TOM LEE PARK PLAYGROUND NAMED ONE OF 11 MOST UNIQUE PLAYGROUNDS THE U.S.

The Life on the River playground in Tom Lee Park on the Mississippi River in Downtown Memphis has been named one of the 11 Most Unique Playgrounds in the U.S. by Mental Floss.

The 23,000-square-foot playground features a playscape inspired by the Mississippi River. It includes six colossal river creatures, like otter slides, a caterpillar to crawl through and a sturgeon-themed play structure. Signs at the playground provide educational information about the river animals, letting parkgoers know they can slide on the otters the way playful river otters slide down the riverbank, and the endangered Pallid Sturgeon can grow up to six feet long — yikes! The playground, which was designed by Monstrum in collaboration with SCAPE, encourages kids of all ages to climb, run, jump, balance, slide and more in an immersive experience that connects Memphians and visitors with the life of the most storied river in the U.S.

The playground opened with the rest of the all-new, $61 million Tom Lee Park over Labor Day weekend in 2023. Since then more than 400,000 people from across the country and around the world have visited Tom Lee Park.

This is just the latest significant media coverage for the Memphis riverfront this month alone. The London Times included Tom Lee Park among the must-do activities during 48 hours in Memphis in its article This is America’s Most Fun City Right Now — Here’s Why.