IN THE PARK: Play Pasts, Playground Tour

What can we learn from play spaces of the past? How can old play spaces be updated to preserve original design ideas while keeping pace with ever evolving design standards and notions of childhood? Join us for a fun, intimate journey through Central Park’s play spaces and landscapes to learn more about the work of the Central Park Conservancy and play of the past. Marie Warsh, historian and director of preservation planning at the Conservancy, will guide us on a tour of playgrounds in Central Park, reflecting on the cultural histories embedded in the landscape. Exploring changing notions of childhood and play, we’ll visit the Children’s District, designed by Olmsted and Vaux; Heckscher Playground, the park’s first modern playground; and other play spaces that have undergone a number of transformations, including the newly-rehabilitated Adventure Playground at West 67th Street. https://vanalen.org/