Billy Johnson Playground

This playground was designed by pioneering landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg, who envisioned a play space that was connected to the design and experience of the Park. Instead of using standard play equipment, Friedberg created custom features inspired by the nearby landscape. The playground includes a wooden shelter (reminiscent of the nearby Dene Summerhouse), plantings and trails, a kid-size version of Gapstow Bridge, and two granite slides (one of them 45-feet long!) that re-create the experience of sliding down the Park’s rock outcrops.

In 2018, the Central Park Conservancy completed a renovation of Billy Johnson Playground that aimed to preserve and reinforce its rustic character, while increasing play opportunities and improving accessibility.

Billy Johnson Playground was originally funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Charitable Trust and named in memory of a family member, Billy, who died in a motorcycle accident.