Things to Do at the New Lincoln Park
Downtown Long Beach’s newly renovated Lincoln Park — named after the 16th U.S. President — has fun for the whole family with a variety of features for adults, kids and dogs to enjoy. Read on to discover some of the many reasons why you’ll want to keep visiting the most historic and the most modern park in Long Beach.
Giant Penny
Taller than Abraham Lincoln in his stovepipe hat, Lincoln Park’s most iconic feature is a gleaming 13-foot-tall one-cent piece. Since it rolled onto the corner of Ocean Boulevard and Pacific Avenue, the 1,500-pound minted sculpture stamped with the year 2022 already has been featured in a pretty penny’s worth of Instagram selfies.
Dog Park
On the flip side of that penny, you’ll find tails wagging at the Downtown Dog Park, with designated small and large dog enclosures for four-legged visitors to Lincoln Park to run and play. It’s one of about a dozen such parks and beaches in Long Beach dedicated to doggone fun times.
Playground
The youngest parkgoers will discover a universally accessible playground at Lincoln Park, complete with colorful monkey bars, circular swings, slides, a spinning gazebo and many other imagination-grabbing features.
Skate Park
Adventurous Lincoln Park visitors will gravitate to the small city skate park where they can feel stocked to perform sick freestyle skateboard tricks, ride the rails and catch air off ramps.
Sporting Areas
Beyond the skate park, the four-acre Lincoln Park offers several other amenities for active recreation, including fitness equipment, a synthetic turf sports field, open grassy areas and a half basketball court.
Public Art
An iconic Abraham Lincoln statue, depicting the tall man standing atop a large pedestal, was installed in 1915 when the circa-1888 Pacific Park was redesignated as Lincoln Park. That statue — now joined by the former president’s face on the park’s giant penny — remains an integral of the artwork on display in the public space. City officials say additional public art installations will be added soon.
Room to Read
As the final public element of the reimagined Long Beach Civic Center, Lincoln Park is situated adjacent to the state-of-the-art Billie Jean King Main Library. Capitalizing on its proximity to the library, the park’s landscaping includes outdoor reading rooms, children’s discovery zones and open grassy spaces for picnicking with a good book.