Admiralty Park opens with largest collection of slides in Singapore

- Opening kick-starts weekend-long Parks Festival with activities across five parks

The National Parks Board (NParks) opened Admiralty Park today after two years of re-development. The largest park in the north of the island now features 26 slides, the most number of slides in any park in Singapore. Enhancements have also been made sensitively to the nature area to allow visitors to get closer to nature. 

The 27-ha Admiralty Park is unique as it comprises both a nature area and an urban area in one park. 

Diverse play areas for different age groups  

The playground, located at the 7-ha urban area of the park, capitalises on the undulating terrain to site the three main play areas – Junior Play, Adventure Play and the Family Terracing Play – catering to children of all ages and featuring diverse play equipment that encourage group and multi-generation interactions.

One of the highlights is Singapore’s first family slide, which is wide enough for a family of four to slide down together. Situated within the Junior Play area, it serves to foster family bonding through play. The slides in the Adventure Play Area come with interactive LED lightings that change colour and intensity upon detection of touch or motion, adding a new dimension to the play experience.

Admiralty Park also features an inclusive playground, as part of an initiative announced by NParks in 2015. Inclusive playgrounds provide the physical structure, or ‘hardware’, that supports play between children with and without special needs. To-date, NParks has already installed inclusive playgrounds at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, East Coast Park, Pasir Ris Park and West Coast Park.

Opportunities to get closer to nature

NParks has sensitively enhanced the 20-ha nature area with more native tree species, thereby increasing the species diversity of the secondary forest, mangrove, riverine and open grassland habitats. A mangrove boardwalk and viewing platform have also been sensitively incorporated to allow visitors to be closer to nature, while retaining the tranquillity of the area. The nature area will be open to the public by December 2017. These are complemented with interpretative signage and outdoor classrooms to enable visitors to learn more about the more than 100 species of plants and animals that dwell within the forest.

Public consultation

Improvement works to Admiralty Park are based on the 4000 public suggestions and ideas received following NParks’ “City in a Garden” public engagement effort in 2012. A common thread that emerged was the public’s appreciation of the tranquillity of the park. The respondents also indicated a desire for recreational opportunities for families. Following the park’s closure in October 2015, NParks worked on the redevelopment of the park that took into consideration public feedback for the need to maintain the tranquil greenery, while including more amenities and facilities that allowed for family bonding within the park.

Parks Festival

The opening of Admiralty Park also kick-starts the annual Parks Festival. The Parks Festival this year will feature five parks across the island. Each of the five parks – Admiralty Park, Jurong Central Park, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Esplanade Park and Pasir Ris Park – will feature a signature theme with corresponding activities and programming. For example, Esplanade Park will have arts and culture related activities, Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park will focus on gardening and Jurong Central Park will host the next edition of NParks Concert Series in the Park: Rockestra® featuring a night of Mando & Cantopop hits. Parks Festival hopes to build greater awareness and appreciation of NParks’ programmes and events and also to connect the community with the environment via recreational and entertainment opportunities.