We’d like to hear your memories of Lebanon County’s playgrounds

LebTown reader Nancy Nebiker recently shared a story with us featuring a collection of her drawings and reminiscences of childhood at Lebanon city’s playgrounds, and it got us thinking. We should collect memories of Lebanon County’s playgrounds from our readers.

“Southwest playground was a fun time for me when I was young,” said Nebiker of the city’s Southwest playground at 12th and Walnut streets.

Southwest playground may no longer be around, but nearby the city’s Optimist Memorial Park Southwest carries on.

Like many in Lebanon County, Optimist park has gone through evolutions over the years. Most recently, the city has floated the idea of a splash pad at the park.

If your LebTown publisher had artistic skill, his story would feature the wooden “castle” playground that once stood at Optimist. The playground entertained children for two dozen years, from 1993 to 2017.

Built by the community under the leadership of the Lebanon Area Playground Committee and using ideas sourced from county children, the playground was designed by the Leathers architectural firm. Joni Kantor and the late Anita Winer were volunteer co-chairs of the project.

For many county millennials, the castle at Optimist represents a platonic ideal of a playground. (Plastic may not give splinters, but it can lack charm and whimsy, too.)

For older Lebanon Countians, playgrounds may bring back memories of the nightly playground dances of the 1950s-1970s.

Children and grandchildren growing up today will make memories at newer playgrounds, like Max’s Place at Annville Elementary School, and refurbished ones, like the Beautex which was spruced up in 2019.

Lebanon County’s most recent playground addition is Wengert Memorial Park, dedicated in June 2025, which features a traffic garden and dairy-themed facades, fitting for the park named after John E. Wengert, the late dairy farmer and founding chair of the Lebanon Valley Conservancy. (John’s father, Samuel. K. Wengert, founded Wengert’s Dairy.) The project was led by Lebanon Valley Rails to Trails president John B. Wengert, son of John E.

Now it’s your turn

LebTown wants to hear from you. What are you most indelible memories of Lebanon County’s playgrounds? What stories might LebTown want to consider sharing in the future?

Please use the comments feature below so other readers can enjoy your memories. You can also email us at playgrounds@lebtown.com or get in touch using the contact form.