Whether living in Los Angeles or visiting, when one hears about Manhattan Beach they often think of the pier, surfing, laying on the beach, volleyball, and trendy shops. However, there is another side of Manhattan Beach offering tranquility, recreation, and escape….Polliwog Park.

While Polliwog Park provides picnic tables and childrens play areas like thousands of other neighborhood parks, this park has a lot more to offer.

Encompassing 18 acres, this is the largest and perhaps loveliest park in the South Bay area. The focal point of the site is a large pond bordered on one side by a natural wildlife refuge, home to migratory birds and an occasional raccoon or opossum. A favorite site for concerts, performances, weddings and other special events, the park's amphitheater looks out over the majestic pond as ducks and geese swim by providing one of the most idyllic and scenic backdrops for any occasion. During the summer months there are music concerts provided free to the public.

Three Gazeebos, one situated adjacent to the park's Rose Garden, another positioned near the amphitheater and the third adjacent to the pond, are also favorite spots for birthday parties, anniversaries and family reunions. These can be reserved in advance for two-hour periods.

Play areas include a large light house inspired play apparatus with several slides including a spiral tube slide, misters, a small sand area and three separate areas for younger children filled with colorful and imaginative climbing and exploration equipment. Premier Little League Field is located adjacent to the park. The picnic area is comprised of a number of tables and six barbeques which can accommodate large groups.

The park contains an exercise course, restroom facilities and drinking fountains. Numerous park benches, grassy mounds and shady areas make this an ideal spot for all types of recreational activities including just relaxing or enjoying a conversation with friends.

Also adjacent to the park is Begg Pool, which is open during the summer for classes and recreational swimming.

A 9-hole disc golf course is now located in Polliwog Park. Disc golf is a recreational sport for anyone, regardless of age, gender or ability. The object of the game is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the frisbee. Each consecutive throw is made from where the frisbee came to rest after the last throw. Score is determined by counting the number of throws made on each hole plus penalty throws and then summing all holes. The winner is the player who completes the course with the lowest score.

In the middle of the park sit an old red cottage. I wasn’t sure what it was, thinking it might be the restroom. As I approached I found out that the Manhattan Beach Historical Society is housed there.

Dedicated to the preservation, protection and promotion of the heritage of Manhattan Beach, the Manhattan Beach Historical Society collects and displays historical information and memorabilia about the city. The Society began as a committee in the early 1970s and incorporated as a non-profit, tax exempt organization on October 20, 1977. The Society is headquartered in the 1905 historic beach cottage. The Society uses the following teaching tools: artifact and photo displays, books, videos, films, old newspaper articles, and recordings of history. Various historical pictures and newspapers are archived in the Library.

Lastly, and my primary reason for my visit is on the southwest corner of the…the Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden. This actually how I found out about this park. I was looking for something to do and came across this botanical garden and decided to check it out. In going to the Botanical Garden I found the entire park!

Three hundred years ago, much of the Southern California landscape consisted of native drought-tolerant vegetation growing in open spaces and living in balance with native animal and insect species. Today, almost all of the gardens in the South Bay survive with the help of substantial irrigation, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.  The concept for the Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden is to demonstrate the use of plants suitable for our small gardens and yet able to live in equilibrium with our natural climate and soil type, thus requiring little additional irrigation and no fertilizer or pesticides.

In the early part of the 20th Century, the site on which the Botanical Garden lies was used for farming and greenhouse acreage.  Originally established as a public garden by the Neptunian Women's Club in the 1960's, the area needed a make-over by the late 1980's.

In 1994, the name was changed to the Manhattan Beach Botanical Garden.  Also that year, the first work day was held and volunteers began preparing the site for conversion to an earth-friendly habitat.  A group of 30-40 people worked diligently to clear the weedy, overgrown area, taking out huge garbage bags of material.  New paths were laid out and the Garden's design was roughed out.

In late 1995 the "Bird and Butterfly Habitat" was the first themed area to be completely planted.  Other areas that followed included the "Meditation Garden" and the "Matilija Poppy Hillside" in 1996.  Plants native to California as well as some from similar Mediterranean climates were installed.   Years of fund-raising culminated in the completion of walkways in 1999.  The "Children's Garden of Discovery" and a "Wildflower Meadow" were planted in 1999 as well, and the 30-seat Chevron Amphitheater was constructed in early 2001.  On Earth Day, April 2001, the Garden officially opened to the public.

Since the official opening, the overall ecology of the Garden has improved so dramatically that dozens of bird species, many lizards, and a multitude of beneficial insects have returned.  This success enabled the Garden to earn a designation of "Certified Wildlife Habitat" by the National Wildlife Federation.  

Volunteers have continued to maintain the Garden and thanks to a variety of sponsors, donors, and groups there have been yearly enhancements.  

Luckily I had packed a picnic lunch and was able to sit in the garden gazebo enjoying birds, lizards, and butterflies while observing the beauty of indigenous plants.

So if you find yourself in Manhattan Beach and want a break from the maddening crowds along the strand or you simply want to spend some solitary time or family time on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon, Polliwog park has ample recreational activities or simple relaxation.