Join DOCOMOMO US / New York Tri-State for an exciting and unique tour visiting three Modern playgrounds in Central Park, led by artist Julia Jacquette. New playgrounds constructed in the tumultuous setting of 1960s and 70s New York City encouraged constructive, imaginative play. Learn about these playgrounds, their modern architecture, and their relationship with the city.
Our guide, artist and FIT Fine Arts professor Julia Jacquette, is the author of Playground of My Mind (2017), a graphic memoir focusing on the modernist “adventure” playgrounds built in New York City starting in the 1960s, emphasizing the playgrounds she interacted with the most as a child, and considering their influence on the generations of children who played in them. It examines playgrounds designed by architect Richard Dattner, landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg, and the architectural partnership Ross Ryan Jacquette in New York City, and others by Aldo van Eyck in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Playground of My Mind was published with the Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College in association with the exhibition, Julia Jacquette: Unrequited and Acts of Play.
This tour will begin at the playground Julia's father designed with the firm Ross, Ryan, Jacquette, the Tarr Family Playground (1973), at West 100th Street near Central Park West. https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/tarr-family-playground
Next, we will walk south to The Tarr Coyne Wild West Playground (1988) designed by Richard Dattner, near the West 93rd Street entrance. https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/tarr-coyne-wild-west-playground
After a stroll across the Park, the tour will conclude at Dattner’s Ancient Playground (1973) near Fifth Avenue and East 85thStreet. https://www.centralparknyc.org/locations/ancient-playground
Note: the tour will include about one and a half miles of walking through Central Park.
We encourage families to bring their children.
This tour is part of DOCOMOMO US Tour Day 2026, a nationwide initiative exploring this year’s annual theme of Recreation and Play. Tours and events hosted by Docomomo US chapters, partners, and friends, will occur on Saturday, October 10th, and throughout the month of October. https://www.docomomo-us.org/events/tour-day
Tickets: DOCOMOMO Members: $10; General Admission: $20. Children: free. A free ticket is only necessary for children over age 3.
Capacity limited. Advance Registration Required. Participants will receive the exact meeting place upon registration.
NOTE: Due to expected heavy rain related to Hurricane Isaias, we have postponed the tour one week from Sunday, October 11th to Sunday, October 18th at the same time, 10:00 am - Noon.
Central Park
New York City
