Learn More About Us
We are Park Place Recreation Designs, Inc., a commercial-grade park and playground equipment consulting and design firm headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. We have loved serving South Texas and its recreation needs for the past 40 years by providing safe, durable and competitively priced park and playground equipment.
Our History
Our family’s history with play goes all the way back to October 22, 1929 when current PPRD president Bob Ahrens’ grandfather, John W. Ahrens, patented his “Miracle Whirl”, a playground staple commonly known as the merry-go-round. Bob’s dad, also named John, would sell Miracle Whirls across his home state of Iowa directly out of a trailer attached to his truck.
Today our sales department looks a little bit different, but Park Place remains a family-oriented business in more ways than one. Today the company is run by Bob (President) and his wife Marilyn (Vice President). Their son Andy serves as General Manager.
Park Place has grown over the years from a small Miracle sales office to a regional supplier and builder of all things recreation. We offer park and playground equipment products from various manufacturers, featuring products ranging from inclusive play and splashplay, to shade structures and site amenities, to sports equipment and urban fitness installations.
We take pride in assisting with everything you need to create the perfect playground, from playground design and color selection all the way to planning for installation and future expansion. During the design process, you’ll receive top-view, 3-D renderings and CAD drawings to help you visualize your playground in your environment. We offer turn key services from design through installation of your project.
All the designs and products offered safely address children's specific developmental needs and meet or exceed industry standards and guidelines including:
- American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM)
- Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA)
- Compliance with CPSIA 2008 legislation
In addition, Park Place is a TXMAS-approved vendor, a member of the Buyboard, and can provide a "Buy American" certificate for anyone purchasing equipment under the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act.