World’s Fair Playground – Queens NY

Description

On June 19, 1939, the Department of Parks announced the opening of two playgrounds in Flushing Meadows Park, one along the Grand Central Parkway, just south of Horace Harding Boulevard. This is most likely what is now known as the World’s Fair Playground. The 1939 press release explained that:

“These two recreation areas are part of the plan for the ultimate development of the park after the Fair is over and will provide recreation facilities for the present children of the adjacent communities and for an increase in population as additional housing develops around the park.

In the playground near Horace Harding Boulevard there is a comfort station, twelve shuffleboard, one basketball and ten handball courts, a Softball diamond, a sand pit, a shower basin, and a completely equipped playground including apparatus for those of kindergarten age.”

The opening ceremonies were presided over by Parks Commissioner Robert Moses as well as “Colonel Brehon Somervell, Works Progress Administrator, Borough President Harvey of Queens, and Mayor La Guardia.”

The playground was renovated in 1995. Today it contains “a comfort station, benches, drinking fountains, a flagpole with a yardarm, play equipment with safety surfacing, swings for tots and kids, a tennis court, a basketball court, an asphalt baseball diamond, handball courts, a spray shower, and turtle animal art.”