Maiden Lane, El Cerrito, CA 94530, US

Memorial Park is the main city park in Albany. The 6.75-acre park features wide lawns, tall trees and the elegant Veterans Memorial Building. The community often meets here for gatherings and recreational events, with popular public events including concerts, July 4 celebrations, outdoor movies, festivals and fairs. Memorial Park was likely established during the 1920s. According to the Recreation Department, the neighborhood at that time was still open space, and one longtime resident recalled hunting squirrels in the area and finding abundant mushrooms after a rain. Another resident, interviewed in the early 1980s when she was 90 years old, recalled how the area looked in 1912 when she was first married: a "beautiful meadow—little chipmunks had their holes everywhere—little owls and jackrabbits." The Veterans Memorial Building was built between 1931 and 1933. This grand Spanish vernacular building was one of 10 similar memorials designed by Alameda County architect Henry Meyers. A 1926 monument outside the building is dedicated to Albany's World War I veterans, and a large stone fireplace in the park's picnic area dates to 1933. On Oct. 19, 2009, the Albany City Council approved the following days, times, and events when dogs will not be allowed on the sports field at Memorial Park: • Saturdays, Noon–6 pm• Mondays and Thursdays, 4–7 pm during Daylight Saving Time (March–October). Visit www.albanyca.org/rec for specific dates. • Mondays and Thursday, 4–6 pm during Standard Time (November–February). Visit www.albanyca.org/rec for specific dates. • When a field user has acquired a permit through the City of Albany for use of the sports field. Visit www.albanyca.org/rec for specific dates. A calendar of permitted users and specific days and times when dogs aren’t allowed is also posted at Memorial Park sports field.