Magical Bridge Playground at Mitchell Park — Palo Alto

No-transfer equipment, ramps and low-grade walkways; no wood chips or sand; fully fenced with gates

About this adventure

The original Magical Bridge, opened in 2015 in Palo Alto's Mitchell Park, is the inclusive playground that started a Bay Area movement. Magical Bridge playgrounds are built for the one in four people living with a physical, cognitive or sensory disability, and for everyone playing alongside them. Instead of one big structure it is laid out in Play Zones: slide and climb, a tot zone, swing and sway, spin, sensory and music, imagination, fitness, and a Kindness and Conversation circle for quieter moments. Hideaway Huts, wide enough for a wheelchair and tall enough for an adult, give children with autism a calm retreat, and perimeter fencing with gates lets kids roam safely. Swings and other equipment are sized so grown-ups can join in. The Palo Alto playground also hosts the most programming of any Magical Bridge, from costume parties and holiday events to youth-led music sessions and an inclusive tennis program at the neighboring courts (see the playground's calendar).