Fairmount Park in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse

Photographed By Russell Galen, April 6, 2019

1. Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse Marker

Inscription. Built with a gift from Richard and Sarah Smith “for the recreation of the young,” it opened in 1899 as a private park on public land, free and open to all. Created at the advent of the American Playground Movement, it is one of the first play spaces in the US.

Erected 2017.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1899.

Location. 39° 58.93′ N, 75° 11.703′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Fairmount Park. Marker is on Reservoir Drive, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3500 Reservoir Dr, Philadelphia PA 19121, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ulysses S. Grant Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Playing Angels / Sleeping Woman (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sleeping Woman (approx. ¼ mile away); Mount Pleasant (approx. ¼ mile away); A Pirate's Plantation / Beer, Milk, Autos, Museum (approx. ¼ mile away); Cowboy (approx. 0.3 miles away); Rockland (approx. 0.3 miles away); Strawberry Mansion (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.

Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 6, 2019, by Russell Galen of Lambertville, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 177 times since then and 15 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on April 6, 2019, by Russell Galen of Lambertville, New Jersey. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.