The Lexington Center Recreation Complex Playground reopened on Aug. 10 after months of construction. To celebrate the new playground, the Lexington Recreation and Community Programs Department hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 3.
The new playground features what’s known as a Universal Design concept — intended to allow kids in wheelchairs and with vision impairments to access all play components — exceeding the requirements of an Americans with Disabilities Act standardized playground.
The playground sits on poured-in-place safety surfacing rather than a wood-chip base. Play components include swings, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round, zipline and playhouse.
A communication panel at the Center Recreation Complex Playground.
The accessible zipline is called the Temple Trolley — inspired by autism advocate Temple Grandin’s design.
“We had the opportunity during this design process to meet her, and she’s local from Massachusetts,” Melissa Battite, director of Lexington Recreation, told LexObserver. “That was really important to us,” she said.
The playground is the first public PlayCore’s Play & Park National Demonstration Site in New England. The designation recognizes playgrounds that go beyond the conventional standards for accessibility and inclusion.
Playgrounds have a 15–20 year lifespan due to frequent usage and easy wear and tear. In 2020, Innovative Playground Services, Inc. audited all of the Town’s playgrounds, concluding that the Center playground’s play components were worn and had chipping paint, among many other factors, and needed remodeling to ensure safety for youth.
“We departments are required to produce a five-year capital plan to show what we expect our replacement of facilities or different things [to] look like, so that the town as a whole can forecast financially,” Battite said.
The new playground was approved during the 2025 Annual Town Meeting at a cost of $1.49 million in Community Preservation Act funds.
Lexington Recreation partnered with PlayCore to build the playground.
After the approval, Lexington Recreation conducted a public survey to gather residents’ input and preferences.
A majority of residents wanted climbing activities, swings, slides and a shade structure. Residents also asked for accessible ramps and a zipline.
“Each community meeting included a few design concepts, and they would be tweaked based on the feedback from the survey, feedback from the community users, community groups, and then feedback from our stakeholders,” Battite said.
Stakeholders included the LABB Educational Collaborative program at Lexington High School, the Special Education Parent Association, Lexington Commission of Disabilities, Recreation Committee and residents.
The committee then visited three local playgrounds — Mayor Thomas M. Menino Park Inclusive Playground in Charlestown, McGlynn Universal Playground in Medford and Universal Playground in Waltham.
Construction began in March 2026 and faced some snow delays, opening about a month later than expected.
“We’ve heard lots of positive feedback,” Battite said. “We’ll see an uptick in more of our community members coming to the center and taking the ride over versus staying in their neighborhood park.”
“[I like] the zipline,” said eight-year-old Hays Brockman of Winchester. “It has a climbing tube inside.”
“It’s really great to shine a light on Lexington’s commitment to inclusion and universal access and design,” Battite said. “[It] puts Lexington on the map as an industry leader across the country, when people are looking to see who else has these types of programs.”