pirate Parks in Orange County for more pretend play opportunities!
Parks Nearby Pirate Park in Bellflower:
Originally published in June 2018.
