A class of fourth graders from Rolling Hills Elementary School set their books aside on Tuesday morning and, with their principal and gym teacher, walked the short distance to a newly renovated Orlando park to try out new playground equipment.
“It’s very fun. It’s better than the old equipment,” said 10-year-old Ginna. “The basket swing, which she rode with two friends, was her favorite. “You go round and round and you spin and you go up and down.”
Signal Hill Park, near Pine Hills, is the first of 11 parks that the City of Orlando plans to improve over the next two years by replacing aging playground equipment, updating landscaping and adding more seating and exercise equipment for adults. It will take about two years for all the parks to get an overhaul.
The city typically updates about two parks a year, said Tara Russakov, communications manager for Orlando’s Families, Parks and Recreation Department.
“To have this many in the works is kind of exciting for us,” Russakov said. “It’s exciting to have new stuff and to let families come out and enjoy these spaces.”
The work at Signal Hill took about two months to complete. City officials did not immediately respond to questions about the cost of the project.
The additions include a swing set and two jungle gyms, one for children ages two to five and another for youngsters ages five to 12. The brightly colored blue, yellow and green play structures include slides, monkey bars and climbing ropes.
There is also a new swing set with traditional swings, a basket swing that can fit multiple kids at once and one that looks like a roller coaster seat.
District 3 City of Orlando Commissioner Roger Chapin gets help from Rolling Hills Elementary School fourth-graders cutting the ribbon during the dedication ceremony for the renovation of the playground at Signal Hill Park in Pine Hills, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The renovation is part of the city’s Families, Parks and Recreation Department plan to upgrade 11 parks over the next two years. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)
“This playground is bigger and better!” said Avah, one of the fourth graders who got to give the new space its inaugural test run. School officials did not give permission to print the student’s full names.
The park sits next to the elementary school, so a class of fourth graders was invited to play and join city officials for a ribbon cutting.
The ribbon cutting was hosted by city commissioner Roger Chapin, who took office in January, shortly after construction on the park began.
“It’s nice to see them bring the park up to a top A-quality site for the kids,” Chapin said. “They have a lot of locations planned. I’m just starting to learn that as I’m coming into my new position.”
In addition to the new equipment for the kids, there are new benches and a series of exercise equipment bars for adults to work out on. Each piece of equipment includes a QR code that people can scan with their phones to view an instructional video on how to use it.
Principal Charisse Hurdle said the refurbished park is a great addition to the community.
“It means a lot for our students because often times they need somewhere to go after school to just kind of unwind and mingle with their friends,” she said. “And now they have a safe space to do that, as opposed to just being in the street.”
The other parks slated for renovations are: Cherry Tree Park, Dover Shores Neighborhood Center, Dr. I. Sylvester Hankins Park, East Park Poppy Park, Ivey Lane Park, John H. Jackson Neighbor Center, LeRoy Hoequist Park, Southport Park, , and Willie Mays Park.