Dragon Garden, Playground in the 19th arrondissement, Paris, France
The Jardin du Dragon is a playground within Parc de la Villette in Paris's 19th arrondissement, built around a large metal dragon painted in blue, pink, and yellow. Around the dragon, there are swings, climbing frames, slides, areas for toddlers, and sections adapted for children with reduced mobility.
A first version of the dragon was built in the 1970s from wood and metal, and it quickly became known for its long slide. In 1998, artist Ursula Kurz designed a new, safer version, which closed for renovation in 2007 and reopened in its current form in 2015.
The Jardin du Dragon is a meeting point for families from the 19th arrondissement, especially after school and on weekends. The colorful structures invite children to play together, climb, and imagine their own adventures.
The playground is free to enter and sits inside Parc de la Villette, where wide paths make it easy to navigate with a stroller. Benches for parents, drinking water, and restrooms are nearby, and coming early on sunny days is a good idea to avoid crowds.
The tunnel slide inside the dragon's mouth is 11 meters (about 36 feet) long, making it one of the longest in any Parisian park. That slide was already the most popular feature in the original 1970s structure and stayed so through every redesign.
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