Final Days Near for Cranberry’s Playtime Palace

The end of Playtime Palace is near.

April 20 through April 22 marks the end of Cranberry Township's beloved wooded playground at Community Park.  

Disassembly of the 22-year-old play structure will take place that weekend along with 5K and 1-mile races to support t a statement from the township said.  

Organizers of the project are inviting everyone who has ever used Playtime Palace to join in the Kids Castle races starting at 9:05 a.m. Saturday, April 20.

Groundbreaking for the new playground and the unveiling of its 'TODAY' section— the community-build portion of the playground with designs based on drawings by 3,500 local students—will take place at 8:55 a.m.

Registration for the race is available on site at 8 a.m. or online at www.CTCChest.org at any time. Runners and walkers are welcome to sign up for both the 5K and 1-mile events.  

Those who have preregistered can pick up their race packages Thursday, April 18 and Friday, April 19.

Formal groundbreaking for the new playground will take place at 8:55 a.m. The disassembly of Playtime Palace will begin Monday, April 22.  

Sixty Westinghouse employees have indicated they will volunteer to help with the work. The following day, about 30 Alcoa employees have volunteered to finish dismantling the structure.  

As much as 70 percent of the wood from Playtime Palace will be pressure washed and re-stained by volunteers. Altogether, more than 5,000 residents and business employees will be involved in building the new playground.

April and May also will be the project's final push for donations. Although commitments of $310,000 are already in hand, another $180,000 is needed to complete the project.  

The decision on whether the playground will be completed as designed with the funds available will be made at end of May.  

Land grading and pathways will go forward in either case, but the purchase of play equipment and park furnishings will be determined by the outcome of fundraising.

The History of Playtime Palace

In 1988, the Cranberry Women's Club decided to make Cranberry a better place by building a signature playground—Playtime Palace.  

Work began with design meetings held in the elementary schools to determine the features that it would incorporate. By 1990, the focus shifted to raising $35,000 for the project. No labor costs were included.

Instead, that expense was saved by using volunteer manpower from the community. More than 800 people labored in shifts over 3 days. Ten foremen from five local companies lent expert assistance while Leathers and Associates provided direction.

On September 30, 1990, Playtime Palace opened for play. Formal dedication took place on Community Day, July 4, 1991.

Do you have a memory of Playtime Palace you'd like to share? Are you excited for the new playground? Tell us in the comment section below.

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