The 7.33-acre Curran Apple Orchard is one of the community's most well-known parks. It once belonged to Mary and Charles Curran, who purchased the land off Grandview Drive West in 1951 and planted some 250 apple trees of various variety.
In 1993, before UP became a city, members of the University Place Community Council obtained money via Pierce County's Conservation Futures program. After it incorporated two years later, volunteers worked to improve the orchard, adding trails, an amphitheater and other amenities. Today, it hosts community events such as the city's free summer concert series, cider squeezes and educational classes. The volunteer Curran Apple Orchard Resource Enthusiasts Group (CORE) manages and cares for the orchard. It also includes a 1950s-era home designed by local architect Robert B. Price.