Space Rocket Slide – Glenwood Park

The Game Time Space Rocket slide in the Macomb Park District‘s bucolic Glenwood Park is a rare and historic piece of unique Cold War era playground equipment designed to inspire interest in space exploration.

The rocket holds a special place in history. It’s an icon of technological progress that’s both revered and feared at the same time. During the sixties of the last century, the United States and the Soviet Union was gripped by the space-age fever, and the rocket emerged as the fundamental symbol of the space rivalry. Throughout America, as well as the Eastern bloc, rocket shaped structures began popping up across children playgrounds to foster curiosity and excitement about the space race among kids. Aside from rockets there were other fixture resembling various space-age equipment such as satellites, radar tower, planets and even submarines that kids can climb, swing and slide from.

The “Space Rocket” at Glenwood Park in Macomb, is a nearly three story red rocket that when installed in the 1960s had an attached metal slide. It was decommissioned in 2011 due to potential safety hazards. Although the slide was removed, the rocket part was saved and now serves as a park sculpture and historic piece of artwork.