Heather Farm Park is a 102-acre community park in

Walnut Creek, California Walnut Creek is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States, located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, about east of the city of Oakland. With a total population of 70,127 per the 2020 census, Walnut Creek ser ...

. It contains the

Gardens at Heather Farm The Gardens at Heather Farm are a set of gardens located at Heather Farm Park in Walnut Creek, California, United States. The gardens have a view of Mount Diablo, and are open to the public 7 days a week during daylight hours. History In 1 ...

, a swimming pool, inclusive playground, sports fields,

equestrian center An equestrian facility is created and maintained for the purpose of accommodating, training or competing equids, especially horses. Based on their use, they may be known as a barn, stables, or riding hall and may include commercial operations descr ...

dog park A dog park is a park for dogs to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners. Description Dog parks have varying features, although they typically offer a 4' to 6' fence, separate double-gated ...

, fishing pond, nature area, lake, and other amenities.

History

In 1874, on the site of the current park was a health spa, Sulphur Springs Ranch.

Race horse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

breeder John Marchbanks (also written as Marchbank) bought the property in 1921 and named it Heather Farm after his favorite horse, King Heather. An arena on the farm was used in the filming of the 1931 movie '' Sporting Blood''. In 1965, Walnut Creek voters approved a

municipal bond A municipal bond, commonly known as a muni, is a Bond (finance), bond issued by state or local governments, or entities they create such as authorities and special districts. In the United States, interest income received by holders of municipal ...

to fund community parks. The city was able to purchase some of the land that had been Heather Farm, and also received five acres of land donated by Phil and

Ruth Bancroft Ruth Bancroft ( Petersson; September 2, 1908 – November 26, 2017) was the creator of the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek, California. A native of the Bay Area, Bancroft began the xeric garden in the 1950s on land originally purchased by ...

(whose garden became the nearby

Ruth Bancroft Garden The Ruth Bancroft Garden is a public dry garden established by Ruth Bancroft. It contains more than 2,000 cactus, succulents, trees, and shrubs native to California, Mexico, Chile, South Africa, and Australia. It is located at 1552 Bancroft Road ...

). Heather Farm Park opened in 1970.

References

Walnut Creek, California Parks in Contra Costa County, California 1970 establishments in California {{ContraCostaCountyCA-geo-stub