MacArthur Playground

MacArthur Playground is a small urban space with a history tied to the massive redevelopment of the Turtle Bay waterfront. Before this area was transformed by the construction of the United Nations headquarters and the neighboring United Nations Plaza apartment towers in the 1960s, this site was largely used as a parking lot. The playground was built by private developers at Alcoa Plaza Associates and later donated to the city, officially opening in February 1966. Its name and the adjacent plaza commemorate General Douglas MacArthur, who spent his final years living just a short distance away at the Waldorf Towers.