Great Parks has started the process to plan and build a large new destination playground at the Sharon Woods visitor center, Sharon Centre, which will be designed for fun and accessibility for a wide range of ages and ability levels. Public engagement activities planned for later this year will be an important part of the planning process for the new structure.

“We heard from the public in the development of the Park and Facility Master Plan for Sharon Woods that they were looking for an improved and expanded playground at the visitor center and we are ready to begin the work on fulfilling that request,” said Todd Palmeter, CEO of Great Parks. “I’m already looking forward to the day when we open this new and immersive play experience to serve our guests and create lasting memories for years to come.”

The new playground will be several thousand square feet larger than the current playground, while offering an inclusive play experience for children. The design will include play experiences for children of all ages, from toddlers to tweens, and will be accessible for users with a wide range of abilities. It will be located adjacent to Sharon Centre, very close to the location of the existing playground.

Great Parks will conduct public outreach in the coming months to seek input from the community on the future of the play area. As planning moves forward, design concepts for the playground will be available to the public.

The new playground will replace and dramatically upgrade the existing outdoor and indoor play areas at Sharon Centre. The small indoor play site at Sharon Centre will not reopen, having already been closed since 2020 due to pandemic protocols and staffing levels.

Design and planning work for the new playground is scheduled to be complete by the summer of 2023, with construction to start shortly thereafter.