Libbey Park
205 E Ojai Avenue
Park hours: 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. daily
History of Libbey Park
Libbey Park, formerly known as Civic Center Park, was first purchased for $7,500 and then developed by Ojai’s Greatest Benefactor, Edward Libbey, of Toledo, Ohio. On April 7, 1917, Mr. Libbey donated the park to the Ojai Civic Association, which raised the money from the rental of the Post Office building to maintain the park and the buildings connected to it. The Ojai Civic Association eventually signed over the deed making the City of Ojai owner and protector of the downtown park as of March 2, 1971, with the stipulation that the land continue to be used as a park and not for any other purposes. The city resolved to call the gift, Libbey Park, in honor of the man that had done so much for the city.
Libbey Park Today
Today the beautiful park offers quiet places for relaxation, a playground for the tots, tennis courts, a community bandstand, and the Libbey Bowl, the site of the Ojai Music Festival, and many other events. Each year Libbey Park hosts “The Ojai,” the oldest amateur tennis tournament in the USA. The Ojai Recreation Department has a long-established youth and adult tennis program in the Ojai Valley.
The park operates eight dedicated outdoor hard surface tennis courts and is sectioned off into two areas, Lower and Upper Libbey, containing four courts in each area. The courts serve over 450 participants per year in tennis classes, 100 participants per year in the World Team Tennis Program, over 200 private lessons per year, and 50 National Junior Tennis League sponsored by the USTA. The Libbey Park Tennis courts serve as a host to the annual Ojai Tennis Tournament, a tradition dating back to 1896 and hosted by the Ojai Valley Tennis Club, Inc. A favorite gathering spot for residents, and a must-see site for visitors, Libbey Park is one Tennis of Ojai’s gems. Libbey Park is also home to the Sound Arch, a unique interactive sculpture designed by Trimpin, a Seattle-based artist. The Sound Arch was dedicated in 2011 as the public art piece for the restored Libbey Bowl. Libbey Bowl was entirely rebuilt in 2011, opening in time for the 2011 Ojai Music Festival.
Libbey Park is available on a limited basis to rent by not-for-profit groups and organizations. Libbey Bowl may be rented by non-profit or commercial groups. Please contact the City's Events Coordinator, or visit www.ojai.ca.gov/events for more information on Libbey Park and Libbey Bowl rentals.