In 1919 John and Ada Hinkel donated seven hillside acres to the City of Berkeley in appreciation of the Boy Scouts’ services to the nation during the First World War. Before making their gift, the Hinkels added a playground, extensive trails, a massive stone fireplace, and clubhouse. John Gregg, University of California landscape architecture professor and president of the city’s parks commission, contributed to the park design and designed the rustic redwood clubhouse.

City landscape architect Vernon Dean planned Berkeley’s Rose Garden, and this park’s stone-terraced amphitheater. Built by the Civil Works Administration during the Depression, it was home to the California (originally, Berkeley) Shakespeare Festival from its founding in 1974 to 1991.