Rumson Borough said the nautical theme of the upgraded Victory Park is a natural fit, given its location overlooking the Navesink River. EMILY SCHOPFER
By Emily Schopfer
RUMSON – The borough held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony July 8 for the new and improved Victory Park Playground. The playground holds true to the nautical theme historically associated with Victory Park but features more accessible play options and a new pirate ship playground overlooking the Navesink River.
The Victory Park Playground Replacement Project took about three months to complete, breaking ground around mid-April. The project was funded entirely through the private donations of Rumson residents Justin and Victoria Gmelich, so final costs have not been made public.
“The most exciting element of the new playground is the range of new experiences the playground provides,” said Eric Paone-Hurd, Rumson deputy municipal clerk. “The pirate ship serves as a centerpiece, while the playground also includes swings, slides, interactive ground-level activities and imaginative play elements. Details such as the ‘S.S. Rumson’ and ‘Teddy’s Bait & Tackle’ signage give the playground a distinct local identity.”
An important element of the new design is that it offers all children, regardless of age or ability levels, the opportunity to play, Paone-Hurd said. The new playground offers the classics such as slides and swings, but also interactive and sensory elements and more supportive swing options and equipment to cater to different ages, abilities, and comfort levels, he said.
When demolition of the 2004 structure began in April, Paone-Hurd said the existing wooden playground was showing “significant signs of age.” While the Department of Public Works made repairs over the years, parts of the aging structure needed total replacement, he said. “It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the structure safely and effectively.”
When the opportunity to replace the playground presented itself, “it was important to not simply recreate what had been there before, but to develop a more thoughtful and inclusive space that reflects our vision for family recreation,” Paone-Hurd said. The new playground is made largely of powder-coated metal, with some plastic paneling and play elements. The metal and plastic are designed to better withstand weathering and aging than the previous wood.
While the borough did not characterize the old structure as dangerous, it was determined that a total replacement was a better long-term investment, according to Paone-Hurd. “It had reached a point in its lifespan where replacement was appropriate to align with the other work completed at Victory Park over the past few years,” he said.
Other work at Victory Park includes the borough’s 2024 Parks Improvement Project, which consisted of the rehabilitation of all eight tennis and basketball courts at Victory Park and Rogers Park, as well as the tennis courts at Piping Rock Memorial Park. Also at Victory Park, six pickleball courts were permanently striped within the tennis courts. These improvements were funded entirely by the borough’s Capital Reinvestment Program, and were awarded April 8, 2025, to the Freehold-based Precise Construction Inc. Contracts included $233,450 for Victory Park, $182,450 for Piping Rock Memorial, and $225,400 for Rogers Park, for a total project cost of $641,300.
The borough also unveiled a new Continental Soldier statue at the park June 14, honoring America250 and Rumson250. The monument cost $45,000; the remaining elements were funded entirely through donations of time, labor and money, according to the Rumson 250 committee. The statue, created by Colorado-based artist Sutton Betti, is encircled by six bronze plaques designed as pages of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence.
While not the sole driver, accessibility was a major consideration in designing what the new playground would be, Paone-Hurd said. “The project was about more than replacing aging equipment. It was an opportunity to improve safety, expand the variety of play experiences, and create a playground that could better serve children of different ages and abilities for many years.”
This article originally appeared in the July 16-22, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
