Background

The Fairfax County Park Authority acquired the property that is now Clemyjontri Park in 2000 through a generous donation from Mrs. Adele Lebowitz. The playground opened to the public in 2006 with a pioneering vision: to create a place where children of different abilities could play side-by-side. Many park partners and stakeholders contributed to an outpouring of support to open and improve the park over the past 20 years, with funders generously supporting maintenance and repairs. Since it opened, the park has become one of Fairfax County’s most popular and recognizable playground destinations, serving children and families from across the region. 

After many years of heavy use, much of the original play equipment has reached or exceeded its anticipated service life. While the Park Authority has continued to maintain the playground and replace individual components as needed, a comprehensive renovation is now necessary to ensure Clemyjontri can continue serving the community's needs for decades to come.

Rather than simply replacing aging equipment in kind, the Park Authority has decided to reimagine the entire playground. A Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) solicited proposals from qualified and experienced landscape architecture teams under the guiding theme, “Where Every Child Can Play.”

Hoerr Schaudt was selected as the landscape architecture firm to lead the design of the revitalized playground.

Project Vision and Goals

The renovation will build upon Clemyjontri Park's original principle of providing a playspace for children of all abilities to connect while expanding that vision to create an even more inclusive, engaging, and multigenerational experience.

The emerging design vision seeks to bring Clemyjontri Playground into its next generation, with play experiences, landscapes and amenities that reflect the diversity of Northern Virginia's people and places.

Key project goals include:

• Preserve and strengthen Clemyjontri’s identity as a place “Where Every Child Can Play.”

• Provide state-of-the-art play opportunities that support children with a wide range of physical, sensory, cognitive and developmental abilities.

• Meet current accessibility standards while looking beyond minimum requirements to create meaningful opportunities for inclusive play.

• Expand opportunities for parents, caregivers, siblings and visitors of different ages and abilities to interact and enjoy the park together.

• Create a diverse range of play experiences that encourage physical activity, exploration, imagination social interaction, and learning.

• Develop a cohesive and holistic park design that considers play equipment, landscape, shade, seating, circulation, accessibility, gathering spaces and supporting amenities together rather than as individual elements.

• Improve pedestrian circulation and connections throughout the playground to make the site easier and more intuitive for visitors to navigate.

• Enhance the landscape and ecological character of the park through thoughtful planting, shade, stormwater considerations and integration with the surrounding environment.

• Create a design that reflects the diversity of Northern Virginia’s communities and establishes Clemyjontri as an iconic playground experience for the next generation.

Project Timeline

Be Part of The Future of Clemyjontri Park

Financial Contributions 

Funding from the 2026 Bond Referendum will support the base design for the reimagined Clemyjontri Park. The project is designed to be scalable, meaning community contributions can help add additional amenities and enhanced features that elevate the play experience for all visitors.

Soon, the Fairfax County Park Foundation will begin accepting donations to help enrich and expand the reimagined Clemyjontri Park. Community support will make it possible to bring added elements to life and further strengthen Clemyjontri’s legacy of inclusive, joyful play.

Public Meeting

The Fairfax County Park Authority invites the community to a public meeting to learn more about the plans for reimagining Clemyjontri Park on Thursday, November 5 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in the ballroom at Twin Lakes Golf Course located at 6201 Union Mill Road in Clifton.

During the meeting, attendees will hear about the initial design vision and ideas being explored for the park and will have an opportunity to help shape the next phase of design through feedback at stations focused on:

• Honoring Clemyjontri’s legacy while shaping its future
• Expanding inclusive play and exploring what inclusion means today
• Drawing design inspiration from Fairfax County’s ecology, culture, history and communities
• Identifying preferred play experiences
• Exploring design park aesthetics, including landscaping, materials, textures and sensory elements
• Ensuring the park can be enjoyed by visitors of all ages together

If you are planning to attend the public meeting on November 5 and need meeting materials available in a language other than English, please contact the Park Authority at parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov by October 22.

Public Comment

In addition to the feedback opportunities at the November 5 public meeting, the Fairfax County Park Authority welcomes community input on the proposed plans for reimagining Clemyjontri Park. Following the meeting, community members may submit comments online using the form below through 5 p.m. on December 7.

Contact

For questions about this project or the upcoming public meeting, please contact the Public Information Office at parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov.