Panorama City Recreation Center 8600 Hazeltine Ave.

Size: Six acres.

Facilities: 370-seat auditorium, community building, two baseball diamonds (one lighted), children’s play area, picnic area with barbecue pits, four tennis courts (lighted).

Hours: 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Mondays to Fridays; 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturdays; 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sundays.

Telephone: (818) 892-9300.

Richard Montague, director of Panorama City Recreation Center for 10 years, credits the park’s popularity in recent years to something that happened in 1986.

“That was when they decided to completely reconstruct our children’s play area and picnic section,” he said. “Since then, it seems like the secret’s out. Everyone wants to bring their children here.”

Montague said the most dramatic increase in park visitors can be seen during the weekends, when large family groups gather to celebrate birthdays and other occasions. The families use the park’s picnic area, which consists of eight large tables and several barbecue pits adjacent to the children’s play area.

“Originally, the only people who really knew about our park were the kids who played sports here,” Montague said. “Now everyone in the neighborhood uses the park.”

Although it has just two baseball diamonds, the park offers an extensive baseball and softball program involving 25 teams. The park also hosts popular preschool classes on tumbling, ballet and crafts. Sign-ups are ongoing.