Heckscher Playground, New York NY

Love the view from here. And when it’s summer time, it’s just so green and beautiful) can’t stop walking around)

It has a lot of bathrooms for kids and care givers. Nice play areas with sandbox, swings, slides, and water play.

The Heckscher playground was around for so long, that even my grandmother played on it. No jokes, it was created in 1927 and was considered one of the literally first ones to incorporate swings and slides.
The concept of a “play ground” in the Greensward plan was totally different, involving the meadows and the recreational activities performed on them, at certain times of the day, and with strict rules about the activities. Heckscher Playground was the first playground of the type that we know today – a designated area with specific equipment, solely for entertainment and recreational uses.
The patron of the playground - August Heckscher, was from Hamburg, Germany. He arrived in the United States in 1867. Several years later he formed a partnership with his cousin under the name of Richard Heckscher & Company. The firm was eventually sold to the Reading Railroad. Heckscher then turned to zinc mining and organized the Zinc and Iron Company, becoming vice-president and general manager. Heckscher eventually became a multimillionaire and a philanthropist. He started The Heckscher Foundation for Children and created playgrounds in lower Manhattan and in Central Park. He is also the man behind Heckscher Park in the town of Huntington and created the Heckscher Museum of Art.

I feel safe to bring my children here - 3 years old and 7 years old. They playng for hours. A lot of benches for parents to sit also

When I returned to NYC in 2015 for my buddy Bob's wedding, I did the foot tour of the usual spots. The southern end of the park and the neighborhoods around there were significant in my youth. Some iconic spots one can recognize from use in numerous TV shows and movies throughout my life.

I love this playground and it’s amazing! The restrooms there are soooo disgusting there! Homeless people are always smoking in there and not wearing masks! But everything else is fine!

I love this playground because it is large and includes a giant piece of Manhattan bedrock incorporated in the area.

Pretty cool structures, but there are people living in the bathroom stalls and loitering. They need mental health treatment - not to be left wandering the park.

And the bathrooms need scent freshener or increased ventilation because 90% of the time it smells terrible.

I've been at this part of the park weekly for about 8 years, and it has not improved. Shameful and lame

Nothing but sweet summer memories with my children playing in the sprinklers to cool off on a sunny day. We’ve dubbed it the “water park playground” with its aqueduct like structures, and imposing rock out cropping background. The entrance always hosts a carnival like atmosphere, and the swings/ slide area is maintained well. Go to place to take kids during the summer time to meet new friends and have those Central Park memories.

They did a great job with the new park and left the cement slides! We have been going there a few times a month and there is a great vibe there.

Great place to cool down with the sprinklers or a large tree. Even on 4th of July, it wasn't overcrowded. There are 14 swings, a steep slide and 2 tire swings all protected under shady trees. Padded rubber flooring for the little ones and a large sandbox (super hot!)

Beautiful playground. It is currently open during this time. Big enough for adults to social distance but the kids still mingle somewhat. Make sure to wash hands after they are done playing.

Had so much fun here with my family today! The park is pretty big and was a little crowded but that was expected given time of year.

My 4-year-old son had a blast playing on the fort-like structure and climbing on the nearby rocks (which was a bit terrifying for me at first!). My younger children were content to play in the sand and enjoyed the swings.

This is a great playground for kids of various ages. There is seating for parents to line their gear up and watch as children play in the water and climb. The water areas are surrounded by a swing area / fake grass area “lawn” / a sand pit and a toddler area.

I appreciate how the entire area is fairly enclosed and you can only get in and out from one section making is easy for parents to keep an eye on their children as well as others as this is still a public playground in the city.

We had a BLAST playing in the water area. Lots of space for a picnic outside of the play area. Bathrooms are clean and usable.

Really wonderful place to bring your kids and play. I love the open grassy areas, and the healthy mix of different cultures and interesting people. I highly recommend it, although it can often be jam packed with annoying tourists.