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Smith Memorial Playground In Fairmount Park Celebrates Its 113th Birthday

By Hadas Kuznits

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A Fairmount Park playground celebrates a birthday.

Smith Memorial Playground at 33rd and Oxford Streets celebrates its 113th birthday.

"We opened to the public in July of 1899 and we have been open all that time welcoming children and families to come and play," says playground executive director Meg Wise, who points out a unique feature at the park.

"One thing is our 106-year-old Ann Newman giant wooden slide; it's a huge wooden slide that is waxed. Kids go down it on burlap sacks. It is the funnest thing in the world!"

Wise says the park is free and handicap accessible.

"The playground was designed for kids 10 and younger."

And she says having been around for 113 years, there's a lot to celebrate.

"It can get pretty busy. We have almost 150,000 visitors every year."

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