Open Tuesday – Sunday

10 am to 6:30 pm

The PlayGarden is closed Mondays for maintenance.

Inclement weather closes the park.

Please follow us on Facebook for updates on park closures, hours, and program details.

The Rotary PlayGarden, the Rotary Club of San Jose’s centennial gift to our community, opened in May 2015. The $6 million PlayGarden enables children with special needs to play alongside their siblings and friends and is maintained by Guadalupe River Park Conservancy staff and volunteers, in-kind donations, and fee-for-service contracts.

Note: Due to budgetary constraints, the water feature is not operating at this time. We are working to resolve this, and have it operating as soon as possible. Follow us on Facebook for the newest updates!

Quick Links:

Donate
Adopt a Bench
Picnic Reservations
Education
Employment Opportunities
Adventure Packs

Park Rules

Park Rules:

• Have fun!
• No dogs
• No bikes
• No skateboards, scooters, inline skates, roller skates
• No BBQs or open flames

Click here for a more complete list of PlayGarden rules.

Education

Why not PLAY and LEARN at the same time?

Here at Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, we are passionate about educating our youth on a variety of environmental topics. Rotary PlayGarden education programs are hands-on, interactive, and take place in the Amphitheater (unless otherwise noted).

Rotary PlayGarden Education Programs Update: 

Guadalupe River Park Conservancy will take a break from the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program after May 31, 2017. We hope to secure finding for these classes so that we are able to resume in the fall.

Catholic Charities/HealthTrust will continue their First 5 Program through June 9, 2017.

As always, you can stay tuned to our Facebook page for updates. Guadalpe River Park Conservancy, a non-profit organization, maintains, staffs, and provides the ECE programs for the Rotary PlayGarden. Any support we receive will help us achieve our goal of keeping the PlayGarden an educational, safe, clean, and fun place to play. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation here.

Early Childhood Education (ECE):

This program is an early introduction into environmental science. Designed for children age 3-6 years old, this FREE, DROP-IN program is taught by Guadalupe River Park Conservancy environmental educators. Topics include: rivers, birds, and more!

Want to join the ECE fun?

Drop-in every Wednesday; rain or shine –

no sign-up necessary!

Time: 11:00AM-12:00PM

Location: Rotary PlayGarden Amphitheater

(or in the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy

Visitor Center if it rains)

Other Education Opportunity:

First 5 Program

We are excited to welcome our Catholic Charities/HealthTrust partners from West San Jose CA Family Resource Centers to the Rotary PlayGarden for their “First 5 Program.” This FREE, DROP-IN program is designed for children ages 5 and under, and is held in the Rotary PlayGarden amphitheater. No sign-up necessary!
Date:
Every 2nd and 4th Friday of the month
Time:
2nd Friday: 10:30 – 11:00 AM
4th Friday: 3:00 – 3:30 PM

Want to stay updated on our themes and topics?

“Like” us on the Rotary PlayGarden Facebook for the most up-to-date information.

We Are Hiring!

Rotary PlayGarden Attendant

Join our dynamic team!

The Rotary PlayGarden is one of the few public parks in Santa Clara County where children with special needs can play on the playground equipment alongside their families and friends without disabilities. Be part of this magical place by joining the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy as a Rotary PlayGarden Attendant!  The RPG Attendant performs daily maintenance and interacts with park patrons.

This is a part-time position and the hourly pay is $12-15 depending on experience.

Please send your resume or any questions to mel@grpg.org.

Early Childhood Education Intern

Paid Internship

Guadalupe River Park Conservancy is seeking a student intern to provide support for early childhood educational programming. Early Childhood Education Interns are integral in providing high-quality, hands-on science programming to the park’s youngest visitors.

Responsibilities will include:

•  Assisting with the research and development of curriculum about topics including local history, culture, geography, and science
•  Adapting activities for individuals with a variety of special needs
•  Presenting place-based lessons to children and adults in an outdoor setting
•  Managing groups of 10-20 students at a time, either individually or with a teaching partner.
•  Prepping materials for lessons and cleaning up after lessons are completed
•  Completing a curriculum project, where the intern is responsible for developing an original lesson plan, delivering the material, and evaluating the results
•  Assist in curriculum development and/or revision
•  Attending internal educational training to enhance understanding of special needs populations

For questions, a full job description, or to send your resume, contact Luana@grpg.org

Picnic Reservations

Two seating areas are available for reservation. Proceeds support PlayGarden operations and maintenance.

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to view the Reservation Calendar and book online

Select “Picnic” as Type in the right-hand corner. Available times are displayed in orange; click to select and book your reservation.

Adventure Packs

 Provide a photo ID with an address and you can check out an Adventure Pack from the Rotary PlayGarden attendant at no charge!

Each Adventure Pack Contains:

• GPS unit
• Bug catcher
• Two pairs of binoculars
• Magnifying glass and
• Several bug and animal ID guides

What do you do?

You can follow a pre-loaded, pre-set GPS tour through Guadalupe River Park & Gardens.  Many love the guided tours, although some of our friends enjoy simply using the Adventure tools in the PlayGarden while they play!

Where and how do I check out an Adventure Pack?

Packs can be checked out Tuesday through Sunday at any time from 10am to one-and-a-half hours before the park closes and must be returned the same day they are borrowed. Adventure Packs are available from Guadalupe River Park Conservancy at the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens Visitor and Education Center (438 Coleman) on Mondays when the PlayGarden is closed. The only difference is that the packs need to be returned by 4:30 pm.

Adventure Packs are provided by Guadalupe River Park Conservancy with many thanks to the Lennox Foundation for underwriting this free family activity!