5 Newly Renovated Boston-Area Playgrounds to Visit

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Here in Boston, we see newly renovated playgrounds opening up all the time.

When it comes to trusted playground reviews, Hubtots is a great resource. Parents can read in-depth reviews about Boston area playgrounds from an experienced playground-going parent. Get information about transportation, bathrooms, and places nearby.

Here are five new awesome playgrounds in Boston to visit this year that your kids will enjoy, with reviews from our friends at Hubtots.

1. Marine Park, Southie

Inspired by the nearby water and spirit of Colin’s Joy Project this newly renovated, accessible playground has layers of play and discovery. There is a main assessable play structure, ship structure (a favorite on our trip), climbing, and swings. Woven in, under, and around are activities and learning to discover related to the sea. Bonus to this playground location are the planes coming in to land at Logan Airport.

Know Before You Go:

  • Fully fenced in
  • Seasonal bathrooms
  • Street parking only, make sure to read signs
  • Official opening in March 2024, so they may still working on some minor things

Add to the Adventure:

  • Pleasure Bay and Head Island Causeway is right across the street: great way to add to the day with a beach visit or walk.
  • Castle Island is a 3 minute drive: head to explore, play, or grab lunch at Sullivan’s Castle Island (open seasonally).
  • Local 149 is a 4 minute walk, 1min drive: we haven’t been, but it has a kids menu and is open brunch hours on weekends.

2. Murphy Playground, Brookline

Reopened in December 2023, this neighborhood playground has a good range of play options for tots to 10 with two separate play areas, green space, splash pad, and a basketball key (not full court). Bonus – you can see a bit of the Green Line trains a few blocks away.

Know before you go:

  • The park is fully fenced in, additional fencing around tot area
  • Not accessible
  • No bathrooms
  • Perplexing placement of the utility box next to splash pad, sure it is safe, but as a parent raises question…

Add to the adventure:

  • Publick House is a 5 minute drive: one of my personal favorite spots, great kids menu and you can see the T going down Beacon St!
  • The Dutch House is a 5 minute walk from the playground: large residential building that was built for the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893 and moved to Boston.
  • Puppet Show Place theater is a 4 minute walk, which has regular kids shows.

3. Piers Park II, East Boston

What could be better than a new playground? A new playground next to a great existing one! Piers Park has expanded with more room to explore, play, and enjoy the stunning view across the harbor. The play space is best suited for children ages 5 and up, and has a main climbing structure, big slide, music elements, inclusive whirl, and splash pad for the warmer months.

Know Before You Go:

  • Bathrooms at Piers Park
  • Parking Lot! But, small – may fill up on busy days
  • The playground is fully fenced in
  • Accessible, some inclusive element

Add to the Adventure:

  • Piers Park: adjacent to the new park is the larger original park with a great play area with separate tots and older kids sections
  • ICA Watershed: in the summer months, the ICA has had a free large-scale exhibit.
  • MBTA ferry: Take the ferry from Long Wharf to East Boston. Note that on weekends, boats don’t run between 12 and 3:30 p.m., so plan accordingly.

4. Millennium Park, West Roxbury

Hard to believe that this 100-acre park used to be a landfill, filled in with dirt from the Big Dig. The recently renovated playground is a destination with focused toddler play – including an adorable house, bigger kid climbing, spin features, and swings. A bonus is that you get a glimpse of the city skyline!

Know before you go:

  • Port-a-potties
  • Accessible
  • Not fully fenced in
  • Large parking lot close to the playground
  • Gets very busy during field sports time, but still big enough to play

Add to the Adventure:

  • Round Head Brewing is a 19 minute drive: it is 2023 Best of Boston brewery readers choice.
  • Boston Ale House is a 10 minute drive: super kid friendly spot for lunch.

5. West Somerville School, Somerville

School playgrounds are at a whole new level as we experienced at West Somerville Neighborhood School (and also at Arthur D. Healy). With discrete sections for younger kids 2-5 and older kids ages 5-12, each area is well designed for the different age groups. Playground is fully fenced in with limited accessibility.

The age 2-5 area has organic Earthscape Playground structures with climbing and a fun little house all set on turf.

The play area for ages 5-12 has a large structure with web climbing, tall slides, and lots to discover.

In addition there is a cool climbing wall, basketball hoop, and tons of space for scootering/biking.

Know before you go:

  • Open to the public during non-school hours
  • Street parking on the weekend was easy
  • No public bathrooms

Explore More Playgrounds!

There are so many great playgrounds in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and Brookline that offer a variety of equipment for kids of all ages. Browse the best Boston playgrounds here to get started.

Special thanks to Hubtots for contributing to the Urbnparks blog. Read more local playground reviews on the Hubtots website, and follow them on Instagram.