Safari Playground

Safari Playground is a compact, safari‑themed play area in Central Park on the Upper West Side, tucked between Central Park West and the park’s West Drive near West 91st–93rd Streets, with views of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. It’s best known for its whimsical family of hippopotamus sculptures, which kids climb, sit on, and run around as part of free, imaginative play.

Originally a 1930s playground later reimagined with a safari theme in the 1990s, Safari Playground has been fully reconstructed to keep the beloved hippo motif while adding modern, accessible features. The ground is covered in soft surface colored in blue “water” and brown “land,” reinforcing the riverbank feel as children scramble over play mounds, boulders, and mountain‑like hills. New elements include wheelchair‑accessible play canoes, wood climbing platforms that feel like small treehouses, and a user‑activated spray feature that shoots water from multiple jets on warm days.