OCEANSIDE -- Saturday was the day Louise Munoa Foussat had dreamt about. Really. No cliche. It came to the 95-year-old Luiseno tribal elder in a dream about 20 years ago.

"I was wishing we would have a park that would show the background of the Indians at the mission," Foussat said, resplendent in her red hat and sitting proudly in front of the new playground that bears her name. "I had a feeling we would get one."

On Saturday, the city of Oceanside showed off its newest park, a 10.2-acre site with ball fields and playgrounds in the Morro Hills area. But the highlight of the park -- dubbed Luiseno Park -- is a manifestation of Foussat's dream: an interpretive garden designed to showcase the heritage of the San Luis Rey Luiseno Band of Mission Indians.

In the garden is a simulated Luiseno village, built using large boulders native to the area. Scattered among the granite boulders throughout the park, the village includes a roasting oven, a shaman rock shelter, a dwelling ring and bedrock mortars. Other boulders boast reproductions of pictographs and petroglyphs found in the surrounding area.

City dignitaries and tribal members were among more than 200 people who turned out for the park's dedication, a ceremony that included Luiseno dancers and drummers.

"It's not often a city opens a new park for children and elders alike," Mayor Terry Johnson told the crowd.

Luiseno tribal member Mark Mojado, who worked with the city on the development of the interpretive area, said after the ceremony he was pleased with the result.

"We wanted to create something to let people know who the Luiseno people are and what they are all about," Mojado said. "It's a chance for them to learn our traditional ways."

When the city debated a moniker for the park, Foussat's name was tossed into the running. But the tribal elder asked the Parks and Recreation Commission to consider naming it Luiseno Park in honor of her tribe, the original inhabitants of the area.

The city ultimately agreed, and decided to honor Foussat by naming the play area after her.

On Saturday, the park and its play area were teeming with little kids happy to climb, swing and slide, or simply scramble up the sides of the large boulders. Among them was 4-year-old Jacob Delgado, who skipped along the tops of a row of the large granite stones.

Jacob's dad Leverett said the family saw the signs advertising the park's opening, so they circled the date.

"We like it," Leverett Delgado said of the new park, which sits about a mile from his home. "It's very nice. It's got everything -- and it's a place for him (Jacob) to run around."

The boy had given the park the once over and tried out the new playground, but the boulders, he said, were the best part.

Luiseno Park sits at the corner of Vandegrift Boulevard and Douglas Drive. It features two lighted sports fields, two lighted tennis courts, a walking trail, picnic areas and two playground structures for kids. And there's a 1,200-square-foot building for concessions and rest rooms.

Luiseno Park is part of the 598-acre, 1,007-unit Morro Hills Village development. Parks officials said the developers of the surrounding homes picked up the tab for the park. The city will pay to maintain it, a park official said, adding that maintenance could run about $84,000 a year.

Contact staff writer Teri Figueroa at (760) 740-3517 or tfigueroa@nctimes.com.