City, Tulsa Parks Celebrate Completion of New Inclusive Playground at Bales Park
Sanford & Irene Burnstein Family Foundation’s generous investment helps bring another barrier-free, accessible play feature to Tulsa
The City of Tulsa Parks & Recreation Department is proud to announce the official opening of the new inclusive playground at Bales Park, a state-of-the-art, fully accessible play space designed for children of all abilities to play, explore, and grow together.
Funded through a transformative investment of approximately $750,000 from the Sanford & Irene Burnstein Family Foundation, the new playground marks a major milestone in Tulsa’s commitment to inclusive recreation. It follows the recent opening of the new inclusive playground announced in late 2025 at Hicks Park – a $785,000 investment also made possible from the Sanford & Irene Burnstein Family Foundation. The Foundation also funded the City’s first fully inclusive playground, Hope Playground, which opened at Whiteside Park in 2023, with a gift of more than $1 million.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Sanford & Irene Burnstein Family Foundation for its continued investment in Tulsa’s children and families,” Mayor Monroe Nichols said. “Their commitment to helping bring inclusive playgrounds to Tulsa is sending a powerful message that every child, of every ability, deserves a place to play, grow, and belong.”
Located at 5801 S. Union Ave., Bales Park’s new playground replaces aging equipment with a modern, barrier-free design shaped by accessibility advocates, parents, and inclusive play professionals. Equipment manufacturing was made possible by Landscape Structures, and design and installation were made possible by ACS Playground Adventures.
“This is a major win for District 2 and for families across Tulsa,” District 2 City Councilor Anthony Archie said. “Every child deserves a safe place to play, connect and belong regardless of their ability, and this park provides that space. This builds on the investments we’ve already made at Bales, including new trails and our wheelchair accessible softball field. I’m grateful to the Burnstein Foundation for their continued generosity. Thank you for investing in the west side!”
Bales Park is also now home to the City’s first accessible softball field, which has been striped and painted on the existing parking area. The area can be closed off and used for accessible softball upon request. Additionally, Bike Club, which partners with local schools and Tulsa Parks on youth biking programs and trail building, just completed construction of a new headquarters facility at Bales. The soft-surface trails at Bales and other locations where they have partnered with the City are accessible to adaptive bike riders.
Tulsa Parks Director Anna America highlighted the importance of community involvement and intentional design.
“The opening of this inclusive playground at Bales Park is a powerful example of what’s possible when our community works together,” America said. “We partnered closely with the Accessibility Advisory Committee, the Sanford & Irene Burnstein Family Foundation, our design team, and Tulsa families to ensure this space was intentionally built for children of all abilities – including those who use mobility aids, experience sensory sensitivities, or process the world in different ways. This playground reflects our commitment to creating parks where every child feels welcome, supported, and able to thrive.”
Bales Park’s playground is one of three Burnstein-funded inclusive projects in Tulsa, standing now alongside Hope Playground at Whiteside Park, which opened in 2023, and the new inclusive playground at Hicks Park, which opened late last year.
Mrs. Irene Burnstein, founder of the Sanford & Irene Burnstein Family Foundation, reflected on her family’s longtime commitment to inclusive public play.
“The new inclusive playground at Bales Park represents the continued investment based on my family’s dream for public spaces to be centered on play, connection, and learning – places where children and families of all abilities can come together,” Burnstein said. “The Foundation is honored to be a part of the continued partnership with Mayor Nichols, City Councilors, the Parks Department, community advocates, and ACS Playground Adventures, who helped bring this vision to life at Bales, Hicks, and Whiteside. We’re proud to see these investments open and serving Tulsa families.”
The designs for the inclusive playgrounds at Bales and Hicks Parks were shaped by extensive community feedback, including input from parents, advocates, and children, such as 10-year-old Tulsa resident Poppy Cox, who helped unveil early renderings and champion the project from its earliest stages.
A celebration for Tulsa’s new inclusive playgrounds will be announced soon.
For updates on park projects, programs, and upcoming events, follow @TulsaParks on social media.
