At first glance, La Romeria Park looks like a pleasant neighborhood park.

Then you notice the submarine.

The six-acre West Torrance park has a large Nautilus-style submarine in its children’s play area—a wonderfully quirky piece of Torrance recreation history that has been there in one form or another for more than six decades.

The submarine was donated in 1961 by Herma Tillim in memory of her daughter Pat. It was later refurbished and reinstalled in 1993. The park itself was dedicated in 1960, and its name, La Romeria, meaning “the picnic,” was selected through a naming contest for local schoolchildren.

Locals often call the park “La Ro.”

Beyond its unusual playground centerpiece, La Romeria has tennis and basketball courts, a softball field, horseshoe courts, picnic tables, barbecues and plenty of trees and grass. The City currently lists park hours as 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

It is located at 19501 Inglewood Avenue.

Rocket ships may get more Torrance attention, but there is something delightfully unexpected about discovering a submarine tucked into an ordinary neighborhood park.

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