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Cincinnati Parks released the design for a new playground at Sawyer Point that will replace the 1,000 Hands Playground destroyed by fire in 2024. The design features a 10-foot lizard and sock structure, a 36-foot upside-down ice cream cone and a 20-foot slide. The project is estimated to cost at least $2 million and is tentatively planned to open in 2028, depending on fundraising and construction.
Cincinnati’s new playground plans will bring a giant lizard and oversized sock to Sawyer Point.
It will also feature a 36-foot upside-down ice cream cone and a 20-foot slide.
Cincinnati Parks released the latest design Sept. 10 for a new playground at Sawyer Point, nearly two years after a fire destroyed the former 1,000 Hands Playground.
The new design draws on the story of Cincinnati’s Lazarus Lizards, which have become a familiar sight across the region. The playground will use the lizard story as the centerpiece of a custom play space designed for children of different ages and abilities.
The project replaces the playground destroyed in the Nov. 1, 2024, fire beneath the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. The blaze also caused extensive damage to the bridge and disrupted traffic for months.
According to WCPO, the fire was later linked to arson, and Terry Stiles received a prison sentence of more than nine years for aggravated arson connected to the incident. WCPO reported total damage from the fire exceeded $11 million.
Cincinnati playground design centers on Lazarus Lizards
The new Cincinnati playground will tell a distinctly local story through its main climbing structures.
The design features a 10-foot-tall lizard with a large sock draped across it. Children will be able to climb through the structure, with tunnels and an accessible pathway incorporated into the design.
The story behind the design dates to 1951. Cincinnati Parks says 10-year-old George Rau Jr., a member of the Lazarus family, brought several lizards home after a family trip to northern Italy.
Some of the lizards reportedly traveled inside a sock. Rau later released them into the family’s yard in Cincinnati’s Hyde Park neighborhood.
The reptiles survived and adapted to the local environment. They eventually spread throughout the region and became known as Lazarus Lizards.
Cincinnati Parks said the story helped inspire the new playground after community members responded to earlier design concepts. The agency described the project as an opportunity to turn a Cincinnati story into an interactive play experience.
The story also influenced the playground’s other major feature: an enormous ice cream cone.
Cincinnati playground will feature a 36-foot ice cream cone
The Cincinnati playground design includes a 36-foot upside-down ice cream cone that will serve as another major climbing and play structure.
A 20-foot tube slide will extend from the cone. The design also includes representations of spilled ice cream around its base.
Cincinnati Parks Director Jason Barron explained the concept as a fictionalized version of Rau’s story. In the playground’s imagined scene, the child drops the sock, the lizard escapes, and an ice cream cone falls as he tries to catch it. Children then become part of the resulting miniature world.
The playground will include other nature-themed elements around the main structures. WVXU reported that the plans also include replicas of 1951 coins and a swing connected to a giant slingshot.
The concept represents a change from earlier plans.
Cincinnati Parks released preliminary sketches in December 2025 and asked residents to provide feedback. Those concepts included themes involving steamboats, flying pigs and other Cincinnati references.
Nearly 500 people responded to the earlier community survey, according to Cincinnati Parks. Feedback identified local animals, riverfront connections, nature and Cincinnati history among the themes residents wanted considered.
The Lazarus Lizard concept eventually emerged as the design that drew the strongest response.
Cincinnati playground will replace the 1,000 Hands site
The new playground will occupy a different area near the former 1,000 Hands Playground.
WVXU reported that the replacement will be built next to the Sawyer Point sand volleyball court, east of the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. The location is near the site where the previous playground stood.
The 1,000 Hands Playground opened in 2003 and became known for its accessibility. Its destruction left Sawyer Point without one of its major children’s play attractions.
Cincinnati Parks says accessibility remains a priority for the replacement.
The design will include accessible pathways, transfer benches and play elements intended to allow children with mobility devices to participate. Barron told WVXU that the playground will include two ADA slide elements and a tunnel large enough for a mobility device.
That approach is intended to preserve one of the most important characteristics of the former playground while giving Sawyer Point a completely new design.
The project also fits into Cincinnati’s broader efforts to improve its riverfront parks and public spaces.
Cincinnati playground faces a $2 million funding goal
Cincinnati Parks estimates the new playground will cost at least $2 million.
The project will use a combination of public and private funding. The Cincinnati Parks Foundation, the parks department’s philanthropic partner, is leading the fundraising effort.
WVXU reported that the project cost is expected to reach about $2.1 million, with funding coming from city money and donations.
Fundraising will affect the construction schedule. Cincinnati Parks said fabrication and installation cannot begin until the project receives the necessary funding.
The city is working with Midstates Recreation on the project. Cincinnati Parks identified the company as the designer and builder working with Earthscape, which specializes in custom playground structures.
The custom nature of the playground also means construction will take longer than installing standard playground equipment.
According to Cincinnati Parks, fabrication of the custom equipment is expected to take six to eight months after the design is finalized. Construction and installation would follow.
Cincinnati playground is targeted for 2028 opening
The new Cincinnati playground is tentatively scheduled to open in 2028.
Cincinnati Parks said the timeline depends on fundraising, finalizing the design and completing fabrication and installation. The department did not announce a specific opening date.
WCPO and FOX19 also reported that the city expects the playground to open in 2028.
The timeline means families will have to wait several years for the replacement playground to open. The city, however, has continued developing the project since the 2024 fire.
The new playground also adds another attraction to Sawyer Point, which already hosts activities including skating, pickleball, volleyball and riverfront events.
Cincinnati Parks described the site as an opportunity to create a destination for families throughout the region. The agency plans to display images of the new playground and provide fundraising information during Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, which takes place at the site next week.
The project also comes as Cincinnati continues planning and investing in its riverfront.
For Sawyer Point, the next phase is turning the unusual concept into a physical playground.
The final design gives Cincinnati a replacement for a beloved play space while connecting the new attraction to a story that is uniquely associated with the city. If fundraising and fabrication stay on schedule, children could begin exploring the giant lizard, sock and ice cream cone in 2028.
FAQs
What will the new Sawyer Point playground look like?
The playground will feature a 10-foot lizard and sock climbing structure inspired by Cincinnati’s Lazarus Lizard story. It will also include a 36-foot upside-down ice cream cone with a 20-foot slide.
Why is Cincinnati building a new playground at Sawyer Point?
The new playground will replace the 1,000 Hands Playground, which was destroyed by fire on Nov. 1, 2024. The replacement will be built near the former playground site at Sawyer Point.
How much will the new playground cost?
Cincinnati Parks estimates the project will cost at least $2 million. Funding will come from public and private sources, with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation leading fundraising efforts.
When will the new Sawyer Point playground open?
The playground is tentatively planned to open in 2028. The schedule depends on fundraising, final design work, custom equipment fabrication and construction.
