You are reading

Playground Animals to Get New Home in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park

A dolphin and a camel are just some of the old playground animals that will feature in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (Photos: NYC Parks Dept.)

May 28, 2021 By Michael Dorgan

Some of the city’s most beloved and time-worn playground animals are set to be given a new lease of life thanks to an initiative by the NYC Parks Dept.

The agency is creating a new “retirement home” in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park for a number of concrete animal statues that were once a feature of playgrounds across the city going back as far as the 1980s.

The new sculpture garden, called NYC Parks Home for Retired Playground Animals, will open in the fall and consist of former playground favorites that have been removed to make way for new park upgrades and renovations.

NYC Parks is taking the shabby-looking structures out of storage to showcase them to the public. They will be displayed in their current state and without repainting or touchups, the agency said Thursday.

The Parks Dept. said residents will be able to visit the former playground statues to “enjoy a moment of nostalgia and salute some of New York City’s hardest-working public servants.”

The new home will initially feature five retired playground animals – two dolphins, one aardvark, one camel, and one frog – with more planned to be added in the future.

It is unclear how many of the ornaments will eventually populate the retirement home although it is estimated that “hundreds” were installed in city parks over the decades, a former Parks Commissioner, Adrian Benepe, told the Brooklyn Paper in March.

The display area is expected to be located just north of the Unisphere although design details are unclear. The Parks Dept. said the space will include new plantings and new benches.

New pathways will be put down to allow parkgoers to access the area from three separate points.

NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver invited all New Yorkers to come and visit the new home when it opens.

“After decades of service to New York City, and with perfect attendance records across the board, it’s time for these Parkies to hang up their hats and enjoy a life of leisure,” Silver said. “Instead of moving down south to Florida, they will get their place in the sun in Flushing.”

Most of the concrete animals that feature in city parks were added in the 1980s and 1990s under former Commissioner Henry Stern, who called on park designers to incorporate animal art into every new playground project.

The sculptures are often removed during park renovations to make way for new play features and to add more accessible play space, according to the Parks Dept.

Instead of being holed up in storage, they will instead be displayed at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

An aardvark, frog and a dolphin will feature in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park (Photos: NYC Parks Dept.)

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Queens Botanical Garden celebrates groundbreaking on new $34 million education center

City officials, elected leaders and Flushing community members helped break ground on a new and long-awaited $34 million education building at the Queens Botanical Garden that will feature six teaching areas for year-round programming.

The Joan N. and Norman Bluestone Education Center will be 14,500 square feet, replacing a smaller educational space. It will have four indoor classrooms, a teaching kitchen, and a solarium where educators can grow and maintain plants for educational purposes.

Advocates urge passage of New York for All Act as Assembly session nears end

Jun. 16, 2025 By Jimmy Robles

As the State Senate concluded its legislative session on Thursday, immigrant rights advocates renewed calls for lawmakers to pass the New York for All Act before the Assembly adjourns on Tuesday, June 17. The proposed legislation, along with several other immigration-related bills, remains pending as the clock winds down on this year’s session.

Queens gun buyback takes 74 firearms off streets, including ghost guns and assault weapons: DA

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Monday that 74 firearms were taken off the streets at the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York in Jamaica during a gun buyback event on Saturday, June 14. The weapons were exchanged for bank cards pre-loaded with cash, with no identification required and no questions asked.

“Gun buybacks serve as a critical tool for reducing gun violence and promoting public safety within our communities,” Katz said. “This Saturday, working with the NYPD and clergy leaders in Jamaica, we received 74 surrendered guns — including five automatic weapons. As a result, these firearms will not be used to cause heartache and tragedy.”

Queens Distance Runners hosts second annual track meet at St. John’s University, spotlighting Olympian and local talent

Jun. 16, 2025 By Paulina Albarracin

Dozens of runners gathered at the DaSilva Field Track in St. John’s University for the second annual track meet last month. Hosted by Queens Distance Runners (QDR), a grassroots running organization, the sporting competition welcomed sprinters and distance runners of all skill levels to test their abilities, vying for the podium in track events from 100 meters to 5,000 meters.