Monkey Around Playground

The new playground is now open!

History of the Playground

The playground at White Park was built in 1994, and it’s time to replace the old wooden playground. Monkey Around was a community-built playground made possible by private donations and manpower. Hundreds of people worked on the project. The playground was designed by Playground by Leathers, a national playground company that specializes in community-built playgrounds. At the time of installation, the playground was expected to last 20 years with proper maintenance – now it is over 30 years old!

Over the years, the Friends of White Park have assisted the Parks and Recreation Department with buying the stain to treat the pressure-treated wood and applying the stain. The department takes care of the regular maintenance needs of the playground (repairing decks, swings, equipment, and playground surfacing).

In May 2015, the Parks and Recreation Department hired Playground By Leathers to come back to Concord to conduct an assessment of the playground. The department also asked for a cost estimate to update the current structure. The cost at that time was $145,000 (approx. $200,000 in 2018 dollars). Read their full report (PDF) here.

During the FY18 budget process, City Council approved a project to update the Monkey Around Playground. The budget was $200,000, with $100,000 coming from private donations. In 2018, the FWP and the city held a couple of meetings to look at options for repairs. Several areas of concern were brought up. If we need to spend up to $200,000 on repairs of the current playground, what are the options to help make the playground more accessible to everyone, how to address sight lines in the playground (some parents love the hiding places and some do not), and a possible fence around the playground. Understanding if the community would like these items addressed, we need to bring in a playground company to help with design options.

The Friends of White Park agreed to work with the department to help advertise the community meetings/conversations scheduled for winter 2019/2020. They have also agreed to help raise funds needed for the new playground. Our plan was to have an approved playground concept ready for City Council's review in spring 2020. This would have allowed for fundraising to take place during the winter of 2020-21, with construction projected for summer 2021. However, due to COVID and other issues, the new playground was not funded during this time.

New Options & Choices

There are many new and exciting amenities for playgrounds that were not around in 1994. As we review all the new playground options, including adding poured-in-place surfacing, the projected cost of the project will need to be reviewed. 

For more information, please contact David Gill, Parks and Recreation Director, at dgill@concordnh.gov.

Timeline for the new Playground

Winter 2019-2020 

An evening Community Meeting was held on December 12 at the City Wide Community Center for residents, youth, and adults for input on the new playground. During the morning, volunteers from the Friends of White Park, Playground by Leathers, and the Parks and Recreation Department visited two elementary schools for design activities with the students.

A Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee Review and public meeting was held on February 20 at the City-Wide Community Center. A concept design for the playground was presented that included the following elements:  

• Poured-in-place surfacing
• An all-inclusive design with amenities to include a wheelchair accessible swing and parent/child swings
• Music area, swings, small play areas, and more
• As many of the elevated walkways to be accessible for all abilities, as possible.  

February - December 2020

• Develop cost estimates for the playground.
• Additional public meeting (if needed) to review concept and cost estimates.
• Recreation and Parks Advisory Committee Approval.
• City Council review and approval of the recommended playground concept.

Spring 2021

• Design concept was presented to City Council. 
• The Friends of White Park began fundraising for the new playground.

Summer 2021 - Fall 2023

• Friends of White Park continue to raise donations to help offset the cost of the project. Their goal is to raise at least $50,000.
• The City of Concord applied for an LWCF Grant in spring 2022 to help with the replacement costs. This grant requires a one-to-one match. The City of Concord was awarded a $400,000 LWCF grant over the winter of 2023-24 and needs to be matched with another $400,000. 
• The 2022-23 estimated cost to build the new playground per approved design is $800,000. 

Winter 2024-25

The city has $800,000 approved for this project (LWCF Grant $400,000, City $350,000, and donations of $50,000). Through a RFP process in late fall 2024, Pettinelli and Associates was selected for the final design and construction. Pettinelli and Associates works with Miracle Playgrounds.  We would like to thank members of the Friends of White Park as they assisted in interviewing and selecting the vendor.

The Friends of White Park also worked with staff and the vendor on the final design (playground elements, colors, layout etc.) of the playground. During the month of April 2025, working with the Friends of White Park, we raised an additional $60,000 in donations as the quote for the playground came in higher that anticipated. 

The final design of the new all-inclusive White Park Playground is listed under quick links.