Hoffman Park

Hoffman Dr. bet. 58 Ave. and Woodhaven Blvd.

Queens

Directions via Google Maps

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

What was here before?
A Quaker meeting house was built on this site in 1722. The meeting house was sold in 1760, serving as a private residence until it was destroyed in a fire in 1844. Another house was built on the site, which passed through several families. By the 1920s, the site was still sparsely populated though additional houses had been built.

How did this site become a park?
Parks acquired this property through condemnation in 1949. A portion of the park was used for the construction of the Long Island Expressway in 1953. This playground, and three others along the Long Island Expressway opened in May 1957.

Hoffman Playground was renovated in 1986 and 2025. The most recent redesign included a multipurpose play area surrounded by a walking and jogging track, an adult fitness area, two basketball courts, ping pong tables, multiple sitting areas, a playground and spray shower, and game tables.

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