Looking Back
Tempe Beach Park
 Even before it became playground to scullers and trout fisherman, Tempe Beach Park was a recreational hotspot. It officially opened in 1931, but as early as the 1920s residents escaped to cool off in the nearby Salt River at the base of the State Bridge. Red Harkins built a theater and showed five-cent summer movies to patrons on wooden bleachers. A pool, bandstand and baseball field followed, and by 1934, construction had begun on Tempe Beach Stadium.
 But the park’s biggest overhaul to date was completed in 1999 with the construction of Tempe Town Lake. The 25-acre park now connects five miles of jogging, bicycling and in-line skating paths that circle Town Lake. With the subsequent stocking of the lake and the addition of a splash playground and Town Lake Marina, Tempe Beach Park is indeed the city’s premier recreational and event venue.
Historic Photos courtesy of Tempe Historical Museum.
Modern Photo courtesy of City of Tempe
Special Occasions
The park hosts signature events throughout the year including the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl New Year’s Eve Block Party, Oktoberfest, APS Fantasy of Lights and, of course, the 4th of July fireworks celebration. |
