It finally happened: a functioning giant stride has been found on an active playground. Raina Regan, fellow preservationist, found this giant stride in Winamac City Park in Winamac, Indiana.
According to Raina, the park dates to at least 1923, if not earlier. And the giant stride proved to be quite the strain on arm muscles, but many kids were using it. Hooray! Check out these photographs, all taken by Raina.
A giant stride in Winamac City Park, Winamac, IN. Photo courtesy of Raina Regan.
Looking up towards the rotating cap. This is remarkably intact. Photo courtesy of Raina Regan.
Close up of the giant stride ladders (chains and handles). Photo courtesy of Raina Regan.
A beauty. The giant stride. Photo courtesy of Raina Regan.
This giant stride is similar to the 1926 US patent, though as is the case for many, it is not exact. I’d be interested to see if there are identifying marks as to the manufacturing company and what other details can date this apparatus. Obviously, Winamac City Park is now on my list of places to visit in life.
If you come across more in your travels, I’d be delighted to hear about it and to see photographs!
If you love playgrounds, check out the Preservation Nation blog for my intro to the summer playground series.
Preservation in Pink 
I’m surprised that these are still around given our litigious society. Nice to see something ion a playground that is not plastic.
We had one at my grade school, and even I loved to play on it. One did have to watch out in case someone (boys, no doubt 8-)) gave one chain a giant push so it would go round and round the pole…you didn’t want you head there then.
It was there when I started school…1946…and gone before I finished 8th grade I think…1954-55. What fun we had playing there!
Thank you ever so much for finding this….as soon as spring comes, I am off to Winamac!!!!
We had a Giant Stride at our school in Cimarron NM in the 50’s. Instead of lines with ladder hand holds, it had a big metal ring that encircled the pole like a giant hoop skirt. We’d run holding on to the circle, then lift our legs off the ground, and pull our friends on the other side of the ring, high into the air. We’d purposely take turns weighting one side with kids, and leaving the other side lighter, so someone got to fly through the air.