HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — Harrisonburg City officials cut the ribbon the newly renovated Kids Castle Tuesday morning.

Construction officially began in May of 2025 after a special farewell event.

The design of the new playground was based on more than 1,000 pieces of public input and drawings from children in local schools. The new playground includes a castle, ADA-appropriate walkways throughout the area, two ziplines, a wooden boardwalk, a tricycle track, multiple slides made of playground structures and natural slopes, play zones designed for age-appropriate play for toddlers through 12-13 years of age, and more.

The replacement of Kids Castle is one of six Harrisonburg Parks & Rec projects selected for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) spending by Harrisonburg City Council.

Harrisonburg Mayor Deana Reed said it started with one council and ended with another council and thanked everyone for continuing to believe in the dream of the playground.

“We grew up here, I grew up here, Dany [Fleming], Monica [Robinson]… this was something that, back in the ’80s, we thought we had something because we had a big ol airplane out there. When I walked through this entrance, it blew my mind. It just opens up into something incredible,” Reed said.

Mayor Reed also thanked Harrisonburg Parks and Rec as well as Harrisonburg City Staff.