Utah City Takes Play to New Heights

“Play and movement are essential to the way we’re shaping life at Utah City. We approach our public spaces with the same thoughtful design principles as our streets, homes, and parks, ensuring they enrich the rhythm of community life. We believe good design is essential to bringing joy to day-to-day life and this new play area is designed to do exactly that.”

Utah City’s new active playground features a unique first-in-Utah balloon-inspired structure designed by Berliner Seilfabrik Play Equipment Corporation, an award-winning international play equipment manufacturer known for its unique and sculptural approach to play. This is the first Berliner structure in the United States with the ability to light up, casting an inviting glow across the shores of Utah Lake, and will serve as both a landmark and hub for community activity along The Greenline in Utah City. Reaching nearly 35 feet in the air, the view from inside the balloon is spectacular. The high-performance perforated textile exterior creates a shaded play environment while also allowing natural light into the structure for evenings and darker seasons.

The Utah City active playground under construction, opening to the public in spring 2026.

In addition to the iconic balloon, or Lunia, the active play area will include ropes course features, a large embankment slide, and a variety of climbing components to round out the play area, paired with a splash pad to provide cooling relief during summer months. Together, the play space offers an environment where families can gather, children of all abilities can explore, and the design of Utah City comes to life through outdoor play.

“Play has changed dramatically from what many of us had growing up,” says Rhetta McIff, Territory Sales Manager for Berliner Play Equipment, who helped design and build the playground.  “Kids of all ages are looking for imaginative play that is challenging and exciting, and this structure is all of that and more.” Playgrounds such as these provide the opportunity to engage the full body, a necessary experience for children who are learning how to build important skills such as balance and strength, while also building the confidence kids need to tackle life beyond the playground.

Q: What is the history of Berliner?

A:Berliner has been in business for 160 years from manufacturing elevator cables to rope-based play structures in Berlin, Germany. The quality of the ropes gained a worldwide reputation, which led to the company’s first climbing structure and rope play equipment over 50 years ago. Today, Berliner Seilfabrik is an international play equipment manufacturer, designing and creating innovative playgrounds across the globe.

Q: Why is the Utah City Lunia ballon iconic?

A: Utah City’s balloon is only the third Lunia in the world, and the first that has ever been fully lit up for the whole playground structure to glow.

Q: What makes the rest of the playground unique?

A: The German-engineered design highlights the balloon structure without taking away from the beautiful design of the playground. When you’re on site, you see no cables or wires and the LED lights are integrated seamlessly to create a beautiful glow across the valley. The ropes course and slide give kids the joy of playing on multiple elevations, and the open nature of rope-based equipment allows kids to see and communicate across the playground without visual barriers.

Q: Will you speak to the all-abilities design?

A: With the balloon as the centerpiece, we made sure there are multiple unique access points to get into the balloon for users of all skills and abilities with ladders, nets, and bridges. We also made sure the ropes course allows children to explore at their comfort level, creating spaces where they can hang out, play tag, and enjoy the perennial game of lava. Every child will be able to find a new favorite place and way to play in this design.

Q: Explain rope play and its benefits?

A: Rope-based play is dynamic and interactive and lets kids really explore how their body moves in space, engaging their upper and lower body and core muscles. It’s a physical type of play and opens room for imaginative play, problem solving, and exploring risk and challenging experiences. Rope is also a tactile experience, and children enjoy how rope moves and vibrates with each interaction.

Q: What is the recommended age for the active play area?

A: It’s designated as a 5 to 12 playground but don’t let that stop you from exploring, too!