The new playground at Himmel Park is now open.
The makeover includes new equipment and shade. Glorious shade.
Don't panic. As promised, that crazy steep metal slide everybody loves still stands.
The midtown playground near Tucson Boulevard and Speedway — on the west side of the park — had been closed since June 6.
The new playground cost $272,000 and was funded by the city's Impact Fees.
Himmel had been on the list to receive this money for years, says Sierra Boyer, community promotions and marketing manager for Tucson Parks and Recreation.
The climbing wall at Himmel Park's new playground.
The makeover was long overdue, since the playground has been there since the 70's.
The new digs include shade, a play structure for children ages 2-5, a play structure for children ages 5-12, new benches, picnic tables and drinking fountains.
The structure for older kids has a tree house vibe to it and includes cool features like climbing walls, a plank bridge, slides and a snake pole to name a few.
This part of the Himmel Park playground is specifically designed for little kids ages 2 to 5.
The younger kids have a wave slide, stone climber, an animal crawl-through and an abacus panel, among other things.
The playground near the library is unchanged.
