BALTIMORE — A new playground at the historic Leon Day Park in West Baltimore officially opened Friday, bringing both modern recreation and a tribute to Negro League Hall of Famer Leon Day to the community.
The City of Baltimore and Recreation and Parks held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the one-of-a-kind playground, which is part of Baltimore City's Rec Rollout initiative launched in 2022. The initiative prioritizes safe and accessible recreational amenities throughout the city.
New playground opens at Leon Day Park in West Baltimore
"This is a great investment in our young people. I know that there have been some challenges in our community but here is an opportunity for improvement and its a demonstration of the commitment of our city recreation and parks, the mayors office, our state delegation as well as our city council," Baltimore City Councilman John Bullock said.
The playground pays homage to Day, who called Baltimore home. Mayor Brandon Scott emphasized the educational aspect of the new facility.
"When our young people come here to play to enjoy this world class playground not just now but for years to come they will continue to learn Leon Day's name and help us keep his legacy alive," Scott said.
The playground was designed with input from the local community, adding a personal touch to the park while highlighting its athletic theme. The space is used throughout the year for baseball and football.
"They are the ones that are going to use it. We have to make sure that what they want is here so they will actually come, if you build it with our young people, with the folks that are actually going to use it, then they will not only just come, they will respect it because they feel like it has a deeper value to them," Scott said.
While the new playground represents significant progress, park founder Louis C. Fields says more work remains to be done. He expressed pride in the investment from the city and state while looking forward to continued improvements.
"We're seeing the revitalization of a community park that is a safe haven for the community right here in the Rosemount community probably one of the best athletic places for our children to come and be safe," Fields said.
Leon Day Park will receive additional renovations, including updates to its indoor facilities as well as the baseball and football fields.
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