The 10 best playgrounds in the Bronx for kids
Our 10 favorite playgrounds in the Bronx, famous and lesser known, with ages, restrooms, spray showers and the nearest subway, including the nearest station the MTA lists as accessible.
The short answer
Our top playgrounds in the Bronx are Playground For All Children, Orchard Beach Playground and Van Cortlandt Classic Playground. For water in summer: Playground For All Children, Orchard Beach Playground and Van Cortlandt Classic Playground. Less famous but worth the trip: Playground Of The Stars, Poe Park Playground and Barretto Point Park Playground.
Playground For All Children
Pelham Bay Park is more than three times the size of Central Park, per Parks, so the walk from wherever you left the car or bus is part of the day. The playground has a wheelchair-accessible restroom, ground-level and water-based play and accessible swings for under-5s. Pair it with Orchard Beach in summer.
- Ages
- Toddlers and up (Parks lists accessible swings for under-5s)
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- 6 to Pelham Bay Park (accessible), about 0.3 mi; also 6 to Buhre Av (not accessible), about 0.4 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Pelham Bay Park (6), 0.3 mile, about a 6-minute walk
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Orchard Beach Playground
The playground at Orchard Beach, in Pelham Bay Park on the Long Island Sound shoreline. Parks lists a wheelchair-accessible restroom and sensory-friendly spaces but no specific play features, so go for the beach and treat the playground as the extra. Swim only in the guarded areas during the beach season.
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- No subway nearby. Closest station: 6 to Pelham Bay Park (accessible), about 1.9 mi. A bus or car is easier.
- Nearest accessible station
- Pelham Bay Park (6), 1.9 miles, about a 39-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Van Cortlandt Classic Playground
Van Cortlandt Park is over a thousand acres and the city's third largest park, per Parks, with playgrounds scattered around its edges. This one has ground-level and water-based play, accessible swings for under-5s and a public restroom (not wheelchair accessible).
- Ages
- Toddlers and up (Parks lists accessible swings for under-5s)
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks (not wheelchair accessible). Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- 4 to Mosholu Pkwy (accessible), about 0.5 mi; also 1 to Van Cortlandt Park-242 St (not accessible), about 0.5 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Mosholu Pkwy (4), 0.5 mile, about a 10-minute walk
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Playground Of The Stars
One of nine playgrounds Parks lists in Crotona Park, which has a 3.3-acre lake that is home to turtles, ducks and fish. This one has water-based play and a public restroom (not wheelchair accessible).
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks (not wheelchair accessible). Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- 2/5 to Freeman St (not accessible), about 0.6 mi; also 2/5 to 174 St (not accessible), about 0.7 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Simpson St (2/5), 0.9 mile, about an 18-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Poe Park Playground
The park is named for Edgar Allan Poe, who rented the white farmhouse that is now Poe Cottage for $100 a year from 1846 to 1849, per Parks. The playground has ground-level play and a wheelchair-accessible restroom and no spray shower. A short stop with a literary footnote for the parent who needs one.
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- B/D to Kingsbridge Rd (accessible), about 0.2 mi; also 4 to Kingsbridge Rd (not accessible), about 0.2 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- Kingsbridge Rd (B/D), 0.2 mile, about a 3-minute walk
- Spray shower
- No
Barretto Point Park Playground
A small East River park where, per Parks, people fish from the piers and take canoes and kayaks out. The playground has water-based play and a wheelchair-accessible restroom listed. Good if you want the Bronx waterfront without a long trip.
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- 6 to Longwood Av (not accessible), about 0.8 mi; also 6 to E 149 St (accessible), about 0.9 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- E 149 St (6), 0.9 mile, about a 19-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Starlight Park Playground
A reconstructed 13-acre park on the Bronx River that, per Parks, has two playgrounds with spray showers, a floating dock and a link to the Bronx River Greenway across the pedestrian bridge at East 177th Street. Parks lists a wheelchair-accessible restroom and accessible swings for ages 5 to 12.
- Ages
- Mixed ages (Parks lists accessible swings for ages 5 to 12)
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks, wheelchair accessible. Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- 2/5 to 174 St (not accessible), about 0.4 mi; also 6 to Elder Av (not accessible), about 0.4 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- E 180 St (2/5), 0.7 mile, about a 14-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Seton Park Playground
The park stands on the site of Seton Hospital, a tuberculosis hospital that opened in 1895 and closed in 1955, per the Parks sign text. The playground has water-based play and a public restroom (not wheelchair accessible).
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks (not wheelchair accessible). Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- 1 to 231 St (accessible), about 0.8 mi; also 1 to 238 St (not accessible), about 0.9 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- 231 St (1), 0.8 mile, about a 17-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Spuyten Duyvil Playground
Shares its name with the adjacent public school, the nearby creek and the neighborhood, per Parks, so you will need to say Spuyten Duyvil often enough to master it. Parks lists ground-level and water-based play and a public restroom (not wheelchair accessible).
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- Public restroom listed by NYC Parks (not wheelchair accessible). Park restrooms can have set hours, so check before you go.
- Subway
- 1 to 238 St (not accessible), about 0.8 mi; also 1 to 231 St (accessible), about 0.8 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- 231 St (1), 0.8 mile, about a 17-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
Paul's Playground
One of the playgrounds in Henry Hudson Park, a small park with a monument to the explorer and some very old trees, per Parks. Water-based play is listed and no restroom at this playground, so bring what you need.
- Ages
- Young children; NYC Parks does not list age bands for this playground
- Restrooms
- No restroom listed by NYC Parks at this playground.
- Subway
- 1 to Marble Hill-225 St (not accessible), about 0.7 mi; also 1 to 231 St (accessible), about 0.8 mi
- Nearest accessible station
- 231 St (1), 0.8 mile, about a 16-minute walk (more than a 10-minute walk)
- Spray shower
- Yes, roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day
All 202 Bronx playgrounds on the map Things to do in The Bronx
The best playgrounds in the other boroughs: Manhattan · Brooklyn · Queens · Staten Island
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Questions people ask
What is the best playground in the Bronx?
Our pick is Playground For All Children in Pelham Bay. Pelham Bay Park is more than three times the size of Central Park, per Parks, so the walk from wherever you left the car or bus is part of the day.
Which Bronx playgrounds have sprinklers?
On our list: Playground For All Children, Orchard Beach Playground, Van Cortlandt Classic Playground, Playground Of The Stars, Barretto Point Park Playground, Starlight Park Playground, Seton Park Playground, Spuyten Duyvil Playground and Paul's Playground. NYC Parks lists 177 playgrounds with spray showers in the Bronx, usually on from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Which of these Bronx playgrounds are near an accessible subway station?
Playground For All Children, Van Cortlandt Classic Playground and Poe Park Playground are within a 10-minute walk of a station the MTA lists as accessible. Check the MTA's elevator status before you go.
How many playgrounds are there in the Bronx?
NYC Parks lists 202 playgrounds with children's areas in the Bronx. They're all on our map.
Sources
- Playground For All Children: nycgovparks.org
- Orchard Beach Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Van Cortlandt Classic Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Playground Of The Stars: nycgovparks.org
- Poe Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Barretto Point Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Starlight Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Seton Park Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Spuyten Duyvil Playground: nycgovparks.org
- Paul's Playground: nycgovparks.org
- MTA: Subway Stations (data.ny.gov)