Parks and Playgrounds in Bellaire

Most of Bellaire's parks do one thing well, and the trick is knowing which thing. What follows is sorted by what a child, a dog or a pair of running shoes is likely to want.

Start with Evelyn's Park

Evelyn's Park, at 4400 Bellaire Blvd, is the showpiece, and it has more to say for itself than a paragraph in a roundup. It sits on the old Teas Nursery site, a conservancy runs its programs, and it has a cafe on the grounds. Its history, its natural playground and its calendar are in the Evelyn's Park guide, so they are not repeated here. One note for families with dogs: the conservancy's park page says no dogs are allowed, per city ordinance.

Playgrounds

The city's amenity lists put a playground at four parks, and one of them has a nature-play twist.

- Lafayette Park, 4337 Lafayette St, has a playground, a youth soccer field, a picnic shelter, picnic tables and open green space. It is also where you find the Officer Lucy Dog Park, 4300 Edith St, which the city places inside Lafayette Park. - Evergreen Park, 4500 Evergreen St, has a playground, a barbecue pit, picnic tables, open green space and the city's neighborhood pool. The Elaine Wood Therapy Pool shares the address. - Ware Family Park, 800 Jaquet Dr, has a playground, picnic tables and open green space. - Russ Pitman Park, 7112 Newcastle St, lists a playground, a picnic shelter, a barbecue pit, open green space, an improved-surface trail and a nature trail.

Russ Pitman Park and the Nature Discovery Center

Russ Pitman is the park to pick when the children would rather look at something than kick it. The Nature Discovery Center shares the grounds at 7112 Newcastle St, and the park's own page describes four habitats: a pocket prairie of native wildflowers, a prairie wetland, a deciduous woodland and a cypress pond. Named spots include a Nature Play Area, a Sensory Garden, an aviary, Rebecca Fountain and the Dean Neubek Critter Classroom.

The park posts hours of 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day. The Discovery Rooms, the center's exhibit space, post shorter hours: during the school year Tuesday to Friday from 1 to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. From June through August they open on weekends only. The center's visit page does not state an admission price, so ask before you plan around one.

Most of Bellaire's parks do one thing well, and the trick is knowing which thing.

The city also runs two SPARK parks, community parks built on public school grounds and open to neighbors, at Horn Elementary, 4530 Holly St, and Condit Elementary School, 7000 S 3rd St.

Ball fields and courts

- Feld Park, 6406 N Avenue B, has an adult softball field, a tennis court, a youth soccer field, open green space and picnic tables. - Mulberry Park, 700 Mulberry Ln, has a tennis court, a youth softball field, a picnic shelter and picnic tables. - Bellaire-Zindler Park, 7008 5th St, has a Little League baseball field, a tennis court, a gazebo, a pavilion and open green space.

The city lists an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew at all three.

Bellaire Town Square

Bellaire Town Square, at 7008 S. Rice Ave, the same address as City Hall, is where the city holds its outdoor events. Party at the Pavilion takes over the Great Lawn on the first Friday night of every month, with live music, and the city's event page invites you to bring coolers and picnic blankets. The city says it is free for everyone, thanks to PATRONS for Bellaire Parks and the City of Bellaire. Holiday in the Park comes to the same ground on Thursday, December 3, 2026.

Trails

Paseo Park, 5000 Bellaire Blvd, is a stretch of improved-surface trail along Bellaire Boulevard, listed on the city's page as running from the 4800 to the 5000 block. The Park Information page says no curfew is imposed there because of the sidewalk system, although the park's own page repeats the general 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. rule, so treat the late hours with a little caution. Vic Driscoll Park, 4500 Locust Street, is the other city park with an improved-surface trail.

The rules worth knowing

The city code sets a general park curfew of 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., and the city's Park Information page lists 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. at Lafayette, Ware Family and Russ Pitman, among others. The Parks page bans alcohol, smoking and glass, and open fires without Fire Marshal approval. It also says dogs on leash are allowed only at Paseo Park and Vic Driscoll Park, and dogs off leash only at the Officer Lucy Dog Park. Some parks can be reserved for events through the city's park rentals page.

Before you go

- Read the posted sign at the gate, because the closing time changes from park to park and the city's own pages do not always agree. - Leave the glass bottles and the wine at home, since the city bans both in its parks. - Bring the dog only to the three places the city names, and keep it leashed everywhere except inside the Officer Lucy Dog Park. - Check the Nature Discovery Center's visit page before a rainy or summer trip, because the Discovery Rooms keep shorter hours than the park. - For a pavilion or picnic shelter for a birthday party, start with the city's park rentals page rather than turning up and hoping.

Sources

- City of Bellaire, Park Information: https://bellairetx.gov/737/Park-Information - City of Bellaire, Parks: https://www.bellairetx.gov/736/Parks - City of Bellaire, Paseo Park: https://bellairetx.gov/1720/Paseo-Park - Nature Discovery Center, Visit: https://naturediscoverycenter.org/visit/ - Nature Discovery Center, Russ Pitman Park: https://naturediscoverycenter.org/russ-pitman-park - Evelyn's Park Conservancy, Park Information: https://evelynspark.org/park-information - City of Bellaire, Party at the Pavilion: https://www.bellairetx.gov/1374/Party-At-The-Pavilion - City of Bellaire, Aquatics: https://www.bellairetx.gov/720/Aquatics

En español

Bellaire tiene 3.6 millas cuadradas y la ciudad enumera trece parques, además del parque para perros Officer Lucy. Hay juegos infantiles en Lafayette Park (4337 Lafayette St), Evergreen Park (4500 Evergreen St), Ware Family Park y Russ Pitman Park (7112 Newcastle St), donde también está el Nature Discovery Center. Feld, Mulberry y Bellaire-Zindler tienen canchas de tenis y campos deportivos, y Paseo Park ofrece un sendero a lo largo de Bellaire Boulevard. La ciudad fija un toque de queda general de 11 p.m. a 5 a.m., y de 9:30 p.m. en varios parques. Prohíbe el alcohol, fumar y el vidrio. Los perros con correa solo se permiten en Paseo Park y Vic Driscoll Park, y sin correa solo en Officer Lucy Dog Park. Evelyn's Park tiene su propia guía.