A new era of play arrived on the Esplanade at the Charles River Reservation on Tuesday, Aug. 19, when four-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski, in partnership with the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation (GNYF), the Esplanade Association (EA), and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), unveiled the fully ADA-accessible Gronk Playground.
First announced in 2021, the nearly $2 million project transforms the historic Charlesbank Playground site into a state-of-the-art destination for inclusive recreation. With support from the state, the playground was named to honor Gronkowski’s impact on and off the field as a youth fitness advocate.
To mark this milestone on the park, the partners organized a celebration with Gronkowski, his family, Robert Kraft, former Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi, as well as Gov. Maura Healey, DCR Commissioner Nicole LaChapelle, EA Executive Director Jen Mergel, and other state and local officials. Special guests included youth and families from the Make-a-Wish Foundation, Hill House, and local community centers.
Gronkowski arrived aboard a duck boat from Boston Duck Tours and led a group of kids from Make-A-Wish and Hill House through finish-line tape, football in hand, capped off with his signature Gronk spike to officially open the playground.
“Opening this playground is a way for my family, and I to give back to the city and people who supported me throughout my career in New England,” said Gronkowski. “We’re honored to help create something that brings joy and gets kids moving. I remember looking out at the old Charlesbank Playground from my hospital room while recovering from surgery, and I always thought that spot deserved something amazing. Now kids from all over Boston can play, run, laugh, and maybe even do their own touchdown spikes. It doesn’t get better than that.”
Gronkowski reflected during his remarks on the deep personal meaning that the Gronk Playground holds for him.
In 2013, while recovering from injuries at Massachusetts General Hospital, he looked down from his hospital room at this very spot and imagined how special it would be to one day transform it into a world-class playground for kids.
Years later, Gronkowski called Susan Hurley with the idea, and she found the perfect location right where he had once stood looking out the window. In a full-circle moment, Susan, who has been courageously battling cancer since 2022, recently returned seven times since the end of this May to that same hospital floor, this time watching the playground take shape before her eyes.
At the opening, Gronkowski honored Robert Kraft and Hurley with dedicated elm trees inside the playground. Hurley’s tree bears a plaque that reads: “Her vision, heart, and grit helped build this joyful place.”
Reflecting on the journey, Hurley said, “When you think about how life comes full circle, for me to be on the same floor as Rob, there has never been a challenge we haven’t met.”
Gronkowski added, “You are so strong, and I hope every kid who plays here takes your attitude with them, when they go through things that are hard or tough, to always remember that getting to the other side is so important. You got us to the other side with this playground.”
Designed by Shadley Associates Landscape Architects, constructed by O’Brien & Sons, and project managed by DCR the new playground emphasizes physical fitness, creativity, and local pride all with a distinctively Boston and Gronk twist, including mini duck boats and scaled-down Boston landmarks, including the Marathon Route and the Zakim Bridge; a football slide for the ultimate ‘Gronk Spike’; a life-size Gronk figure for high-fives and height checks; inspirational quotes from Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Jayson Tatum, Aly Raisman, and David Pastrnak, among others; and a 40-yard dash area, where kids can try to beat Gronkowski’s time of 4.68 seconds.
This project was funded with nearly $2 million in support from the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation, with additional contributions from the EA and DCR.
“Massachusetts is a leader in so many ways, from Super Bowls wins to ensuring our communities have access to outdoor recreation at parks and playgrounds,” said Gov. Healey. “Rob Gronkowski has brought joy to so many New Englanders, and with this project, he is continuing to spread that joy and promote a fun, healthy and active lifestyle for kids of all abilities. I want to thank the DCR staff who brought this project to life, as well as Gronk Nation Youth Foundation and the Esplanade Association for their generosity and partnership to make this one-of-a-kind playground possible.”
Beyond DCR’s design and construction and EA’s ongoing maintenance, the joy of Gronk Playground would not be possible without Rob Gronkowski, the Gronkowski Family, Susan Hurley of CharityTeams, the Gronk Nation Youth Foundation Team, State Sen. Sal DiDomenico and State Rep. Jay Livingstone who led legislation on naming, the City of Boston, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the children and families that bring the park to life every day.
“Just as Gronk modeled on the field, this playground was realized with dedicated teamwork and a commitment to share inspiration, joy and a passion for play for the next generation. EA was thrilled to connect Gronk to the Esplanade to realize this playground, and cannot wait to expand access to this amazing destination with all of the welcome and wellness amenities of Charlesbank,” said Mergel, James & Audrey Foster Executive Director of the Esplanade Association.
The Gronk Playground carries forward the storied history of the Charlesbank area, the oldest part of the Esplanade, as a hub for community wellness. Originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1880s as the first free public park gymnasia in all of North America, the riverfront location Olmsted called “Charlesbank” is not only innovative for supporting public health for all ages and backgrounds but strategically located. Sited steps from multiple neighborhoods and marquee medical, pro sports and educational and public transit destinations, and adjacent to Alfond Spray Deck, Teddy Ebersol’s Red Sox Fields, and the upcoming Smith Family Pavilion at Charlesbank (open summer 2026)–the Playground’s central location ensures expanded year-round access for families across Boston and beyond.