Orange County Great Park open space and balloon

Hours & Directions

Please note: To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in our community, some indoor facilities and outdoor recreational spaces may be closed or have modified access until further notice. 

Playgrounds and outdoor park spaces, including the Farm + Food Lab, are open for drop-in use. In accordance with state guidelines, gatherings of people from more than three households are prohibited, and individuals must maintain physical distance from others outside of their group. Attractions such as the Balloon and Carousel remain closed. The Sports Complex is now open for professional sporting activities, without fans in attendance.

Under current state guidelines, indoor galleries can re-open. The Great Park Gallery's newest exhibition is currently open. Hangar 244 is undergoing renovations, and exhibitions there and at the Artist Studios will re-open soon. Learn more at the City Facility Updates webpage. 

 

Great Park Hours

General park hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Special operating hours may exist for different park facilities and amenities, and hours may vary on holidays. Please see detailed information on park hours below.

Directions

The Great Park is growing, and many GPS systems, online maps, or directions other than those provided on this website are not reliable. Find recommended detailed parking directions. For park and trail maps, please visit the Great Park Today webpage.

For questions, give us a call at the Visitors Center at 949-724-6247.

Driving Directions

The Orange County Great Park is located at 8000 Great Park Boulevard, Irvine. The Great Park is growing, and many GPS systems, online maps, or directions other than those provided on this website are not reliable. Please reference the directions and map below.

5 North

  1. Exit Sand Canyon Avenue and turn Right
  2. Turn Left at Marine Way
  3. Turn Left at Ridge Valley
  4. Follow the road signs to Parking

405 North

  1. Exit Sand Canyon Avenue and turn Right
  2. Turn Right at Marine Way
  3. Turn Left at Ridge Valley
  4. Follow the road signs to Parking

5 South

  1. Exit Sand Canyon Avenue and turn Left
  2. Turn Right at Marine Way
  3. Turn Left at Ridge Valley
  4. Follow the road signs to Parking

405 South

  1. Exit Sand Canyon Avenue and turn Left
  2. Turn Right at Marine Way
  3. Turn Left at Ridge Valley
  4. Follow the road signs to Parking

Great Park General Hours

Orange County Great Park Monday-Wednesday Thursday-Friday Saturday-Sunday
General Areas1 8 a.m.–10 p.m. 8 a.m.–10 p.m. 8 a.m.–10 p.m.
Park Amenities      
Visitors Center 10 a.m.–8 p.m. 10 a.m.–10 p.m. 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
Balloon2 Closed 10 a.m.–3 p.m., 7–10 p.m 9 a.m.–3 p.m., 7–10 p.m
Carousel Closed 10 a.m.–10 p.m. 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
Farm + Food Lab 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (closed Mondays) 10 a.m.–3 p.m. 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Artist Studios Closed Closed 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Gallery Closed Noon–4 p.m. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Heritage and Aviation Exhibition3 Closed Noon–4 p.m. 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

1 Park hours may be extended for approved permit use
2 Balloon registration opens 1/2 hour prior to a.m. flights and 1 hour prior to p.m. flights
3 Exhibition hours may vary occasionally due to private events.

Great Park Holiday Hours

Date

2019 Holidays

Available Amenities
Tuesday, January 1 New Year's Day General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Closed
Monday, January 21 Martin Luther King Day General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Closed
Monday, February 18 Presidents Day General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Closed
Monday, May 27 Memorial Day General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Open
Thursday, July 4 Fourth of July General Park Areas Open
All Amenities will close 4 p.m.
Monday, September 2 Labor Day General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Open
Monday, November 11 Veteran's Day General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Closed
Thursday, November 28 Thanksgiving Day General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Closed
Friday, November 29 Day After Thanksgiving General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Open
Tuesday, December 24 Christmas Eve General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Closed
Wednesday, December 25 Christmas Day General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Closed
Tuesday, December 31 New Year's Eve General Park Areas Open
All Amenities Closed

 

The Great Park is situated in the geographic center of Orange County within the city limits of Irvine—approximately halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, about 15 minutes away from John Wayne Airport (SNA) and accessible via the Interstate 5 and 405 freeways, and the 133 and 241 toll roads.

Bordering the Orange County Great Park and the Irvine Spectrum shopping center is also the Irvine Transportation Center, a multi-modal facility supporting travel via Metrolink, OCTA bus service, Amtrak, bicycling, vanpooling and carpooling, and even walking. The Great Park offers free shuttles to the Irvine Transportation Center for some special events — event listings will include shuttle information if available.

Lost? Need up-to-date exhibit hours or balloon flight information? Call the Visitors Center at 949-724-6247.