Queens’ Flushing Meadows Corona Park has just received a grove north of the Unisphere, the “Home for Retired Playground Animals”.
Home for Retired Playground Animals at Flushing Meadows Corona Park
This interesting new space is where six playground animal sculptures have found a new home after serving in children’s playgrounds around New York City for decades.
The Home for Retired Playground Animals at Flushing Meadows Corona Park has playground animal sculptures from all around New York City. These include:
- an Aardvark
- a Camel
- a Frog
- an Elephants
- two Dolphins
As the animals are now retired and rather old, there are signs that say, “Do not climb the animals”. They’ve done their part and should just be admired instead.
The aardvark still has remnants of its yellow paint and you can still find a watch “strapped” on its front left leg.
The blue elephant sculpture sits contemplatively close by to the red double-humped camel sculpture.
These animal sculptures were retired as children’s playgrounds around the city were replaced and renovated.
Contemplative Green Space at Flushing Meadows Corona Park
This new space at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, a sort of sculptural zoo, is meant to be a quiet space for park goers. New benches have been created at this section of the park to allow park goers to have a seat.
There will also be enhancements to the canopy with more trees, shrubs and other landscaping elements. A new pathway has also been added to make the Home for Retired Playground Animals more accessible for visitors.
Perhaps those who are visiting the Home for Retired Playground Animals may even have memories of playing on these animal sculptures when they were younger.
It is a great that that the sculptures have found a new place to call home after years of service to the people of New York City. It is also a great way to preserve the memories of generations that have played amongst these animal sculptures over the decades.
“At NYC Parks, our civil servants take many forms: not only park workers, but also the beloved concrete animals children have been playing on for decades in our playgrounds across the city,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue.
She went on to add, “We’re so excited to unveil this new contemplative space in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, as we send some of our hardest-working employees into retirement in style. We hope that despite their retirement, they will continue to inspire imagination and creativity in parkgoers into the future.”
To welcome the animal sculptures to Flushing Meadows Corona Park, NYC Parks threw them a “retirement party”, complete with party hats. What a fun way to welcome the animal sculptures to the neighbourhood.
Animals Sculptures in New York City
Perhaps over time, more animal sculptures will join the ones currently at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park retirement home. These sculptures come from a time when the former New York City Park Commission Henry Stern, who served from 1983 to 1990 and 1994 to 2000, required animal sculptures to be installed in every city playground.
At one point of time, they even attracted some controversy as they were criticized for having no relation to the parks where they were found.
However, for the most part, the animal sculptures were just enjoyed by the kids. No doubt, many would climb up on to the animal sculptures in the parks and just have fun imagining that they were alive or at play together with them.
It is estimated that more than 100 animal sculptures can be found in New York’s five boroughs.
Pay a visit to Flushing Meadows Corona Park if you wish to relive some childhood memories or simply enjoy the new-old sculptural garden.
Just remember that no climbing is allowed – the sculptures have had enough and are simply enjoying their retirement now.
