AIDAN’S PLACE
1350 SOUTH SEPULVEDA BLVD.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90024
OPENED DECEMBER 5, 2002

After the opening of “Shane’s Inspiration,” our first playground, we received a phone call from Nicole and Charlie Gaffney. Their son Aidan was born on December 5th, 1995, with a rare muscular disorder that left him dependent on both a ventilator and wheelchair.

Prior to the opening of “Shane’s Inspiration,” these parents were never able to give their oldest son one of the simple joys of childhood - the experience of playing with his two brothers in a local neighborhood playground.

After visiting the Universally Accessible Playground in Griffith Park, the Gaffney family was inspired to create a Universally Accessible Playground in their community - “Aidan’s Place” in West Los Angeles.

Here are some of the fantastic features that “Aidan’s Place” offers:

The Airplane: If flying has always been a dream, young pilots and co-pilots will enjoy a fully-accessible cockpit loaded with features. They can communicate with the Control Tower via a talk tube radio and plan their route on the navigation panels. A little turbulence? No problem. Make a speedy exit on the two accessible slides that lead to rubberized surfacing designed for children with mobility challenges.
 

Sand Castle: Many children with physical disabilities are denied the age-old tradition of digging in the sand because their wheelchairs can’t negotiate most sand play areas. Our Sand Castle is located a foot above the sand and features wide walkways throughout, allowing children of all abilities to scoop, build, and discover at elevated sand tables.  

Water Play: Cool down on a hot day! Spray coming from two misters, which are connected to the play equipment, offers hours of fun and a great way to beat the heat at the playground. Water offers a wonderful sensory experience for all children but is denied to many children with disabilities. This fully-accessible wet world is by far one of the most popular features at our second playground.

“Aidan’s Place” was the second collaboration with Boundless Playgrounds National Resource Center and was made possible by the vision and efforts of the Gaffney Family and our friends: Los Angeles City Council; City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks; Valley Crest Landscape; Melendrez, Babalas & Associates; and Landscape Structures; among many other generous supporters.