Safari Playground

Safari Playground brings a spirit of wild adventure to Central Park's Upper West Side section. With equipment designed around safari animal themes, this playground fires up the imaginations of younger children in a way that generic play structures simply cannot match.

The animal-themed climbing structures, slides, and play elements encourage kids to create their own safari narratives while getting a solid physical workout. Kids aged 3-7 especially respond to the thematic design — suddenly they're not just on a playground, they're on an African savanna searching for lions and elephants.

The playground sits in a pleasant section of Central Park near 91st Street, with good natural light and enough surrounding green space that the visit naturally expands beyond just the playground equipment. Kids can run on the grass, explore the park paths, and gradually discover more of Central Park's wonders.

This section of the park is less tourist-heavy than areas near 72nd Street and below, giving it a more neighborhood feel. You're likely to be playing alongside Upper West Side locals — which means the crowd is generally families who know the park well and treat it with care.

For parents, the playground is conveniently close to the 86th Street transverse that cuts across the park, making it easily accessible from both the Upper West Side (B/C train to 86th Street) and Upper East Side (4/5/6 train to 86th Street). It's a genuinely easy destination by transit.

The technically late official closing time (1AM) reflects that this area of the park is always open, but practically you'll want to visit during daylight hours with young children.