Sunset Playground and Rec. Center

In 1937, the three acre site at 29th Avenue and Lawton Street was bought for $50,676 and was developed as a playground. Built by the Recreation Department and the W.P.A., Sunset Playground opened in 1940 with a small field house, and volleyball, basketball, and tennis courts. As the neighborhood grew and more children crowded onto the courts, neighborhood improvement clubs called for an expanded facility. The department chose a contractor to build Sunset Recreation Center, and in October 1951, Mayor Elmer Robinson dedicated the new facility at Sunset, which now included two play areas, new outdoor courts, gymnasium, auditorium, kitchen and clubrooms. In 2012, the park underwent a renovation of the recreation center, children’s play area, and fields and courts. This also included modifications to the site to remove barriers, improve accessibility, and boost the condition of the park landscape.

Before it became the San Francisco Parks Trust and merged with Neighborhood Parks Council to become SF Parks Alliance, Friends of Recreation and Parks launched a program called Neighborhood Park Grants with the goal of putting money in the hands of community groups who want to improve their parks. In its first five years, the program awarded approximately $250,000 to 65 community organizations throughout San Francisco, including $4,000 to the Sunset Playground for comprehensive performing and visual arts programs for youth.

Read more on our Bench Commemoration page.

311, for all other inquiries contact 415-831-2700 (RPD)