Martin Luther King Junior Park

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park is a 5.38-acre public park located in Southeast Santa Rosa, California. Established in 1887, it is one of the oldest parks in the city and serves as an important civic space for the South Park neighborhood. The park has undergone several name changes throughout its history, originally called South Park, then renamed to Rotary Park in 1968, before finally being designated as Martin Luther King Jr. Park in January 1986.

The park is situated adjacent to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and connects to Petaluma Hill Road via a quarter-mile pedestrian and bike path known as Newhall Trail. This paved trail, which predates 1887, was initially intended as a public street but was instead constructed as a path with several access points to the adjacent neighborhood.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park sees heavy use and serves multiple purposes for the community. It functions as a venue for neighborhood gatherings, youth education and play, and organized sports activities. The park's layout includes a soccer field that can be utilized as two practice or youth fields, or one full-size field for league play.

Two buildings and an enclosed playground within the park are owned, maintained, and utilized by Sonoma Community Action Network (SonomaCAN) to operate Head Start preschool and Early Head Start programs. The City of Santa Rosa leases this land to SonomaCAN for these educational initiatives.

As of 2025, the park is undergoing a revitalization process aimed at creating a safer and more enjoyable experience that better serves the current and future needs of the community. This renovation project, fully funded by the State of California Department of Housing and Community Development's Infill Infrastructure Grant, is scheduled for completion by June 2026.