NEW YORK (PIX11) — Central Park’s Chess and Checkers House has reopened after an extensive makeover, officials said.
The Central Park Conservancy spearheaded the remodel and added handicap-accessible ramps, water fountains, and public bathrooms to transform the space, which was last renovated almost 40 years ago, according to the organization. The Chess and Checkers House was built in 1952 in the Children’s District.
The Conservancy also rebuilt the Kinderberg structure, a summer house that was built in the Park in 1866, using black locust wood designed for more airflow, the organization said.
“We referenced photos from the 1800s, when the Park was first built, and from the 1950s when Chess & Checkers House was new,” said Harriet Provine, a project manager at the Conservancy. “These historic sources are vital to our work… Our designers can balance these original elements with modern functionality.”
