dog friendly park

San Mateo Central Park

Overview: San Mateo Central Park is rated 4.7/5 from 2161 Google reviews. This park offers a Japanese tea garden, a dog park, tennis courts, and a rose garden. Amenities: Reviewers often mention shade and tree cover and water fountains or bowls.

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4.7Google rating

2,161reviews

6photos

Overview

What stands out here

Open now

4.7(2,161 reviews)

People say this park offers a Japanese tea garden, a dog park, tennis courts, and a rose garden. They highlight the spaciousness, the well-maintained grounds, and the variety of activities available, such as walking, picnicking, and playing sports. They also like the convenient parking and the beautiful, classical, and elegant atmosphere.

Best for

dogs that need room to runowners who want shade, seating, and water access

Quick facts

Address50 E 5th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, USA

Phone(650) 522-7400

City pageSan Mateo

Imported fromSan Mateo, CA

Visit park site Jump to map

Useful details

These tags come from the imported Google export and help visitors scan the park vibe quickly.

dogs that need room to runowners who want shade, seating, and water accessparktourist attraction6 Google photos2161 reviewsOpen now

Park photos

Real photo coverage helps visitors judge size, atmosphere, and maintenance before they head out.

Recent Google review highlights

Showing the actual texture of owner feedback makes the park page much more useful than a bare directory card.

Fig and Willow Studios10 months ago

We love doing engagement photos here! It's perfect and our couple had so much fun. No permit required and a lot of variety for backdrops. Can't wait to be back to do more engagement photos

Cinnamarolla682 months ago

Beautiful, huge park within walking distance of cute shops, boba shops and eateries. Easy parking. A lovely Japanese Tea Garden with a gorgeous koi pond is located within the park. The rose garden when in bloom is picture worthy. The last few times we went, the playground was undergoing improvements. Looking forward to seeing it finished! It's so relaxing lying on a blanket on the grass and having lunch here on a warm day. We drive out to SMCP with our young daughters to escape the cold and fog of S.F. and enjoy the sun!

Wei-Ai Taia year ago

Nice public park in downtown San Mateo. Large playground for young kids, and plenty of grassy area for older kids and dogs to run around. Useful bathrooms and some drinking fountains. Beware of cyclists if you’re wandering around with headphones on!

Chris “Vectrexer” Romero2 years ago

San Mateo Central Park is One of the best gems to visit in the bay. This all inclusive park has about everything you could want. Japanese garden. Roses garden. Arboretum. Big green field. Tennis courts. Tables. BBQ grills. Softball field. Dog park. AND A SUPER CHILL VIBE! Everything Above plus proximity to every kind of food just steps away and you have a winning local park worthy enough for any tourist to visit.

Anne Margaret White3 years ago

Big beautiful park with lots to see and do. We were sad to have missed the Japanese Garden (closes at 4!), but took the opportunity to visit the rose garden and walk around the play areas. Lots of parties happening in the picnic grove, giving the area a festive air. Appreciated the bathrooms. Loved the shade/fern garden, but nothing can beat those roses! Lovely stop!

Opening hours

When Google exported structured hours, they’re surfaced here instead of being buried in the raw payload.

Monday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Tuesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Wednesday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Thursday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Friday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Saturday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Sunday: 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Google map

Embedded map view for quick orientation before visitors head out.

Keep exploring

Helpful links to compare this park with the wider area and plan your next outing.