The Children of Port Angeles dreamed up something special, and on September 11, 2002, their dream a reality. The original Port Angeles Dream Playground was built over five days in September of 2002 by more than two thousand volunteers using tools and equipment loaned by the community. It was one of the largest volunteer projects Clallam County had ever seen. Over $185,000 was raised to pay for the construction with most of the funds coming from local businesses and more than 10,000 individual contributors.
During the summer of 2021, volunteers, donors, and local corporate sponsors joined the Dream Playground Board to replace the aging wooden structures and wood chip ground covering with one of the safest, best designed, and most inclusive playgrounds in the state.
Tragically, the Dream Playground was intentionally burned on December 20, 2023, destroying almost the entire main play structure. The community came together with help from local businesses and the City of Port Angeles, and between donated funds and insurance, we will be able to rebuild in May 2024. Volunteer shifts are now open for the rebuild, May 15 - 18, 2024!
In preparation for the 2021 redesign and rebuilding of the original Dream Playground, the Dream Playground Foundation and the City of Port Angeles sought input from our community's school children on what they wanted. Play By Design designer Laura Sehn used these ideas when developing the plan that ultimately became the new Port Angeles Dream Playground. Below are images from the day her design was revealed, with many of the original artwork hanging on the walls. At the reveal event, Laura said, "We take everything your kids say to heart and really think about what your playground is going to look like. You're not going to see a playground like yours anywhere else in the world." Foundation President Steve Methner said, "I am absolutely delighted by how many of the kids' ideas she was able to actually put in there. I'm sure [the design] will evolve over the next year, but it really is driven by our own kids, which is exciting."