ðə pˈɑːɹks ɡɹˈænd ˈoʊpənɪŋ wʌz ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈaɪv, ænd ɪt hɐz tʃˈeɪndʒd nˈeɪmz sˈɛvɹəl tˈaɪmz: æt fˈɜːst ɪt wˈʌz "lˌɑːs pəzˈiːɾəz pˈɑːɹk"; ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti wˈʌn ɪt bɪkˈeɪm "lˌɑːs pəzˈiːɾəz fɹˈɛndʃɪp pˈɑːɹk"; ænd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti nˈaɪn, ɪn ˈɑːnɚɹ ʌv mˈoːɹ ðɐn tˈuː mˈɪliən dˈɑːlɚz ɡˈɪvən baɪ vˈɜːdʒɪl ˈɛlɪŋz ænd hɪz fˈæmɪli, ðə pˈɑːɹk wʌz ɹᵻnˈeɪmd "ˈɛlɪŋz pˈɑːɹk.
The park's grand opening was in 1985, and it has changed names several times: at first it was "Las Positas Park"; in 1991 it became "Las Positas Friendship Park"; and in 1999, in honor of more than two million dollars given by Virgil Elings and his family, the park was renamed "Elings Park.