Northern Virginia Accessible Playgrounds
Alexandria
Lodato Memorial Playground
1108 Jefferson St.
Alexandria VA 22314
Information: Located behind the Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center, the playground has accessible swings, outdoor music instruments, shade structures, benches, sensory play components, and soft rubber tile surfacing. It can be accessed through the Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center building, or through the back parking lot of the Lee Center-Alexandria Fire Training Facility. Restrooms located inside the Rec Center during operating hours.
Special features include:
- Accessible swing with high backs and harnesses to assist special-needs children
- Elevated crawling tunnel and an orbital spinner
- Ramps to play equipment
- Sound-play components with devices that make sound or music, working xylophones and other percussion instruments
Accessible swings at Lodato Memorial Playground
Sound-play components at Lodato Memorial Playground
Potomac Yard Park
2501 Potomac Ave Alexandria, VA 22305
Information: Located in the currently developing Potomac Yard neighborhood, this park has accessible picnic tables and pathways and an inclusive playground. Potomac Yards is one of the busiest rail yards on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, and the park has a sitting area to watch the trains and read a little history of the Yard. There are two gated in playgrounds, one for 5 and older and the other one for 5 and under with highly interactive equipment, like musical components and a maze. Benches and picnic tables are plentiful. All the parking is on the street, and is free with ample parking spots.
There are no bathrooms at the park, but there is a large shopping center with a Target, IHOP, Dunkin Donuts and numerous restaurants within a 5-minute drive from the park. There is also very little shade, so remember the sunscreen, hats and water bottles. You might consider coming in the early morning or late afternoon, as the playground equipment can get uncomfortably hot for the children.
Special features include:
- Smooth surface for a wheelchair that is resilient enough to cushion a fall
- Ramps to play equipment Low platforms for wheelchair users to lift themselves onto playground equipment
- Sound-play devices that make sound or music
- Only one way in or out of the play area, helpful for keeping track of children
- Playground enclosed by fence
Potomac Yark Playground barrier-free equipment.
Dulles
Hadley's Main Street USA Playground 21100 Dulles Town Circle Dulles, Virginia 20166
Information: This is a 5000 square foot playground built in keeping with the “shopping theme,” around Main Street USA, where you have everything from your local bank, car wash, a fire station to a post office. It's an inclusive playground where children with disabilities can play with friends and siblings who don't have a disability.
Special features include:
- Accessible play equipment including slides and tunnels
- Braille signs
- Rubberized, wheelchair-friendly surfaces
Fairfax
Stafford Drive Park 3300 Stafford Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 385-7858
Information: This 24-acre park is in the middle of Fairfax City. There is a barrier-free playground that is wheelchair accessible. A large parking lot is available near the soccer field, but families may choose to park behind the Outback Steakhouse on Route 29 because it’s much closer to the playground. The restrooms are located at the entrance of the park far away from the playground on the other side of the soccer fields. In the summer it gets hot because there is no shade.
Special features include:
- Adaptive swings
- Playground covered with a rubberized surface
- Low platforms for those using wheelchairs to lift themselves onto playground equipment.
- Ramps to play equipment
- Sound-play devices that make sound or music
- Fully accessible walking trail
Stafford Drive Park Accessible Playground
Franconia
Big Chessie’s Backyard at Lee District Park
6601 Telegraph Rd Franconia, Virginia 703-922-9841
Big Chessie Barrier Free Playground
Information: This is Chesapeake-Bay themed playground that is fully accessible and incorporates slides, swings and other equipment specially designed for use by all children ages 5-12, including those with special needs. There is also an accessible spraypark. Don’t miss the accessible treehouse where you can climb high up into the trees and look out over a beautiful stream.
Special features for the accessible play areainclude:
- Fully accessible tree house
- Accessible slides and swings
- Play areas with arubber surface
- Low platforms for those using wheelchairs to lift themselves out of them onto playground equipment.
Big Chessie Accessible Tree House built over a ravine to give children of all abilities the chance to feel like they are up in the trees.
Nautical Cove at Lee District Park
6601 Telegraph Rd Franconia, Virginia 703-922-9841
Information: This park is part of the Lee District Park and is a small, spacious area for children ges 2 to 5 with a maritime theme with a giant sandcastle, light house, and pirate ship. There are clean restrooms with a diaper changing station. There is also a covered picnic pavilion and vending machines.
Special features include:
- Surface is composed of soft rubber.
- Sensory opportunies with a friendly dolphin speaking at the touch of a button, a pirate ship with a cartoon-voiced captain telling you to “walk the plank,” and an accessible sea monster.
Nautical Cove at Lee District Park
Leesburg
Brandon Park
878 Harrison St SE Leesburg VA 20175
Information: This is a three acre park carved out of the intersection of commercial buildings and condos with an accessible playground area and picnic tables. The park has a couple of designated accessible parking, but there is no restroom but there is a car dealership is next door with a restroom..
Special features include:
- A small piece of equipment equipped with ramps
- Smooth surface for a wheelchair
Brandon Park Playground
McLean
Clemyjontri Park
6317 Georgetown Pike McLean, Virginia 22101 (703) 388-2807
Information: Named as one of the 30 most inclusive playgrounds in the nation, this unique park was the dream of Adele Lebowitz, who donated land to the local authorities on the condition that it be used to create a playground for disabled children. Named after the first letters of her children, Carolyn (CL), Emily (EMY), John (Jon), and Petrina (Tri), Clemyjontri Park is a two acre treat split into four sections featuring different equipment to help children to learn about colors, read, find out about the world, and exercise their imaginations. It looks like an ordinary playground, with swings, slides and play equipment fun to climb on, but in reality, this park something for everyone and is barrier-free for all types of disabilities. There is plenty of parking with 81 spaces, and a drop-off zone for vehicles whose passengers need close access.
Special features include:
- Ramps connect structures
- Swings have high backs, arm rests and special safety features
- Rubber surfacing allows wheelchairs to roll easily
- Lowered monkey bars provide easy access
- Equipment is designed to be sensory rich so all children can participate with peers
- Wider openings allows easy access to play structures
- Accessible carousel, see website for hours of operations
- Rainbow Room has accessible swings and integrates sign, Braille, pictures and language to teach colors of the rainbow.
- Liberty Swing, a swing which allows wheelchair users the experience of swinging without having to transfer from their wheelchair
- Wheelchair-accessible drag strip with a multi-functional color tree using red, green and amber flashes to direct traffic
- Sensory-oriented parts such as spinning cups and voice-activated components
- A moveable helicopter where wheelchairs can be attached
- A maze with multiple solutions that can be read by children who have visual or developmental disabilities
- Picnic Pavilion has six accessible tableswithcantilevered tops and cut out areas allow easy wheelchair access for children and adults, accessible water fountains, as well as accessible restrooms with baby changing tables.
- Single entrance in or out of the play area helping parents and caregivers keep track of children.
- Safety fence encloses the playground.
- Tent sails provide areas of shade in the playground and benches are located throughout the play area.
Aerial view of Clemyjontri.
Liberty Swing at Clemyjontri.
Prince William County
Crescent Park Playground
Crescent Park Dr.
At the intersections of Route 15 James Madison Highway and Route 29 Lee Highway in Prince William County
Gainesville, VA 20155
Information: Located in the center of the Madison Crescent neighborhood behind the shops at The MarketPlace, Crescent Park is an inclusive children’s playground providing recreational opportunities for children with varying abilities on state-of-the-art playground equipment. Age appropriate areas separate older from younger children who can play side-by-side in the dedicated areas. There is no restroom since this park is part of a residential development, but there is a Harris Teeter grocery store nearby that does have public restrooms.
Special features include:
- Rubber surfacing allows wheelchairs to roll easily
- Ramps to play equipment
- A rumble and roll zip slide
- Giant wave climber,
- Sensory opportunies include a beat drum
- A crow’s nest with telescope
Crescent Park Playground at Madison Crescent
Warrenton
Claude Moore Fun For All Playground
Warrenton Aquatic and Recreation Facility (WARF) 800 Waterloo Rd Warrenton VA 20186 (540) 349-2520
Information: Claude Moore is a similar concept to Clemyjontri, but on a smaller scale. There are plenty of shaded areas to watch the children play. The park overlooks a lake and trails. Bring a picnic and sit at one of many picnic tables or head down the street to Foster’s Grille which also offers both indoor and patio seating. There is a portable toilet next to the playground, but ones inside the recreation and aquatic center are better with a low sink and changing station.
Special features include:
- Smooth surface for wheelchair users that is a bouncy rubber for cushioning falls
- Ramps to play equipment
- Low platforms for those using wheelchairs can lift themselves out of them onto playground equipment
- A harness swing for children with special needs and one bucket swing for toddlers
- Sound-play components with drums, crank gears, steer wheels, and play tic-tac-toe
- Sensory components include Braille panels, interesting textures or fragrances.
- Four person teeter totter has high backs for children needing more support
Claude Moore Playground in Warrenton
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