The largest swing set in the U.S. and North America is now open in Philadelphia.
The Skyline Swing, which is made up of 20 swings, opened Saturday and is located at the Anna C. Verna Playground inside FDR Park in South Philadelphia, overlooking marshes and the city skyline. The oval structure measures approximately 100 by 120 feet, according to Maura McCarthy, chief executive officer of the Fairmount Park Conservancy, an independent nonprofit that partnered with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation to bring the mega swing to life.
"The size of the swingscape itself, it's about the size of the Phillies infield, of a Major League Baseball infield -- and that is just one part of this 3-acre Anna C. Verna Playground that's going in," McCarthy told "Good Morning America."
McCarthy said the Skyline Swing is accessible for children and "folks of every age and ability" and features "birdhouses" with slides and a variety of steel swings, including conventional swings, spinners, multi-person swings, swings with backs and tire swings, all built by SPEC Play and imported from from Germany.
"It's a big investment on behalf of the children of Philadelphia because we realized that right now, Philadelphia's kids need these outdoor spaces to be safe, to be filled with nature, to be a place of rest for the whole family," McCarthy said.
The Skyline Swing project is the first phase of a larger plan to transform FDR Park -- South Philadelphia's largest park at 348 acres -- and McCarthy said the project was also in response to some of effects of climate change.
"It's a park that is beloved by many Philadelphians and folks throughout the region, but it's also one that's experiencing a lot of impacts from climate change, mainly flooding. And this plan was created to transform all of FDR Park so that it can function better as a green space, handle all the flooding issues and still support and even increase the ability of folks to use the park for recreation," McCarthy explained.
Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Commissioner Orlando Rendon said in a statement to "GMA" that FDR Park's revitalization will have a "profound" impact on the community around it.
"Great parks have profound impacts on their surrounding communities," Rendon said. "They are more than just green spaces, picnic areas and playing fields. Great parks are places of comfort and safety and community that can transform communities. Throughout Philadelphia, Parks and Rec is investing in the city's parks, playgrounds, pools and rec centers, so that they may all better serve the communities that they call home."
McCarthy said Fairmount Park Conservancy expects the Skyline Swing and other new additions will boost the number of visitors to FDR Park.
"We are expecting probably to continue that 30% year-on-year visitorship increase until we finish the build-out of all the new features," McCarthy said.
"This is going to be the type of destination where we're going to see folks gravitating toward, and that's really going to be an icon for Philadelphia," she added.
