Frederick Douglass Playground

Frederick Douglass Playground is a neighborhood park on the Upper West Side named for the great abolitionist, orator, and statesman Frederick Douglass, who escaped slavery to become one of the most influential Americans of the 19th century.

The playground serves the Manhattan Valley neighborhood, a diverse residential area between the Upper West Side and Harlem that has experienced significant change in recent decades while maintaining its multicultural character.

Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue above 110th Street) runs through Central Harlem and bears the name of the man who proved through his own extraordinary life that enslaved people were the intellectual equals of their oppressors.

The playground features modern play equipment, spray showers, basketball courts, and seating areas serving the families of the surrounding neighborhood.

Frederick Douglass Playground honors one of the most important figures in American history in a neighborhood where the legacy of the abolitionist movement and the ongoing struggle for equality remain living concerns.