FDR Park’s massive slide didn’t meet new safety standards, keeping the playground closed for months

A real-life lesson in patience is here for Philly’s young playground users.

Already closed since the winter, FDR Park’s Anna C. Verna Playground will be fenced in for at least another few weeks while it awaits the arrival of new parts for its massive 30-foot slide, after an inspection found the equipment did not meet updated voluntary safety guidelines. The award-winning playground and home of the largest “Megaswing” swing set in North America was a signature piece of FDR Park’s $250 million revamp.

The playground’s construction was overseen by the nonprofit Fairmount Park Conservancy, and Verna opened to the public in October 2023. Following its completion, ownership of and responsibility for the playground passed over to the city. A final safety audit before opening day found it to be in compliance with the voluntary guidelines in place at the time, according to Meghan Talarowski, the playground designer and executive director of Studio Ludo.

Last year, two organizations issuing standards and recommendations for playgrounds — the Consumer Product Safety Commission and American Society of Testing and Materials— each created new safety recommendations regarding tall towers, like the Verna slide. Previously, there was no such guidance, Talarowski said.

After Philadelphia Parks and Recreation conducted a routine inspection of the playground in January, it found the slide did not meet those new recommendations, which included having safety guards along the structure.

The department immediately shut the entire playground down and put chain-link fences around it, according to Parks and Recreation Commissioner Sue Slawson, who began her role in 2024. The inspector also determined the structure users climb to get to the top of the slide had many missing or loosened bolts, she said.

Previous Philadelphia Parks and Recreation inspectors had identified missing or loose bolts and replaced them, but this was the first time the guard issue has been raised, she said. Last summer, a video went viral of a little boy climbing the outside of the slide and falling to the ground, luckily without major injury.

“Once we realized that there was an issue and we were concerned about liability and safety for the young people that were using it, we put up the fence. And our goal was to ensure that it was not used until we got the necessary pieces to ensure that the playground was safe,” Slawson said.

The city ordered the necessary bolts and guards from the playground’s parts manufacturer in Germany in March, and they are expected to arrive later this month. Installation will begin upon their arrival, according to parks and recreation department spokesperson Ra’Chelle Rogers.

Philadelphia Parks and Recreation has put up signage informing visitors the playground was closed “for maintenance,” Slawson said. But the precise cause of the closure has not been well known or advertised. Visitors have regularly pried open the fence to use the playground despite the department resealing it multiple times, Slawson said.

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While Verna could reopen relatively soon, another significant Philadelphia Parks and Recreation closure does not figure to be remedied in time for this summer. Towey Recreation Center in North Philadelphia announced its closure last week, after an assessment determined its roof was structurally compromised and required immediate repairs, Rogers said.

Towey will be closed indefinitely while the city determines a renovation plan. Repair work could take several months.

In the meantime, its playground will remain open, Rogers said. Towey’s summer camp will be moved to Cruz Recreation Center, which has the capacity to accommodate campers from both sites. Other programming will be accommodated at nearby Philadelphia Parks and Recreation facilities.