Welcome to Garden Grove Park … A Place for Everyone! That’s because this is an inclusive space for children to play.

The playground areas include 45 play pieces, of which some are ADA accessible units such as “The Cruiser” unit with a ramp for wheelchair access.

The plane theme embraces the land’s history because you’re standing on a spot where airplanes used to land.

While this playground is here for present and future generations to enjoy, this park’s past is steeped in history. Let’s take a look back …

History of Garden Grove Park

Outline of the Haster Farm airfield over a 2006 aerial photo.

Before it was a landing location and flight training site for pilots and their airplanes in the 1940’s and 50’s, Garden Grove Park was land being used for crops like lima beans, walnuts, citrus trees and tomatoes. It was known as Haster Field then.

The original 241 acres were owned by a rancher named Richard Haster, born in 1890, who hailed from Holland. He came to America in 1907, and then to Orange County in 1915. He served in World War I from 1917-1919.

The next year, he was growing lima beans and citrus trees in the Garden Grove/Anaheim area. He began leasing some of his land to other ranchers and farmers.

Haster married his wife Esther in 1929. They tried to survive the Great Depression, but after nine years, they went bankrupt in 1941, which forced Haster to sell most of the acreage to the U.S. Navy in 1943.

Aerial photo from 1943 of the airfield with runway lines.

The earliest aerial photo of Haster Farm airfield was taken on July 21, 1943. It was described as a 241-acre rectangular property, which contained a 1,500 foot diameter asphalt hexagonal landing mat, with the center section serving as an all-way landing area.

After World War II, Haster repurchased 10 acres of the land and allowed civilian pilots to use the runway of the tiny airport for practice take-offs and landings.

In the 1950’s, Haster Field wasn’t used by the U.S. Navy much, and at one point they even considered placing a hospital on the land.

In 1956, just months after the City of Garden Grove was incorporated, the first Mayor, Louis H. Lake, decided he wanted to build a large park on 20 acres of Haster Field.

Aerial view of original airfield.

At about the same time in 1956, the U.S. Navy was planning to sell 110 acres back to Haster.

During this time, the fight for Garden Grove’s cityhood was still being legally challenged. While they waited for the courts to deem that the City’s incorporation election was legitimate, Mayor Lake realized the City needed to negotiate with Haster rather than the U.S. Navy to purchase 20 acres for a park.

George Limburn, V.E. Gene Rotsch & Jack Wallin at the original rocket slide.

In 1958, the Garden Grove City Council authorized the purchase of 40 acres of the former Haster Farm Airfield from the federal government. In early 1959, the development of the park begins.

Fast forward to 1963, the iconic Atlantis Play Center became part of the 40 acre land!

The rest of those acres eventually became Bolsa Grande High School, which was originally called Haster High School.