Maybe you’ve never stopped to wonder where all those old, worn-out playground animals end up after they’ve had their fun. But as it turns out, there is a home for the playground animals we used to play around on as kids, and it’s in Queens.

Six animal sculptures from playgrounds across the city have been retired and moved to Flushing Meadows Corona Park to a new home adjacent to the Unisphere, the “Home for Retired Playground Animals.”

NYC Parks even hosted a retirement party for them.

“At NYC Parks, our civil servants take many forms: not only park workers, but also the beloved concrete animals children have been playing on for decades in our playgrounds across the city,” said Sue Donoghue, commissioner of NYC Parks.

Hailing from all across the city, the animal sculptures have served kids in playgrounds for decades and include:

• One aardvark
• One camel
• One frog
• One elephant
• Two dolphins

Alongside the retired playground animals, benches have been installed to add to the contemplative nature of the area as well as a new accessible pathway. Additional trees, shrubs, and landscaping elements will also be planted.

“We’re so excited to unveil this new contemplative space in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, as we send some of our hardest-working employees into retirement in style. We hope that despite their retirement, they will continue to inspire imagination and creativity in parkgoers into the future,” added Donoghue.

The post NYC’s Retired Playground Animals Now Have A Home In Queens appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here