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Terman Park is the playing field of southwest Palo Alto. It sits behind Ellen Fletcher Middle School on Arastradero Road, just down the road from Gunn High School. Most of its life revolves around school bells. On a weekday morning it belongs to physical education classes. By late afternoon it fills with neighborhood kids, youth teams and tennis players. On weekends it becomes a regular city park.
The park shares its address, 655 Arastradero Road, with the school. The city's page lists no playground, picnic tables or dog area. What it has is space: fields, courts and paths in a part of town where those are in short supply. This guide covers what is there, when you can use it, the story behind the name and how it links to the parks and preserves nearby.
Terman Park at a glance
The city describes Terman as a "7.7 acre-park" with "open space for soccer and softball, courts for tennis and basketball." Its feature list names drinking fountains, basketball courts, baseball or softball fields, soccer fields, bicycle trails and walking trails. Older city listings give the counts:
- Fields: two soccer fields and a softball or baseball field.
- Courts: four tennis courts and a basketball court.
- Paths: walking and bicycling paths through and around the park.
- Water: drinking fountains, listed by the city.
- Size: 7.7 acres.
Check the city's Terman Park page for closures and changes.
The city's page lists no restroom and no playground. Families with small children will find a playground across Arastradero Road at Juana Briones Park.
The school-hours rule
The single most important fact about Terman Park is that it works on a school schedule. City park listings have long stated that during school hours the park is reserved for the exclusive use of the middle school. That makes sense on the ground. The fields sit right behind the campus. Sharing a field with a school class would not work well for anyone.
In practice, plan your visit for:
- Weekday afternoons after school lets out.
- Evenings until dark. We found no record of sports lights.
- Weekends, school holidays and summer break.
Organized teams book city fields through the city's field and court reservation system, so a scheduled practice usually takes priority over a pickup game. On busy weekday afternoons in soccer season, expect to share the edges or find a corner of open grass.
Tennis at Terman
For tennis players, Terman is one of the quieter public options in south Palo Alto. Mitchell Park has the city's busiest racquet complex, along with long waits for pickleball. City staff found in 2026 that tennis courts elsewhere in the city were generally free when Mitchell was full. Terman is one of those alternatives.
The city's reservation rules apply: only the Palo Alto Tennis Club, Palo Alto schools and USTA tournament or match play can reserve city tennis courts. Everyone else plays first come, first served under the posted rules. Bring your own balls and water. Our tennis and pickleball guide covers etiquette and the other public courts.
The Terman name
The park carries a name the school next door gave up. The first school on this site was Terman Junior High, named for Stanford psychologist Lewis Terman. It closed in 1978 as enrollment fell. When the district reopened a middle school here for the 2001 to 2002 school year, it named it for both Lewis Terman and his son Frederick Terman, the engineering dean often called a father of Silicon Valley.
In March 2017 the Palo Alto school board voted unanimously to drop the name because Lewis Terman was a leader of the eugenics movement. Frederick did not share those views. On March 27, 2018 the board chose Ellen Fletcher, the cycling advocate and former City Council member. The park appears on the city's park list rather than as part of the campus. It kept its name. We found no city record that names which Terman the park honors. Our profile of Frederick Terman covers the family. Our Fletcher school page covers the renaming in detail.
Hours and rules
Posted hours on the city's page are sunrise to sunset. The municipal code sets a 10:30 p.m. closing for city parks. Dogs must be on a leash. Drones are banned in city parks. Respect the school's space during the day and keep clear of campus entrances.
Tips for a visit
Fields in Palo Alto get heavy use. Terman is no exception. In spring and fall, youth soccer practices take over the grass on many weekday afternoons. If you want open space for a casual game, Sunday mornings and summer evenings are usually the best bets. Summer afternoons are hot on the courts and fields, since there is little shade over the playing surfaces. The city lists drinking fountains, but bring a bottle on hot days anyway. It lists no picnic tables, so bring a blanket if you plan to eat on the grass after a game.
The park is also a good meeting point for a group ride. Riders can gather here, then head west on Arastradero Road toward the foothills or north on the Bol Park path toward Stanford Research Park. Our biking guide lists longer routes.
Getting there by bike
Terman Park is easiest to reach by bike, which is how most of its users arrive. Several routes meet here:
- The Bol Park path. It runs south through Barron Park and ends at Arastradero Road near Gunn. See our Bol Park guide.
- The Los Altos to Palo Alto bike path. It runs close to the school and links south Palo Alto with Los Altos.
- The path at the back of the school. Fletcher's bike route list includes a path from Terman Park at the rear of the campus.
Arastradero Road itself carries heavy commute traffic and a steady stream of student cyclists. If you drive, avoid the morning drop-off and afternoon pickup windows. VTA buses run along El Camino Real to the east.
What is nearby
Terman Park anchors a cluster of schools and green space along Arastradero Road:
| Place | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Juana Briones Park | Shady lawn and a train-themed playground across Arastradero |
| Gunn High School, 780 Arastradero Road | The public high school a short walk west |
| Bowman School, Terman Drive | A private school beside the Fletcher lot |
| Pearson-Arastradero Preserve | 622 acres of grassland and oak trails up the road |
The park also serves as the neighborhood green space for Green Acres I and the small Palo Alto Orchards tract. Both grew up on former apricot orchards after World War II.
For food, the nearest options are along El Camino Real. A good afternoon for an active family: tennis or a kickabout at Terman after school is out, then a short ride up Arastradero Road for a sunset walk at the preserve, which closes at sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Can the public use Terman Park during the school day?
City park listings have long said that during school hours the park is reserved for the exclusive use of the middle school next door. Plan to use the fields and courts after school, in the evening or on weekends and holidays.
Does Terman Park have tennis courts?
Yes. The city's page describes courts for tennis and basketball. Older city listings count four tennis courts. Public courts in Palo Alto are first come, first served unless a school, the Palo Alto Tennis Club or a USTA match has reserved them.
Why is it still called Terman Park if the school was renamed?
The school board renamed Terman Middle School as Ellen Fletcher Middle School in 2018 because Lewis Terman was a leader of the eugenics movement. The park appears on the city's list of parks. It still carries the Terman name.
What is near Terman Park?
Ellen Fletcher Middle School and Bowman School are next door and Gunn High School is just down Arastradero Road. Juana Briones Park, with a playground, is across Arastradero. Pearson-Arastradero Preserve starts a short ride west.
Where do you park for Terman Park?
There is no dedicated park lot that we could confirm. The school lot is busy on school days and is meant for school use. Outside school hours, use street parking on Terman Drive and nearby streets where signs allow.