Wright Park

The park itself? Great! Big playground for kids and toddlers, swings, a spray ground, lots of walking trails (paved and gravel). However, parking sucks. There is free parking all around the park but good luck finding a space.
3 stars because the people here are WEIRD. Multiple adults approached me to ask if I was interested in looking at purses (??) while I was with my one year old. Many homeless individuals asking for change. Pretty sure I witnessed a drug deal go down and many scantily clad women walking around aimlessly…
The park is great. Location unfortunate. People made me so uncomfortable I won’t come back.

My wife and I decided to take our family to Wright Park to see the conservatory. Honestly the Conservatory was the best part of the entire experience. It got a bit crowded in there but the plants were in full bloom and the Koi fish were fun to feed.
After leaving the conservatory our experience began to dwindle. There were a lot of bums hanging out in the park just drifting around. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we weren’t fully safe there. We went to go enjoy the children’s playground area for our daughter but even there some shady looking people were floating around. I didn’t want to take my eyes off my daughter (not that I ever would) and my wife and I both agreed that we didn’t feel comfortable there.
To make things worse on our way back to the car we noticed some sketchy business going on outside of one of the apartment buildings. The sad part was the building was so historic and architecturally nice that it was shocking to see. I suppose I have to chalk it up as its «not my scene» but it was a shame because the park and area in general has so much potential but I just can’t justify spending time in a place where I (and my family) don’t feel safe.

Wright park is one of the largest parks in the Tacoma area. It is beautiful to stroll through the park on the gravel pathways on any day of the year. Take in the duck pond or the ornate statues. Bring your horseshoes and have a game. Visit the green house. In the summer, take your kids to the playground area where they have installed a water feature park for the kids to get wet and stay cool. There is so much to actually see and do here. Every year, the cultural ethnic fest is put on in this park and on several occasions throughout the year, you can stumble upon live music being played in the park too. It’s a really nice area to spend some time exploring and there are a lot of activities to keep you occupied.
Thanks for reading and Enjoy!

Besides the sketch people out and about (which I guess it to be expected at any public park in an urban area), its a great park to run or play basketball. Its a really beautiful park that is right at the edge of Tacoma’s downtown.

This place is fabulous! Easy to get to without hitting a ton of freeway traffic and plenty of free street parking. Lotsssss of walking trails (through open grassy spaces, not like hiking or anything), a small pond with a cute little bridge, and one of the best playgrounds + water spray parks in Tacoma! It is one of the only playgrounds that’s shaded, so you & your littles aren’t sunburnt and heatstroking after 10 minutes.
The playground has lots of cool and unique features including a giant outdoor xylophone, a wheelchair accessible swing, and a cool spinning net thing. There is a large play structure for older kids as well as a toddler appropriate structure that’s bigger and better than most I’ve seen for the 2-​and-​under crowd. The toddler part of it has lots of different climbing features («rock wall», rope climb, stairs, etc.) as well as several long ramps that are perfect for new walkers (& is wheelchair accessible!).
The spray park is never as crowded and crazy as I expect it to be, in fact it’s one of the less insane ones in Tacoma. It’s not quite as big as some of the others, but it’s almost completely enclosed by a half-​wall, which keeps the little ones contained and also provides easy, close-​by seating. This is a great spray park for toddlers as it has lots and lots of low volume water features (ie little water jets coming out of the ground, etc) that aren’t intimidating or too challenging for their clumsy and curious selves! :)
In the fall, this park is GEORGOUS! It is FULL of big giant trees whose leaves look beautiful changing color! I love it so much that when I got married in Tacoma last October, I had all of our professional wedding photos taken here– the autumn leaves made for such an incredible backdrop! It’s perfect for family photography and senior portraits, etc too because the park is big & spread out enough that you don’t have to worry about getting a random picnic table, garbage can, or group of people in the background of your shot. There are lots of different areas to choose from and literally every single part of the park would work for pictures!
Obviously I love this place.
The only negative thing I can say is that there are often some questionable-​looking people around, so I keep my purse & stroller closeby and always lock my car. But I’ve never felt unsafe or overly worried, in fact the few homeless gentlemen I’ve talked to there were very kind and kept to themselves.

A treasure for the city. Walking paths, fountains, playground, summer sprayground, sledding during rare snow days, festivals, outdoor movies. Be wary of the occasional riff raff hanging out.

Love this park! So cute, great location, great size! The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was because the trails are gravel and you must have tennis shoes or boots on if you do not want to get injured walking them! I would love to be able to walk this park in sandals on nice summer days but everytime the gravel kicks up or pokes my feet, or spikey things fall off the trees and stab the crap out of your ankles! Ouch!
Love the pond, tables, space to picnic and play games, the kids water park, lawn bowling. So much to do and a very nice park! (Just remember to wear good shoes)

This place has improved considerably over the years. It’s well maintained, beautiful, and easy to get to. Best thing about downtown.

I like the walking path at this track. It’s peaceful. Has its inclines and declines but there was one thing I didn’t like… And I know it’s a preference thing but I strongly dislike gravel trails :(
My shoes and dog were all muddy and we still had to get in my car so if you bring your dog make sure you bring a towel or something for him/​her to lay on and an extra pair of shoes so your car don’t get dirty… But other than that. Yes, very nice trail.

Great place for a picknick, then send the kids over to the Waterpark. Then also check out the conservatory, lots of really cool and different plants.

Love taking walks at this park. The outside trail is ⁹⁄₁₀^th of a mile. They also have a water park thing, playground, basketball court and there’s different events that happen here throughout the year.

I don’t spend a lot of time in Tacoma so I’m not familiar with the parks. I found myself in the area looking for a place to eat my lunch.
The park was much bigger than it seemed from my view on the main road. Picnic tables were spread out around the area. There is a good balance of open space where you can catch some sun and shaded spots with tree cover. I ran into a rather aggressive squirrel that demanded food. Seriously, he stared me down. A few ducks wandered around as I ate my lunch.
Down the hill, there is a small duck pond. On the other side of the park, is a water feature where children splash around.
I had a peaceful lunch and enjoyed my short stay here. I would definitely come again to explore a bit more since I saw the greenhouse but didn’t get a chance to go in.

I used to live a few blocks from this park. It is a beautiful park. You must visit the conservatory. It Is prettiest in the spring. You can see giant lemons on the lemon tree and sometimes they have those plants that you touch, and the leaves curl in. It really looks like the plant is moving.
Wright Park also has a bangin’ meticulously manicured bocci court that never seems to be used except for one or two days a week for just a couple of hours. I have admittedly on several occasions hopped over the locked fence to play a match or two. They added a mini outdoor water playground a few years back. Kids seem to enjoy that. I would not frequent this park at night, but I don’t think I would go to any park when the sun goes down. A very pleasant place to be indeed.
Also, looking for a great breakfast after walking the park? Try out the HobNob. Just across the street from the lion statues on 6^th avenue. You will be glad you did.

Write park is scenic with classic art nouveau accents and updated modern playgrounds and restrooms. It also has a mini outdoor water playground.
Convenient location in downtown tacoma.
There is an adorable green house with interesting plant species. It’s a smaller collection, but it’s still very fun and whimsy.
I’ve noticed there’s a Bocce field at one end of the park. It’s gated and I have never observed anyone utilizing it. Looks very well kept, I’ll have to round up some friends and a bocce set one of these days.
One of my favorite aspects of the park is the pond. Lovely duck families populate the English garden-​esque pond which is haloed with a romantic bridge and an accompanying statue that dates the 1890’s era park.
There are plenty of picnic tables, horse shoe throws and benches here.
I don’t like to stay long due to the fact that many homeless people inhabit the park. Every time I’ve been here I have been approached by a homeless person. I don’t mind them most of the time when they just ask for change and then carry on, but when they are intoxicated and violent I get uncomfortable, naturally. That is why this park is docked –2 stars.
Also, the crows are violent to humans. Serious physical harassment!
One day a woman walked past me and my guy as we were walking on the outer main path and she screamed, «GOD, YOU MAKE ME SICK.» I don’t know what her troubles are, but it felt unsafe and offended.

What a pretty, enjoyable park. I’ve only been once but I feel compelled to add my two cents. Wright Park reminds me of Manito Park in Spokane. Old trees, lots of grass for lounging, an adorable pond, arboretum, and more.
The highlight for me and my young ones was the water play area. Very awesome. Lots of water fountain features to entertain them and areas for the parents to sit (though I say why not bring your swimsuit and get wet yourself??).
We didn’t get to stay for long but I could easily see making an afternoon of it and having a picnic under those big trees, playing some catch or frisbee and playing in the water. This is a gorgeous park that surpasses the beauty of many Seattle parks by far.
Are all Tacoma parks this nice? I’m now on a mission to find out. And in the meantime we WILL be returning to this one.

I live across the street from this park. I’ve loved it since I first moved to the neighborhood and love it even more now that they’ve improved it some and included a play area to keep the kids happy.
In the fall, this place has amazing foliage. There are so many different kinds of trees that there’s always something changing color and dropping leaves everywhere. Though, this does mean that in the evenings and on weekends, local photographers pack into the place with families that are a little too well-​dressed for the park and get cranky when you, you know, actually use the park to play or run or whatever.
In the winter, the orb-​light-​fixtures shine in the barren trees at night in a way that I thought only existed in strange art-​house French films. It’s beautiful in the snow, too.
In the spring, this place turns amazingly green and the ducks go wild quacking and waddling everywhere. Beware the cranky geese, though.
In the summer, this place is overrun with children and families — the splash park looks fun but I know a few kids that picked up fungal infections from it, be careful. Also, the wet kids go run on the dry playstructure and kids that don’t want to play in the water can’t avoid getting wet when all of the swings, slides, and equipment is soaked from water balloons and wet kids.
You can grab a coffee from Satellite and walk around, watch some ducks, or wander through the conservatory. You can bring some balls and play in the lawn bowling area. There’s basketball courts and a play structure. Bathrooms on site, which is always a plus for a park. Parking is street parking — which can get a little crowded in the summer.
Just don’t park in my spot in front of my building okay? And don’t let your photographer yell at my kid for playing in the park across the street from his place.

Love this park! This is such a fun place to play on toys or lay in the grass in the summer. There’s a pond that is quite nice, and there’s also the Wright Park Conservatory, which is full of gorgeous plants and flowers. I have enjoyed many walks in this park, and in the summer, there are events in the park that are fun! The park is located in Tacoma, but it is perfectly safe and worth a visit… or two… or three!

I’m privileged to live across the street from this park, which bustles with activity during the summer — sometimes, a bit more than I’d prefer — and quiets down for the winter save for the occasional hooting-​and-​hollering snowboarders who descend on the place anytime it snows, be it 2 p.m. or 2 a.m.
The park sits on the unofficial border between scary Tacoma — the one seen from Interstate 5 and some points east of it – and beautiful Tacoma. The latter is the part no one sees, the part with neighborhoods and business districts as beautiful as anything Portland has to offer. As a result, the city’s reputation suffers.
Anyway, walk along the western edge of this park on a sunny day and you’ll know you’re in a special place. Mount Rainier is visible between stately brick buildings, nearly all of which date back more than 100 years. Farther north, Puget Sound and the southern tip of Vashon Island can be seen over the tops of other buildings.
City leaders clearly have recognized this park for the gem it is, as it has been renovated repeatedly. The basketball court and playground used to be in different locations; the latter now has soft turf to accommodate children’s falls as well as some fantastic equipment.
Although sun-​worshipers flock to this place during Tacoma’s seven weeks of summer, it’s always easy to stake out a prime relaxation spot for quiet reflection. Is it populated by «bums,» as some reviewers call them? Yes, on occasion, but show me a metro park in the United States or Canada that doesn’t have that. I’ve never been panhandled in Wright Park, and on a couple of occasions when I’ve taken walks there after dark while forgetting there’s a dusk curfew, I’ve run into patrolling police officers who’ve shared interesting historical tidbits about the place and said, «Well, the park’s technically closed, but you’re fine to explore.» This is a great place to do just that.

I love this park. On the edge of downtown and North Tacoma, it beckons to the weary worker as well as the families out for a fun day.
Great trails crisscross the park. There are plenty of benches and tables, with some located in the shade, in the sun, by the playground, and isolated. Something for everyone. Great collection of trees and flowers, even a conservatory. There’s a duck pond with a nice bridge across and fountain. Great place to have lunch, walk or jog, or hang out with family and friends.

How have I never reviewed this place? It’s been a part of my consciousness since before I can remember – literally, my mom still loves to tell stories about me at Wright Park that I can’t remember happening. Evidently, the two nymph (or whatever) statues on the north side used to strike me as creepy old women hiding in the bushes when I was little. They don’t anymore, and not just because they cut down the bushes. I’m older and wiser, and can tell the difference between statues and people.
But this place still makes me feel connected to my youth, even though they have improved it immeasurably since I was young. They significantly reinforced the banking around the duck pond about ten years ago, adding a cool little footbridge over it.
By and large, the rest of the place is the same – you get dozens of lush green trees, and even more than that in the summer when the deciduous residents of the park leaf out again. There’s that duck pond, and there’s an extremely cool greenhouse, and a handy little playground. There are many pockets of green space among the trees, zig-​zagging gravel paths, and an appealing small playground.
My goddaughter and her family used to live in north Tacoma, and I can remember swinging her in the swings here when she was young. They moved far away, and, when they came back to visit, we brought her here to feed the ducks. There are a couple good places not far from here when you can get healthful bird food – evidently, the stale bread we used to feed them when I was little is not exactly nutritious. They do better with millet, or corn.
And, as it turns out, I don’t need to have kids with me to enjoy feeding the ducks. I fed them most of ten pounds of corn this weekend and never got tired of it. In fact, I was more worried that the ducks might get full and wander off before I ran out of corn. It’s an age-​old memory that never fails to delight me. Given that bird food is about 70 cents a pound, it makes me a pretty cheap date, too.
This is not the biggest part around, and certainly has fairly narrowly-​focused features. But it’s a great break from whatever else happens to occupy your day in Tacoma, whether it’s food or errands or sight-​seeing or whatever it might be. And for some of us, it’s a soothing connection with secure, happy memories that stretch back beyond our consciousness to earliest childhood.