Marshall Park

Marshall is a 14-acre community park located in Vancouver’s Central Park neighborhood. It includes sports fields, a reservable picnic shelter, a community garden and the fully inclusive, Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play Station (CHAMPS).

The Chelsea Anderson Memorial Play Station was built in 1999 to honor the daughter of Vancouver Fire Services Capt. Curt Anderson, after she drowned in 1996. The original playground was installed in partnership with the Vancouver Fire Department and made possible by many generous community donors.

The new playground was designed by non-profit Harper’s Playground and donated to the City in 2023. The design pays tribute to the playground’s history with a firefighter theme that includes an interactive art piece made from a real fire truck and water pump, and upcycled fire hydrants that hold plaques with descriptions of the playground areas written in both English and Braille.

The original Chelsea Anderson brick memorial has been preserved and placed in a special tribute area with an updated donor wall to recognize the generations of donors who have invested in this amazing playground for over 20 years.

The play areas are designed to meet the social, emotional and physical needs of people of all ages and abilities include:

• Washington’s first wheelchair swing
• A community spinner that can hold two wheelchairs
• An elevated sand area named “Lennon Land”
• The largest “Harper’s Hill” ever built with seating at the top and 360° views
• A fire truck with original interactive levers and buttons to play with
• A log play area and twisty ribbon climber
• Swings, musical instruments, and winding paths
• Skate zone with ramps and skate bowl
• Custom bronze art featuring animals such as turtles and beavers by Pete Helzer

Located next to Marshall Community Center, Marshall Park is home to Vancouver Parks and Recreation sports programs, summer camps and senior activities (link the recreation page?). This park is also home to the largest community garden in Vancouver.

Picnic Shelter Reservations
The picnic shelter is available to reserve for events taking place May 1-Sept. 30. For more information, visit our Picnic Shelter Reservations webpage.

Park Use Permits
A Park Use Permit gives you permission to bring special items and equipment into the park and describes any approved special services or park staff assistance.  It is different than a picnic shelter reservation and requires an addition fee. Types of activities that require a Park Use Permit include but are not limited to:

• Inflatable bounce houses (personal bounce houses are not allowed in City of Vancouver parks and will not be permitted)
• Pop-up tents or extra tables/chairs
• Amplified music or a loudspeaker
• A public event such as a sporting event, charity activity, festival or concert

For information visit our Park Use Permit webpage.

Maintenance
Need to report a maintenance issue? Fill out an online service request form with Public Works. If the issue is urgent (water line break, downed tree, etc.) call 360-487-8177.