Kids Castle at Purcell Park reopened on September 1, 2026, after being fenced off since May 2025. I stopped by to see it for myself. Here’s what’s there now and what it took to build it.
The approach from the park trail. The boardwalk winds up to the castle gate.
The city’s design rendering, shared with the public before construction started. Compare it to the photos below. Image: City of Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation.
Out with the old castle
The original Kids Castle was a wooden play structure built by community volunteers in the 1990s. After roughly three decades of weather and flooding damage, the city chose to replace it. The playground closed in May 2025 and construction ran through the winter.
What’s new
According to the city and the contractor, the new Kids Castle includes:
- A castle entry gate and raised wooden boardwalks with handrails
- Slides, including a spiral slide inside a castle tower
- Zip lines, swings, and climbing nets
- A tricycle track
- A separate play space designed for ages 6 months to 2 years
- Shade structures over parts of the play area
Coming in from the park trail, across the boardwalk and up to the castle gate. Filmed in September 2026.
The city says about 80% of the playground is accessible, with ADA-accessible walkways throughout. The design pulled from more than 1,000 pieces of public input collected during planning.
The contractor, Harman Construction, built it with Robinia, a hardwood chosen for its natural resistance to rot and insects, on a caged footing system with built-in drainage. That is a direct answer to what wore out the first castle.
What it cost and who paid
In December 2022, Harrisonburg City Council approved $2.65 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the replacement. The full project was estimated at about $3.175 million.
Where it is
Kids Castle is in Purcell Park, off Crawford Avenue. The boardwalk connects to the park’s paved trail, which runs right up to the gate.
Why a playground shows up on a real estate blog
Public investment is part of what shapes a city. A $3 million park project is the kind of thing worth knowing about whether you live around the corner or across town, the same way it’s worth knowing what’s going up on a commercial lot. I also wrote about the construction next to LongHorn Steakhouse on Burgess Road. This is the other side of the same question: what is Harrisonburg building right now?
Sources
City of Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation, Harrisonburg City Council’s December 2022 ARPA allocation, reporting from WHSV and the Daily News-Record, and Harman Construction’s project update. Photos and video are mine, taken in September 2026.
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