Ancient Playground
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Ancient Playground offers a distinctive Egyptian-themed play experience within Central Park, featuring unique structures like pyramids and tunnels alongside a water splash pad and sand pit. It provides a more physically challenging and engaging environment than traditional NYC playgrounds, making it a standout choice for certain age groups.
Key Highlights
- ✓Unique Egyptian-themed play structures including pyramids and tunnels.
- ✓Provides a positive physical challenge for children, deviating from traditional NYC Parks Dept setups.
- ✓Features a water splash pad and a sand pit with sprinklers, useful for cooling off and cleaning sand.
- ✓Spacious design allowing for varied play.
- ✓Generally clean, well-maintained facilities with open restrooms.
- ✓Seating along the perimeter allows adults to observe children.
Standout Features
- ⭐Unique Egyptian-themed play structures (pyramids, tunnels).
- ⭐Water splash pad and sand pit with working sprinklers.
- ⭐Dedicated seating along the perimeter for parents/observers.
- ⭐Clean and well-maintained bathrooms.
- ⭐Convenient location near The Met Museum.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →**Bathroom Pro Tip:** Utilize the bathrooms located on the *inside* of the play area (away from the ramp side) as they are typically less crowded.
- →**Prepare for Active Supervision:** Be ready to constantly move around and accompany younger children due to structures that obstruct views.
- →**Dress for Water & Sand:** Bring appropriate clothing and possibly a change for kids, given the splash pad and sand pit.
Things to Consider
- ⚠**Not suitable for toddlers/very young children (under 5 years old):** Structures like the pyramids are difficult for them to navigate, requiring constant adult assistance for climbing and descending, leading to frustration for caregivers.
- ⚠**High active supervision required:** The tunnels and pyramid structures can obscure children from an adult's view, making it impossible to 'sit and watch' and necessitating constant movement and close accompaniment, especially for younger kids.
- ⚠Reported difficulty in activating taller sprinklers, potentially limiting water play options for older children.
- ⚠Reviewer suggests a need for more ladders for younger children to access structures more easily.
Price & Value
Not applicable, as entry to Central Park playgrounds is free and no specific costs or fees were mentioned in the reviews.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •No specific accessibility features or concerns were mentioned in the reviews.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •No specific food or drink policies were mentioned in the reviews.
🚗Parking Info
- •Not mentioned directly, but its location near The Met in Central Park implies typical NYC street parking or paid garages, which can be challenging and expensive.
👥Crowd Levels
- •No specific crowd level information was provided in the reviews, though large Central Park playgrounds can get busy, especially on weekends.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Playground is described as 'well maintained' and clean.
- •Reviewer noted 'no homeless inside park area'.
- •Perimeter seating aids in observation, though unique structures can obstruct direct sightlines for younger children.
⏰When to Avoid
- • Parents with toddlers or very young children (under 5) who prefer passive supervision from a single vantage point.
- • Families looking for a traditional, easily navigable playground for preschoolers without constant adult assistance on structures.
Pricing/Package/Events
Events & Schedule
Special Events(Last 2 months - Next 6 months)
Central Park Special Event Permit
Year-round
N/A (permit required)
Required for field days, game tournaments, birthday parties, or any other type of event that includes activities for twenty people or more in Central Park.
Ice-skating at the Davis Center
Starts November 15
N/A (registration open for lessons/programs)
Ice-skating returns to Central Park's north end. Registration is open for select skate lessons and hockey programs.
🛡️Safety Policy
- • Regular updates to equipment and infrastructure reflect changing ideas about children’s play, safety, and accessibility standards in Central Park playgrounds.
- • Pedestrians always have the right-of-way at crosswalks on the Drives. Bikers and other wheeled users are required to stop whenever a pedestrian is in the crosswalk or ready to cross.
- • Bikes, scooters, e-bikes, and skates must follow the one-way direction on the Drives, no exceptions.
- • Bikes, e-bikes, and other electric vehicles must obey traffic signals and slow down at curves, hills, and crossings. The speed limit for all e-bikes and e-scooters on the Drives is 15 mph.
- • All users of the Drives should be predictable, courteous, and aware (e.g., looking before merging and switching lanes).
- • Park Rangers and NYPD enforce compliance on the Drives. The Central Park Conservancy leads public education efforts.
📅Booking Policy
- • For events with 20+ people, a special event permit must be requested from NYC Parks.
🚗Parking Information
- • Central Park Drives are a car-free corridor for active recreation. No specific parking information for the playground is provided.
What People Say
What's Great
- Clean and well-maintained facilities (mentioned in 2 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 6 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 2 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Bridget Stouffer
3 months agoI live around the corner and nanny in the neighborhood. This is a great location and the playground is unique but better for 5yr +. Not good for toddlers and the adults watching them. It needs more ladders for little ones
Oulfa
3 months agoOne of the best playgrounds in CP. Spacious and for a all ages
Steve Vera
a year agoVisited with my granddaughter. The playground definitely was a good positive challenge for her from your traditional NYC Parks Dept set ups. I like the seating along the perimeter which allows parents to keep an eye on their children. Glad the sprinklers by the sand pit were on that helped with both cooling the kids off and removing the bulk of the sand before getting into the car at end of day. There seemed to be difficulty getting the taller sprinklers on so older children were stuck using other sprinklers which always becomes a problem with time. Otherwise clean, restrooms open, no homeless inside park area and well maintained.
Chelsea Kelly-Sipe
2 years agoGreat playground near The Met with clean bathrooms, seating for observers and fun play structures for a variety of ages. Pro tip: there are two sides to the bathrooms. The bathrooms on the inside of the play area (not the ramp side) are usually empty.
Ylislovelook
2 years agoIt’s ancient because of the Egyptian theme with the pyramids, I liked that it has water splash pad and sand pit however the pyramids isn’t really good for younger kids and it’s not a park you can sit and watch your kids you literally have to keep going around with them to see where they are due to the tunnels and pyramids , where I kept having to help my niece climb and bring her down . I was frustrated the whole time . I like the area it’s nice location next to the Moma museum other than that wasn’t my favorite