READY FOR ACTION: The playground replacement at Smoyer Park has brand new equipment and a shade canopy. (Photo courtesy of the Municipality of Princeton)

By Anne Levin

The playground at Smoyer Park, the 38-acre expanse on Snowden Lane near Herrontown Road, is complete. Now open to the public, the refurbished space replaces a previous playground and includes new equipment, a new shade canopy, and brand new poured-in-place rubber surfacing to increase accessibility.

“It was time for an upgrade,” said Evan Moorhead, who heads Princeton’s Recreation Department. “The park was opened in 2001, and the playground was original to that construction. We were fortunate in that we had some grant money available that offset some of the cost.”

The project was funded by two grants: leftover money from the Mercer County 2024 Mercer-At-Play for All Grant, and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Local Recreational Improvement 2024 Grant.

Smoyer Park was named after Princeton resident Barbara Smoyer, who was the first woman elected to the former Princeton Township Committee (1972-1975), and who was an advocate for local recreational facilities. The site was donated by her family.

According to the municipal website, the land was farmed and the stone structures near the Herrontown Road entrance were built by the farm owners, John A. C. “Jac” and Cornelia Murray Weller, who also planted many of the oak and hard maple trees. The Wellers had a real estate and insurance business in Princeton.

Smoyer Park also has athletic fields, picnic benches overlooking Smoyer Pond, and a Community Garden where Princeton residents can rent a plot.

The path that runs through the park is fully paved and offers views of trees, water, and wildlife. It is connected to other open space properties including Van Dyke Wight Woods, Gulick Preserve, and Herrontown Woods.

“It’s a location most people have to drive to, so it’s not that walkable,” said Moorhead. “But with the new playground, parents whose older kids might be playing on the fields now have a place where the younger kids have something to do. It has a nice shade canopy, and it’s also shielded from foul balls.”

A ribbon cutting will be scheduled later this month, at a date to be determined.

“But the new playground is officially open,” said Moorhead. “It’s in a beautiful setting. People should definitely come and check it out.”

To request use of the athletic fields or to reserve the picnic area, contact the Recreation Department at princetonnj.gov/420/Recreation.