How Jamestown Park became a community destination.
In Jamestown, North Carolina, a new universal playground is helping families play together, move together, and gather in a public space designed for people of all ages and abilities.
A better playground can become a better community story.
Jamestown Park shows how a local investment can move beyond construction and become a measurable story of inclusion, activity, access, and community life.
With support from state park grants and local funding, the Town of Jamestown transformed a traditional playground area into a more inclusive destination with a universal playground, accessible fitness equipment, pour-in-place surfacing, yard games, sidewalks, and connections to other park improvements.
- Create a play destination where children of all abilities can play together.
- Support physical, social, and emotional development through inclusive outdoor play.
- Connect the playground to trails, natural play, basketball, shelters, and future park amenities.
- Use National Demonstration Site reports to show how the space serves real families after opening day.
Jamestown is small enough for one park to make a big civic statement.
In a town of roughly 3,700 residents, a park improvement is not just another capital project. It becomes a shared front porch for families, neighbors, schools, caregivers, and visitors.
Jamestown Park’s new playground was planned as part of a broader park refresh, connecting inclusive play with accessible fitness, trails, natural play, sidewalks, shelters, courts, dog park improvements, and future restroom upgrades. That broader context matters because the impact story is not only about what was installed. It is about how a public space helps people belong.
Jamestown is a small Guilford County town where one park can serve as a visible community anchor.
The compact scale makes Jamestown Park an important gathering place for residents and nearby visitors.
Accessibility for Parks funding helped support the inclusive universal playground, accessible fitness, and yard games.
PARTF funding supports additional park improvements, including court, shelter, dog park, natural play, trail, and volleyball work.
Jamestown Park is becoming a destination for inclusive play.
Located in Jamestown, North Carolina, near Greensboro and High Point, Jamestown Park is being refreshed as a more connected, accessible, and welcoming community recreation destination.
The Town of Jamestown used a combination of grant funding and local match support to upgrade the park with a new universal playground, accessible fitness equipment, pour-in-place surfacing, yard games, sidewalk connections, a nature trail, natural play area, basketball court improvements, shelters, and future dog park, volleyball, and restroom improvements.
Jamestown Park improvements are supported by PARTF and Accessibility for Parks grant funding.
The town received $215,205 through PARTF and $500,000 through AFP for park improvements.
The new universal playground opened in 2025 as part of the Jamestown Park upgrades.
The site combines inclusive play, accessible fitness, yard games, surfacing, and sidewalk connections.
Jamestown Park is drawing more people, more often.
From September 2025 through March 2026, Jamestown Park showed major increases in use compared to the same period the previous year.
After the new inclusive playground, nature trail and basketball court opened, the park became more than a neighborhood amenity. It became a destination for families across Jamestown, Greensboro, High Point and beyond.
Visitors are also supporting the town.
Survey data reported that park visitors were also spending time in Jamestown, with dining up 5% and shopping up 2%. That means the park is not only creating play value. It is helping create local economic activity.
Unique visitors rose from 5,900 to 15,300 during the September through March reporting period.
Total visits rose from 8,200 to 28,400, showing families are not just discovering the park. They are coming back.
The week of October 6, 2025 had the most visitors, compared to 960 visits during the same period in 2024.
Visitors did not only go to the park. Reported dining in Jamestown increased by 5%, with shopping also increasing by 2%.
Jamestown Park is attracting visitors from across the region.
Visitor data showed that 52% of park visitors came from High Point, 31% came from Greensboro and 17% were other in-state or out-of-state visitors.
“Our site is becoming an important community destination.”Scott Coakley, Parks & Recreation Director, Town of Jamestown
It is a place where children of all abilities can play together, families can gather, and the park can become part of everyday community life.
Every National Demonstration Site receives reports designed for advocacy.
These reports give park leaders a practical way to connect design decisions, visitor behavior, community conditions, and long-term value.
Initial Impact Report
Prepared before opening, this report helps communities understand who the site may serve, how the project connects to local needs, and what story the investment can begin to tell.
Baseline Outcomes Report
Available after the site opens, this report helps measure early usage patterns, community conditions, health-related context, and estimated impact indicators.
Visitor Outcomes Report
Generated from visitor survey responses, this report captures who is using the space, how they feel about the experience, and how the site supports activity, connection, and satisfaction.
When communities design with research, the data starts talking.
National Demonstration Site reports help communities show how people use outdoor play and recreation destinations after they open.
Physically Active
of visitors report being physically active during their visit.
Plan to Return
of visitors say they plan to come back again.
30+ Minutes
of visitors report being physically active for 30 minutes or more.
Satisfied Visit
of visitors report being satisfied with their experience.
Designed for access, movement, shade, and shared experiences.
Jamestown Park utilized best practice research to keep children active and to create an inclusive space that supports the whole child and the whole community.
Download the National Demonstration Site Network brochure.
Learn how the NDS program helps communities turn evidence-based design into measurable outcomes, national recognition, and stronger impact stories.
Use the brochure to start conversations with park boards, city managers, school leaders, donors, and community partners.
Why become a National Demonstration Site?
Because the best park projects do more than check a box. They become proof points for healthier, more connected communities.
Design with Purpose
Start with research-based best practices for inclusion, physical activity, nature play, playful pathways, or adult outdoor fitness.
Earn Recognition
Position your project as a national model for evidence-based park and playground design.
Gather Insights
Use visitor surveys and community indicators to understand how the space is being used.
Share the Impact
Use reports to support funding, communicate value, and advocate for future investments.
Ready to turn your next park project into a community proof point?
GameTime can help you plan a research-based play or recreation destination, pursue National Demonstration Site recognition, and collect the kind of outcomes data that keeps the story moving long after opening day.
