the playground the fire took

A new inclusive playground is opening at Taku Lake Park in south Anchorage, built to let children with a range of physical, sensory, and developmental abilities play together. The project was led by the Anchorage Park Foundation and the Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Department, with community partners joining the effort. It replaces the park's original playground, which burned down in 2014, leaving the site without a playground for twelve years.

For south Anchorage families, the new playground means kids of every ability now have a place to play together at the lake they already visit for the trails and the water. The design brings physical, sensory, and developmental play options into one space so every child can use the same equipment on the same afternoon.

Funding for the project came from several sources. Anchorage voters approved funding, and additional support came from Tote Maritime Alaska, the Reitman Family Charitable Fund, and the Rasmuson Foundation.

The playground arrives at a park that has been steadily rebuilt over the years even without a playground in place. Taku Lake Park has added tennis courts, pickleball courts, a FitLot outdoor fitness area, and a skatepark, and families have continued to use the park throughout that time.