No Plastic Allowed: Adventure Playground

Looking down the little river from the splash pad fountain.

Adventure Playground sits on a secluded hill near Central Park's West 67th Street entrance, just up the path from Tarr-Coyne Tots and a short walk from Tavern on the Green. Because it's tucked away, crowds and tourists don't wander in; it's mostly local Lincoln Square and southern Upper West Side families. Think of it as a smaller, quieter Heckscher: similar equipment, smaller scale.

A very long fire pole for a small playground.

It has a great backstory. The placard says it was built in 1966, designed by architect Richard Dattner as one of New York's very first “adventure playgrounds.” It only exists because of a fight: in 1956, a group of Upper West Side moms stood their ground against Robert Moses, who wanted to cut down trees here for a Tavern on the Green parking lot. The moms won, and this corner of the park got an adventure playground instead. Good job, moms.

The epic ash tree in the middle of the playground.

I love that there's no modern plastic equipment at all. It's stainless steel, concrete, granite, and sand, which is probably why it has held up so well for sixty years. Sure, technically there is a modern & safe rubber ground mat throughout the playground, but I'll let that… slide. Some noteworthy play pieces: a long fire pole (yes, fun for dads too, as demonstrated by my dad-bud), hidey castles, a very steep short and wide slide, and a little river running from the splash pad to the little series of drains.

The steep, short, wide slide. Don’t underestimate it.

It's a very nice secluded spot on a hill with mature trees all around, including an epic ash tree. There aren't many ash trees left of this size. The shade is lovely, but for some reason this place is mosquito central in summer. Bring bug spray.

Stainless steel climbing bars, holding strong since the ’60s.

On weekends, expect to see a birthday party or two. The inside scoop is that the city doesn't hand out fines for setting up small tables here the way it does at some higher-visibility spots.

Sand, concrete, and the hidey castles.

The nearest bathrooms are a bit of a hike down the hill, attached to Tavern on the Green.

The 1966 placard, with a couple of hiders underneath. That’s why I call them hidey castles.

Verdict: nothing really exceptional, but a good all-around mid-size playground. I wouldn't travel far to visit it, but it's understandably a local favorite.