WakeMed’s Play Well Park - Raleigh
By Chelsea Nallenweg
PlayWELL Park at the Poe Center in Raleigh is a unique destination, often described as the world’s first health education playground! Originally built in 2004, this 1.5-acre outdoor learning space welcomes more than 30,000 schoolchildren and families each year, offering outdoor play with hands-on health education.
Recently, the park underwent a $1.6 million renovation that refreshed and reimagined many of its features. The updates include new health-themed playground equipment, vibrant interactive sidewalk art, and improved signage throughout the space to ensure a better experience for all visitors.
Kids of all ages can explore imaginative, body-inspired play structures designed to teach anatomy and wellness in a fun, memorable way. Highlights include a 25-foot-tall DNA helix climbing structure and a 12-foot cell-inspired climber, both designed with interior webbing for climbing. Another new feature is the “Between the Ears” zip line, stretching 41 feet and incorporating playful talk tubes hidden inside giant ear structures, along with a tongue slide that adds to the learning experience.
The updated “body playground” remains a favorite, where children can climb a rib ladder and navigate through the "organs" slide through the heart’s arteries, explore the esophagus, and move through representations of the lungs and stomach. Every part of this playground is designed to make human anatomy fun to learn about through play!
Beyond the outdoor park, the Poe Center also offers an indoor education facility where groups can schedule programs focused on healthy lifestyles, nutrition, and the human body. Together, the indoor and outdoor spaces create a full educational experience that connects movement, imagination, and health. Be sure to check the website hours for both the indoor facility and playground.
PlayWELL Park continues to be a must-visit outing for learning through play, inspiring curiosity and healthy habits in children for years to come in Raleigh.
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