In June 2019, then-Boston mayor Martin J. Walsh partnered with Sasaki, a local architecture firm, to redesign Boston City Hall Plaza. The renovation aimed to make the space more inviting, adding trees, seating, and a family-friendly playground to a site often derided as one of America’s “ugliest” civic spaces.
Almost immediately after the playground’s 2022 completion, however, the city faced complaints from adults injured on its unusually steep slide. Following a brief investigation, officials determined that because the equipment was clearly labeled for children only, Boston bore no responsibility for adult mishaps.
Then in 2023, the slide shot into national notoriety when a viral video captured a Boston police officer rocketing out of it and tumbling across the playground. Now dubbed the “Cop Slide,” the attraction has become a mix of cautionary tale, viral comedy, and bizarre point of pride—drawing visitors who can’t resist seeing (or trying) it for themselves.
