McLaren Park Basketball Court: Free Runs at New Herz Rec

Herz Recreation Center, at 160 Mrs. Jackson Way inside John McLaren Park, is the newest indoor basketball court near me answer in San Francisco for Visitacion Valley and Sunnydale. The center opened in January 2026 with a full-size court and bleachers, and this fall San Francisco Recreation and Park runs free Drop-in: Basketball there five days a week. The Saturday session lasts from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The department's ActiveNet registration site lists one Fall 2026 series that runs from September 1 to December 31. On Tuesday and Thursday, basketball runs from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM. On Wednesday and Friday, it starts earlier, from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM. Saturday is the long daytime session, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The series is listed for all ages and priced as a free drop-in class.

The holiday exceptions are grouped around Thanksgiving and Christmas. The listing skips November 11 and the stretch from November 24 to November 27, plus December 24, 25 and 31. Saturday, November 28, is not on the list of exceptions, so the long weekend session is still available on the Thanksgiving weekend.

Unlike older city gyms where basketball fills the weekday daytime, Herz is an evening gym on weekdays. That makes it the go-to for anyone in the southeast of the city who works a day job. Wednesday and Friday give you three and a half hours from 5:30 PM, and that is the session to choose if you want several full-court games. Tuesday and Thursday start at 6:30 PM, a better fit if you are coming from downtown.

Saturday is the family and all-comers day. Seven hours from 10:00 AM means the morning can stay competitive while afternoon visitors from the playground drift in. Arrive near 10:00 AM to get on the first runs. Later in the day, expect younger players to share the court, since the drop-in series is open to all ages.

Pickup etiquette at Herz follows the city norm. Call next, shoot free throws for teams, play to the agreed score and rotate winners on. The court is brand new, so treat it that way: wear clean indoor shoes, keep food off the floor and leave your bag on the bleachers rather than along the baseline. Bring your own ball for shootaround before the first game forms.

The bleachers are a real advantage. On a busy Friday, you can wait for next from a seat with a full view of the court, instead of lining a wall. Friends who come to watch have somewhere to sit, too, which makes Herz a good choice if you want to bring a group.

A practical point for weeknights: by the time the Tuesday and Thursday sessions start at 6:30 PM in late autumn, it is dark outside, and McLaren Park is a big, quiet green space after sunset. Come with a friend or arrive by car or bus rather than walking across the park at night. Inside, the building is bright, and the evening runs are the heart of the week.

Herz is a genuinely new building. Local News Matters reported in January 2026 that it was the city's first recreation center built from the ground up in more than 25 years, spanning 11,500 square feet. Recreation and Park's project page describes the program as an indoor basketball court with bleachers, a multipurpose room, restrooms and staff offices.

The project was a partnership between Recreation and Park and the HOPE SF team, including Mercy Housing and Related California. It sits next to the Sunnydale Community Center, which opened in October 2024, as part of a new community campus the city calls the Hub. Construction updates on the department's project page show cross-laminated timber elements and glulam beams going in during the summer of 2024.

The building came after a long buildup. Groundbreaking took place in October 2023, and the department originally targeted early 2025 for opening. The playground next door reopened first, in the summer of 2023, after a $3.38 million makeover with nature-inspired play equipment. The rec center finally opened in January 2026.

Add up the fall listings and the new gym offers 19 hours of free basketball a week: two and a half hours each on Tuesday and Thursday, three and a half each on Wednesday and Friday, and seven on Saturday. That is a generous amount of open floor for a building that also has to fit classes and community rentals into its multipurpose room.

The center phone listed on the ActiveNet site is (628) 652-2900. The building sits at Herz Playground on the southeastern edge of McLaren Park, beside the Sunnydale neighborhood. If your map app does not know Mrs. Jackson Way, search for Herz Playground instead and walk the last stretch. The renovated playground is right next door, which helps when one parent plays and the other watches the kids.

McLaren Park is the city's second-largest park, and Herz sits at its southeastern edge. After a Saturday run, walk uphill on the park's trails toward the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater, a stage in a eucalyptus grove that hosts summer concerts. Philosopher's Way, a signed walking loop through the park, is another good cool-down.

Down the hill, Leland Avenue is Visitacion Valley's main street, with bakeries, Chinese restaurants and small shops. The Visitacion Valley Greenway, a chain of community gardens and small green spaces in the neighborhood, makes a quiet walk back toward the neighborhood.

Plan on Wednesday or Friday at 5:30 PM for the longest weeknight runs, Tuesday or Thursday at 6:30 PM if you come from work across town, and Saturday at 10:00 AM for the full-day session. Basketball is free, listed as a drop-in class with no fee. Bring indoor shoes and water, and check the holiday exceptions above if you are planning a run in late November or December.