Frederick Douglass Park - Indianapolis, IN

Frederick Douglass Park in Indianapolis, Ind., sits on 80 acres of land and is named for the abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Located in the Martindale-Brightwood community, a former African American neighborhood, the park was known as the city’s first “black park” and has been serving residents since the 1920’s.
In May 2024, the park was renovated to include the Frederick Douglass Park & Family Center. This multimillion-dollar renovation was performed as a part of Mayor Hogsett’s Circle City Forward Initiative, which has invested $45 million into major park redevelopment projects across the city. Part of this renovation also included the construction of a new one-acre playground, thanks to funding from the Lilly Endowment Grant.

The Frederick Douglass Park playground features several new climbing structures, a nature play area, exercise equipment, musical instruments, and Pro-Tech’s Poured-in Place (PIP) Rubber Surfacing. The PIP Rubber Surfacing is a dual-layer, slip-resistant surface that protects against falls.

The top layer features half-inch thick EPDM rubber that is both durable and weather resistant, while the base layer is comprised of SBR buffings that absorb impact to meet ASTM F1292 standards. The thickness of the base layer can also be tailored to meet critical fall height ratings. The result is a surface that provides excellent shock absorption and is safe for children.

The brightly colored PIP Rubber Surfacing features yellow and cooling shades of blue, which play off the colors of the large playground structure. There is artificial grass on small hills with climbing features, including climbing wall rocks. The nature play area has various shaped logs for kids to climb, equipment with spinning features, and a large swing set.

The project team for the Frederick Douglass Park playground was comprised of the design firm Shrewsberry and Associates, landscape architect Cameron Rodman, and several suppliers, including Berliner, Playworld, Percussion Play, Freenotes, Earthscape, and AquaSeal along with Pro-Techs Surfacing.