Bill Barber Community Park

Literally my favorite park to run! Not exactly run trails, but the incline is not too steep, but steep enough for your legs to be sore the next day. It’s clean and very well lit at night. I love running here after work to beat the traffic!

I wish I had parks like this when I was my daughter’s age! They have an awesome nautical themed playground. Also, the community center has great classes for young children like arts and crafts and gymnastic. The park is well maintained and has a great duck pond. The playing fields are immaculate and there is normally ample parking.

had to take care of some family business in the area, and needed to find a place to entertain the Tiny Human for a few hours while Husbinator wrapped things up. thanks, Unilocal,for leading us to this fabulous place!
first, amenities: tons of easy parking, super clean bathrooms, plenty of shaded areas, picnic tables, trash cans everywhere, lovely landscaping, walking trails, water fountains, huge fields for baseball and soccer — a lively match was going on when we arrived and we enjoyed watching for awhile.
but the main attraction: the fabulous playground. wow!!! it’s spread out over a few «pods» and connected by bridges. the littlest littles can stay clear of rampaging «big kids,» who will love all the non-​traditional climbing/​scrambling/​sliding/​balancing equipment. there’s sand to play in too. Tiny Human was thrilled, and so was I. in fact, we had so much fun that we will probably find more reasons to come back here, business or no business. locals, you are lucky indeed to have this treasure in your area!

One of my favorite parks in Orange County! I used to come study here after my college classes ended (in Irvine) at the benches which have an awning so there’s shade. The benches are rentable for parties but on weekdays they are pretty open. Ten years later I come here for my morning walks. I feel safe here because it’s well open, cars drive by & the police station is next door!
I absolutely love the playground for kids! They have a great well-​maintained playground & it’s large. I also love that there are stairs here which lead to an American flag; a nice mini stair workout!
Lots of tennis courts, baseball fields & at least 3 restroom areas. Irvine did a great job by building this park.
One con: twice in the morning I have seen coyotes so always be aware of your surroundings.

My grand nephew had his first birthday here last weekend. This park is gorgeous with its own stadium! It’s clean and immaculate and the party area included tables and a bbq. The area was private and all areas are well-​maintained. There are walking trails all over the park and plenty of play areas for the kids. Definitely one of the nicest parks I’ve been to.

One of Orange County’s best ballparks. Great for softball leagues with a beautiful view of the mountains, a water fountain, and greco-​roman design. After a long day at the office you can always wind down here.

Wonderful neighborhood park.
Beautiful landscaping: views of Orange County and the mountains. A beautiful water fountain with Greek-​style décor around it. Plenty of flowers, green space, and trees.
Fountains: plenty of beautiful fountains to sit and get fresh air in.
Fields: lots of fields to play sports and exercise in: a great space for sporting events.
Safety: right next to a police station
Playground: a very large and well-​built playground for children to enjoy
Walking paths: plenty of spacious walking paths to walk on for exercise

Huge park. I am so tired after I walk my dog here. Clean and beautiful. I love Irvine.

Love this park. Great locaton. You can ride your bike if you want. Plenty of bathrooms. Lots of grass area to hang out. Great playground area for all ages.3 or 4 baseball, softball fields. Also has barbecue areas and covers if you prefershade. Great scenery too.

Like this park its clean and open we play Softball here once in a while, this season we have about 3 games here, the fields are well kept up. Lots of parking and rest rooms. It’s also by the police station too. I actually prefer playing softball here cause i do like the fields compared to the other parka we play at.

This is a beautiful park!!! No problem parking thats for sure. This park has something for everyone. The bathrooms are well maintained. The grounds are beautifully kept up as well. I love the rose bushes, they are my favorite. Brought a picnic lunch and sat under a tree in the shade to eat, very relaxing.

This park is like what other parks wish they could be like. It’s a kid’s dream. Plenty of places to hide and bridges to run across, a water area to make mud pies, swings, slides, bars to climb. There is also a grassy knoll to the side of the playground equipment, with lots of trees and shade, so the adults can sit a spell.

This is one of the best man made parks I’ve ever been to. I love to come and eat lunch and read by the peaceful garden fountain. It’s very clean, safe, and the kids jungle gym is insane. Great place to bring the family. Also, they have a killer baseball stadium that rivals any local college.

Best park to bring little kids! Plenty of shade, water, and playgrounds to play on!!!

This is a nice park.
It’s huge and there are lots of open space. Very green and lots of people hanging out here. Clean and well maintained.
The picnic tables are great for potlucks.
Tons of parking in multiple parking lots. Don’t forget where you parked!
The park set up is a little confusing, so be sure to look at the directory.

I come here for a lot of things: reunions, workouts, or events and Bill Barber Community Park is always a charming place.
Ambiance:
Parking: There is plenty of parking, the only time it would get crowded would be during big events or tournaments.
Feels: This place has almost everything, a hill, playground, several baseball fields, barbecue pits, you name it. It is very clean too. Whether you are here to go on a date or take your kids to play, this is a great place.
Advice:
* Check if any events are going on
* Behind the park is a bike trail to Newport
* Great place for a photoshoot.

Not a bad park. There was plenty of parking with nice restroom facitilities. 3 diff’t playgrounds but not a lot to do really. Needs a few more monkey bars for shorter/​younger kids. Also could use a few more seatings for parents. Not much shade if you want shade. It is clean as well.

When you’re in the mood for a CHILAXIN kinda day, this park will definitely satisfy your needs. Overall, I’d say it’s one of the BEST public parks in OC.
Lets take a stroll through this park. Feel free to let your mind wander and add your own imagery to the scene. Ok, so it’s a beautiful Saturday morning and you are trying to figure out where to take the kids for the day. Then all of sudden you remembered Joann D. told you to check out Bill Barber Community Park. So, being the super prepared person that you are; you pack some drinks/​snacks for the kids. Throw in their bikes/​helmets/​sunblock and jump in the car and head over to Irvine.
Upon arriving you are welcomed with:
–AMPLE parking.
–Beautiful landscape and walkways w/​flowers and fountains.
–Picnic tables w/​a semi-​enclosed roof, which you can reserve in advance if you wish to host a party.
–Bike trails and large grass areas.
By now, the kids have probably ran towards the PLAYGROUNDS. There are 3 big play areas with age appropriate equipment. This impressed me the most.
**2−4 y/​o; 5 – 12 y/​o and a free for all. There are swings, slides, tire swings, monkey bars, ZIPLINES… the works. So, much fun.
CAUTION: make sure you watch your kid. The bigger play areas have some sections where kids can fall «overboard».
Oh, and if you’re in the mood for some baseball, there are a few fields.
YES, there are public bathrooms. Thank goodness. And YES, everything is pretty clean and upholds the Irvine look.
ONE CON: the small water area at the 2 – 4 y/​o was quite muddy and the small playhouse was caked w/​dirt. Not very Irvine-​like. Hmmm???
TIPS:
1) Bring beach toys. Lots of sand around.
2) Bring hand sanitizers just to keep it clean.
Enjoy! I hope you like it.

Definitely one of the better parks I have been to. It has the look and feel of an upscale park, and is very well kept. It was the perfect setting for the bday party (one year old) we went to.
The kids playground area is awesome, and larger than most. It seems to be separated into three different playgrounds, with each one geared more towards specific age groups. The section closest to the parking lot was perfect for my three year old, while the one closer to the baseball field was, to his own admittance, «too fast» for him. I’m a full grown adult (physically at least) and the «big kid» slide looked too steep even for me. I timed him, and it took him .003 seconds to travel 25 feet. His hair looked different when he landed. Other than that though — awesome playground.
In addition to the slide-​O-​death, what kept me from giving this park five stars was the lack of adult supervision. There were two kids literally swimming inside of a water fountain intended for pennies and birds, NOT kids. Their parents were nowhere to be found. Also, some random 5 – 6 year old in a superhero costume (it was not Halloween) appeared out of nowhere and started saying strange things to my son, and trying to play with him for a solid thirty minutes. Sorry Captain America, but we don’t know you, and my son does NOT want to play «sand», if that’s even a real game. Again, his parents were nowhere to be found.
I don’t care how nice a park or place is, with all the crazies in the world, it weirds me out that parents don’t watch their kids. All that aside, the park itself is great, and highly recommended. Just please watch your kids. Geez.

Who is Bill Barber? It’s not the name of a men’s salon. He was a war hero, and as the British say, «It’s good on ya» to Irvine for honoring his memory with a large, beautiful, and awesome park. Of course, there is also a Bill Barber, a former NHL star for the Philadelphia Flyers and there is an ice rink on the north end of the property.
This park is totally Irvine, and I mean that in a good way. Clean, safe, more grass and trees than all of Santa Ana (just kidding, I think), and an ample clean parking lot. multi-​ethnic families with kids here. Not a single gang banger in the hundred of so times I’ve been here, though I hear there are gangs in Irvine. But their lawyers or truant officers probably live nearby and keep those boys away. And there are lots of bicycle riders who park their cars here and bike the trails day and night. As others have said, the bathrooms are clean for a park, and the lighting is good for most of the sports played.
Anyway, I am reviewing this park mainly from the point of view of a tennis player. During the day, they have a great tennis facility, so much so that most people, though they could afford it, don’t even think about getting a tennis membership at Racquet Club of Irvine — if they just want to play tennis. (FYI, RCI has a pool, locker room, social activities, etc. and is a good place to network if you’re a salesman, lawyer, or funeral director). There are certified tennis instructors and tennis camps throughout the year, and lots of tournaments. Most of the time, though, it’s for anyone to play. Many props to Irvine for keeping this sport a high priority.
But at night, these are my least favorite tennis courts in all of the Irvine locations. There are six courts, two of them are awesome — the largestadium court with seating and the instructional court. The one that stands by itself near the parking lot is decent, too. The remaining courts are tough to play in if you have night blindness, and every once in a while, one of the lights doesn’t get replaced for awhile. Then it feels like you’re in da hood. And if someone misses a shot, they can look at the lights and say, «that’s why I missed that shot». You need excuses if you’re playing league and you lose the entire match due to one critical point. LOL
Real tennis players follow the rules for getting a court. Put your name on the list if the courts are busy. People are pretty good about not playing over their allotted time, one hour for singles and one and a half for doubles. Once in a while, an idiot will just keep playing but just stare at them long enough, and they’ll usually leave. Those are the times I wish my Samoan relatives were here visiting me. Overall, for free tennis courts, like most of Irvine’s tennis courts and trophy wives, they’re well taken care of.