Address: located near the 12th street gate of Piedmont Park
404. That’s an error.
The request%2C-8> Click here to get directions - approximate; see below for where to park
Parking: on street parking or paid parking in the deck off of Monroe
Cost: free
Age Range: all ages
Ground Cover: wood mulch
Features: Quite an unusual playground. You first must realize that this is a work of art, and then you can fully love this playground. There are slides and swings and climbing structures, a sand pit, and a climbing dome. Definitely see the pictures and the overall assessment.
Surrounding Park Area: it’s Piedmont Park people, tons to do!! There’s another playground (bigger and newer – see review) and a splashpad (see review).
Shade: the rectangular slide is mostly in the shade, but the other structures do not have shade
Seating: no benches, but there is a pavillion area next to the playground (although if you sit there, you can’t see your kids)
Stroller/Wheelchair Access: ramps leading up to the playground, but the playground is wood mulch, so you’ll need something better than a cheap-o umbrella stroller
Safety: based on the highly unusual design of the playground, I would most definitely spot your children on the rectangular slides. Also, all the slides are METAL….they get hot!! And for the record, when the humidity is no longer in the air and your child is wearing pants, the slides are super fast!
Cons: The metal slides…be careful!
Overall Assessment: What is interesting is that this playground is art, and what a novel idea it is to have public art be useful. Our kids (and you!) can actually touch this, use it, and play on it. The playground uses all of the primary colors. Orange metal triangular poles support the soaring swing-set. Blue and green climbing concrete blocks, a red jungle gym, and a double-sided metal slide look more like modernist sculptures than recreation apparatus. Recurring motifs – circles, triangles and rectangles – create a visually exciting play space situated on a rise in the tree-lined landscape. The playground also includes a large circular sand pit, a climbing dome, a pavilion, and a spiral-shaped slide. For this reason, Playscape is an educational haven for any preschooler.
Isamu Noguchi designed this playground on commission from the High Museum in 1975; it is the only playground he designed in the United States, and we are lucky to have it right here in Atlanta. Check out this playground!
This is my husband’s favorite playground to take our 2 1/2 yr old to. It’s an old school playground with fast, metal slides, swings that go high and big, shady trees. It’s a bit much for me to take him and the baby though because he needs more assistance on this playground than on a typical new playground. If you’re looking for a photo op – this is it. We had professional pictures taken here and they came out great – lots of bright colors. The next time you’re in Piedmont Park you should check out this playground and bring your camera!