Children in West Long Beach can soon enjoy a new playground at Silverado Park.
The revamped $2.45 million project is set to officially open at noon on Sept. 12 with a ceremony held by the city, which will include Mayor Rex Richardson and Councilmember Roberto Uranga.
Silverado Park’s new playground replaces the one at the northwest edge of the park and expands the play area from 5,800 square feet to just over 8,100 square feet. It includes two portions: one meant for children between 2 and 5 and another for children between 5 and 12.
At a groundbreaking for the playground in March, neighbor Darlene Castillo said the project “has been a longtime due.”
The revamped playground adds to the pool and gym at Silverado Park, which is already a neighborhood hub in West Long Beach — a place with far less park space per capita than some other areas of the city, such as East Long Beach.
New additions to the playground include three slides, a fallen log climber, a “beanstalk” climber, a lollipop climber and stairs with tree stump transfer. The design also features a “cooling corner” with misters and two shade structures over the main play area.
The area for younger children, known as the tot lot, has two double slides, log steppers, an inclusive “We-Go-Round” and ADA ramps.
The playground’s color scheme was chosen to complement the mural painted on the gym adjacent to the structure, titled “We Are the Seeds” by Mer Young.
Planning for the playground began in May 2023. The project was paid for with $1.5 million through a federal appropriations bill and $950,000 in funds from the city’s Measure A sales tax.
In February 2024, the skatepark at Silverado Park also reopened after a $153,000 upgrade to the 5,000-square-foot space.