Jacksonville opened its third new downtown riverfront park in eight months and this one was the most anticipated.
After a ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 5 for the first phase of Riverfront Plaza, children swarmed the rooftop playground where they climbed boulders, went down slides, ascended to the top of pointy wooden towers, crawled through rope tunnels, played on the splash pad and generally scrambled from one activity to the next.
“We frequent downtown all the time and we are thrilled to see more family-friendly activities down here,” said Springfield resident Jane Ward, who brought her 20-month-old son Rowan.
She said her family has been watching the ongoing construction and the end result “honestly is better than my expectations.”
“He’s having the best time,” she said of her son. “Red faced. He’s been running all over the park exploring everything.”
Mayor Donna Deegan noted the city opened St. Johns River Park on the Southbank in April followed by RiversEdge Park, also on the Southbank, in November. Future parks on the Northbank will be the second phase of Riverfront Plaza and Shipyards Park West further down the river.
“This park is more than just green space,” she said. “It’s reclaiming our riverfront as the heart of our city.”
What activities are open at Riverfront Plaza?
The opening of the first phase comprises the playground and splash pad, a great lawn where people can sit with views of the St. Johns River and a bench-lined section of newly-built riverwalk.
City Council member Matt Carlucci said it will be a place where downtown workers can take a break, families can bring their children and residents can “take a quiet respite from their busy lives” and it’s “open to everybody, every day.”
Parkgoer Emma Collot, who drove from the Westside to be part of the opening day, said she appreciated the park has a defined play area for children 2 to 5 years old.
“I really, truly like that the smaller section is kind of separated just enough to keep the littles ones over there,” she said. “It’s really cool.”
Madison Mancuso, 4, climbs up the sloping path to a higher level at the Riverfront Plaza playground on Dec. 5, 2025 in downtown Jacksonville, The park opened on the former site of the Jacksonville Landing.
Where is Riverfront Plaza located?
The address is 2 W. Independent Drive for getting turn-by-turn directions. It’s more commonly known as the former site of the Jacksonville Landing next to the Main Street bridge.
The city bought out the ground lease for the Jacksonville Landing and demolished it while Lenny Curry was mayor. The city then had a design competition that selected Perkins&Will and awarded the construction contract to Haskell.
Construction started in July 2023 days after Deegan took office and she has made funding for a network of downtown riverfront parks a high priority in her budgets.
The wooden towers in the Riverside Plaza playground create their own miniature skyline against the office towers of downtown Jacksonville. The playground opened Dec. 5, 2025 as city leaders celebrated the first phase of Riverside Plaza on the former site of the Jacksonville Landing.
Where can I park while visiting Riverfront Plaza?
Riverfront Plaza doesn’t have onsite parking but downtown has a large amount of on-street parking and parking garages within a few blocks of it.
On-street parking is free after 6 p.m. on weekdays and throughout the weekend. Downtown Vision has an interactive map on its web site that shows where parking is located.
The parking lot on the other side of the Main Street bridge that was used for parking at the Jacksonville Landing isn’t open to the public because it’s part of the area where construction crews are keeping materials and tools.
What are Riverside Plaza’s hours of operation?
The hours for the park will be from sunrise to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
A rope tunnel is one of the ways to get from one tower to the other at Riverfront Plaza, which officially opened Dec. 5, 2025 in downtown Jacksonville. The VyStar Tower is behind the playground’s tower.
Can I bring my dog to the park?
Yes. Riverfront Plaza is pet-friendly. Dogs must be leashed.
Is the cafe open at Riverfront Plaza?
Not yet. The bottom floor of the building with the rooftop playground will have a cafe that could be opening in summer 2026 after the city selects a restaurant operator for it.
Among dining options in downtown, Pizza Dynamo and Pour Taproom are a couple of blocks from the park on Laura Street and open seven days a week.
Parkgoers also can bring their own food for picnics.
Wlliam Lu, 5, spins one of the interactive exhibits in the splash pad at Riverfront Plaza on the park’s official opening day of Dec. 5, 2025.
Will Riverfront Plaza have concerts?
Yes. The great lawn is designed for concerts and other crowd-attracting events. Information about future events will be posted by the city on its social media sites including @jaxparks on X.
The opening of the park coincides with a First Friday event that will bring vendors, food trucks and music to Riverfront Plaza. For First Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 5, the city will offer parking for $5 at the Water Street Garage, 541 Water St., a couple of blocks from Riverfront Plaza.
A newly built section of the Northbank Riverwalk has benches where people can stroll and sit at the edge of the St. Johns River in Riverfront Plaza. The first phase of the new park opened Dec. 5, 2025.
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Can I fish from the riverwalk?
No. Fishing isn’t allowed from the piece of the Northbank Riverwalk in Riverfront Plaza.
Kadeisha Jefferson and Jarvis Jefferson enjoy a family dinner at one of the tables on the great lawn of Riverfront Plaza on Dec. 5, 2025. The park opened to the public.
When will second phase of Riverfront Plaza open?
The target date is by the end of 2027 for phase 2 of Riverfront Place. That phase will include a beer garden and a new ramp connection to the Main Street bridge for people to walk and bicycle to the park from the bridge. Phase 2 also will complete the riverwalk along the length of the park.
The entire budget for building Riverfront Plaza is $78.5 million.
(This story was updated to add photos)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: What to know about using Riverfront Plaza in downtown Jacksonville