A recent video of Irvine Regional Park lit up the Irvine Standard website and drew thousands of Facebook likes, shares and comments by people recalling picnics, pony rides, fishing, and even attending weddings at the 110-year-old park.
“My parents took me to the park back when I was a little girl,” wrote Rikki Cox. “They would rent a boat and we would row out on the little lake.”
“I have a picture of myself there from 1963,” wrote Mary Waldau Stavros. “My husband and I still walk there 4 to 5 times a week. We love it!”
The Irvine Standard video, which has drawn more than 4,400 likes, shares and comments, traces the park’s history, beginning in 1897 when Irvine Company donated 160 acres of The Irvine Ranch to create the first regional park in California. This gift eventually led to 60% of The Irvine Ranch – more than 57,500 acres – being permanently preserved as open space for public enjoyment.
Historical photos show the original “Picnic Grounds,” an ancient grove of live oak trees, with picnickers from the 1800s enjoying them, just like today.
Some other comments include:
“This is one of my favorite parks of all time.”
“It’s a piece of paradise.”
“We love walking through the live oaks and sycamores.”
And, “Let’s go.”
