Chutes and Ladders Playground at Reservoir Park
Dozens of kids played, laughed and squealed with joy as Harrisburg cut the ribbon on its newest playground.
The city celebrated on Tuesday the grand opening of its Chutes and Ladders Playground at Reservoir Park, concluding a six-year-long project to upgrade a portion of the 87-acre park.
“The Chutes and Ladders Playground is unlike anything in or around the Harrisburg area,” Mayor Wanda Williams said. “This is innovation and creativity at its best.”
The new $1 million playground, near the Reservoir Park bandshell, is inspired by the children’s board game of the same name. The playground includes many different slides and rope ladders, as well as other play equipment.
Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams (left) and City Council President Danielle Bowers cut the ribbon on the new playground, along with other local officials and children.
Harrisburg broke ground on the project in April 2022.
The playground is one phase of the city’s Reservoir Park Master Plan, which aims to increase interest and traffic in the park. Later phases include creating a spray park, constructing a new pavilion, increasing parking, adding a “tot lot” playground for younger children, planting trees and increasing walkways in the park. Construction on the next phase will begin later in the year, according to the city.
During the Chutes and Ladders ribbon-cutting event, Mackenzie Boyd of Mechanicsburg watched her 3-year-old play on the new equipment.
“It’s pretty cool,” she said. “It’s bright and colorful and unique.”
Leah Fletcher came from Highspire to the park, where she often brings her kids.
“It’s nice to see it updated,” she said. “It’s great for the little ones.”
Her own “little one,” Alessandra, chimed in, saying, “I love everything about it.”
Kids play on the new Chutes and Ladders Playground in Reservoir Park
City officials said that upgrades at Reservoir Park are one of many recent initiatives to modernize and update Harrisburg parks.
In October, Harrisburg received a $13 million grant, which will support the renovation of 7th & Radnor Park, Wilson Playground, Gorgas Playground and Jackson Lick Pool. The money came from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s COVID relief funding.
“This is really just the beginning,” said Dave Baker, the city’s director of parks and recreation. “We really do expect to have some amazing things in the upcoming years.”
Reservoir Park is located at 100 Concert Dr., Harrisburg. For more information, visit Harrisburg’s website.
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