About Us

Creating places where childhood memories begin.

Meet the Play People

We can’t wait to meet you.

Our Customers

See what our customers have to say.

Our Projects

Explore a gallery of our projects.
Solutions for Professionals

Enriching lives through the imaginative power of play.

School
Playgrounds

Innovative, safe, enduring playgrounds begin here.

Parks &
Recreation

Recreation products that enhance public spaces.

Design
Professionals

Solutions for engineers, architects and planners.

Early
Childhood

Age-appropriate designs for 6 months to 5 years.

Inclusive
Play

Playground designs for everyone.
Products

We set the standard for quality.

Playground
Products

safety surfacing, aquatic playgrounds, musical play, dog park equipment

Outdoor
Fitness

outdoor fitness equipment for children and adults

Site
Furnishings

site furnishings, solar charging stations, drinking fountains

Pavilions/
Shade
Structures

pavilions, shelters, gazebos, fabric shade structures

Athletic
Equipment

athletic standards, outdoor bleachers, multi-sport fields, and gaga ball pits

New
Products

explore innovative new products and designs
Services

Building joyful spaces for generations.

Consulting
Services

Local expertise when and where you need it.

Design
Services

See through your playground design challenges.

Playground
Installation Services

Don’t chance it – get the job done right.

Community
Build Playgrounds

Let’s build a playground together.
Resources

Play is life changing.

Play
Blog

Read about the latest in play.

Playground
Planning

A systematic approach.

Playground
Design

Links for professionals.

Playground
Grants

Connecting you with funding.

Purchasing
Contracts

Regional, state, and national.

Continuing
Education

Seminars to earn CEUs.

Industry
Resources

Partners & associations.

All
Catalogs

Our products and idea books.
Contact Us

About Us

Creating places where childhood memories begin.

Meet the Play People

We can’t wait to meet you.

Our Customers

See what our customers have to say.

Our Projects

Explore a gallery of our projects.
Solutions for Professionals

Enriching lives through the imaginative power of play.

School
Playgrounds

Innovative, safe, enduring playgrounds begin here.

Parks &
Recreation

Recreation products that enhance public spaces.

Design
Professionals

Solutions for engineers and landscape architects.

Early
Childhood

Age-appropriate designs for 6 months to 5 years.

Inclusive
Play

Playground designs for everyone.
Products

We set the standard for quality.

Playground
Products

safety surfacing, aquatic playgrounds, musical play, dog park equipment

Outdoor
Fitness

outdoor fitness equipment for children and adults

Site
Furnishings

site furnishings, solar charging stations, drinking fountains

Pavilions/
Shade
Structures

pavilions, shelters, gazebos, fabric shade structures

Athletic
Equipment

athletic standards, outdoor bleachers, multi-sport fields, and gaga ball pits

New
Products

explore innovative new products and designs
Services

Building joyful spaces for generations.

Consulting
Services

Local expertise when and where you need it.

Design
Services

See through your playground design challenges.

Playground
Installation
Services

Don’t chance it – get the job done right.

Community
Build
Playgrounds

Let’s build a playground together.
Resources

Play is life changing.

Play
Blog

Read about the latest in play.

Playground
Planning

A systematic approach.

Playground
Design

Links for professionals.

Playground
Grants

Connecting you with funding.

Purchasing
Contracts

Regional, state, and national.

Continuing
Education

Seminars to earn CEUs.

Industry
Resources

Partners & associations.

All
Catalogs

Our products and idea books.
Contact Us

Fabric Shade Structures

A Commercial Shade Structure

Shade is a safety issue. With the growing concern over the health impacts of climate change, people are increasingly seeking shaded areas and sun protection in public gathering places. A perfectly economical solution is a durable and attractive fabric commercial shade structure.

Shade Systems, Inc.

Shade Systems can provide shade and sun protection over playground equipment, bleachers, concession areas, pool decks, parking lots, water parks, and any other outdoor gathering places. Our commercial Cafe Umbrella, large market umbrellas, and offset shade umbrellas are perfect at a resort, pool, restaurant, dining, and hotels. Shade Systems is the leading manufacturer for your next commercial play structure.

SkyWays and CoolToppers by Landscape Structures, Inc.

Designed to meet the demands of both heat and sun, SkyWays™ is the most versatile way to protect people from up to 97 percent of harmful UV rays and keep structures as much as 30 degrees cooler. In addition to the five standard styles of outdoor shade structures, Landscape Structures can create custom fabric shade solutions for any facility.

Poligon Fabric Shade Structures

On the majority of Poligon’s fabric shelters, installation and removal is made easy with Poligon’s optional system. These systems are integrated into the structural frame. With a variety design options as well as custom capabilities, Poligon fabric shade structures can provide endless possibilites for independent shade solutions.

The Value of Fabric Commercial Shade Structures

An outdoor fabric commercial shade structure is more affordable than traditional metal or wood shelters. These structures feature a sturdy hurricane-rated metal frame. The remarkable fabric canopy on our products screens up to 99% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. These shade structures allow children and adults to linger outdoors for extended periods of time safely. Our various manufactures can provide shade and sun protection over playground equipment, bleachers, concession areas, pool decks, parking lots, water parks, and any other outdoor gathering places. Our commercial Cafe Umbrella, large market umbrellas, and offset shade umbrellas are perfect at a resort, pool, restaurant, dining, and hotels. All our commercial fabric shade structures come with patented crank mechanism for fast and easy fabric installation and removal. Fabric shades are great for playgrounds, school yards, pool shades, and resort and hotel facilities.

Our Sandbox

Big ideas begin in the sandbox.

Our service area encompasses Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Connect today with a local in-house commercial play equipment expert at General Recreation, Inc. Let’s make space to play.

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General Recreation Inc is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on approximately 32 reviews from around the Web.

2022-01-22

He made site visits & provided guidance to me with every step of this project.His commitment to our project & his obvious passion in designing playgrounds is why I chose General Recreation and I am 100% happy that I did.

Jennifer M.

View full review here
2019-07-31

We have had some unfortunate issues over the years (trees falling on playgrounds, cars hitting them, etc) and they have helped through the process of getting everything back to normal.

Chalet H.

View full review here
2019-07-31

Extraordinary people and an organization which works with their customers to insure every child, of every ability has a wonderful place to play.

Jim C.

View full review here
2019-02-06

I would rate this company a 5 star.they helped us thru this entire project without any problems I would recommend this to any community that has a project they want done the right way.

Michael P.

View full review here
2016-10-21

It was easy to work with Gen Rec. Design updates, cost requests and other information came to us easily.

Nate Burns of Langan E.
2016-10-21

They were professional and fun— an awesome combination.

Jamie Danner, Treasurer of the Pilesgrove-Woodstown Recreation Commission’s, Pilesgrove, N.
2016-10-21

We wanted to have a look and feel exclusive to the area—something that could only be Ohiopyle—like no other place in any other town. General Recreation’s equipment had the unique features we wanted.

Kate McCarty, City Council Member, Ohiopyle, P.
2016-10-21

Every step of the way, Gen Rec’s been there to answer our questions. We can count on them to be honest, open and onsite. It’s a load off my mind to know they can handle everything.

Sue Barker, Director of Parks and Recreation, Upper Providence Township, Phoenixville, P.
2016-10-21

Steve enabled us to visit other parks to see how they fit newer components into their parks. These visits were a selling point for us. We really appreciated the field testing and seeing how everything worked together.

Ed Arnold, Borough Manager, Millersville Borough, P.
2016-10-21

Joe did everything to make sure our playground was perfect. We were especially grateful to him for helping us get the signs translated into Spanish.

Susan O’Donnell, Director of El Primer Paso in Dover, N.
2016-10-19

Steve was able to take the vision in my head and make it real,recalls Rick. We’ve grown up in the parks and rec industry together, and Steve is the guy you can lean on. He wants you to learn and understand the process. You can rely on his team to come through with the product. Gen Rec’s support staff and customer service is unbelievable. The installation was easy and smooth, says Rick, who’s fortunate to have a talented, in-house install team. Steve trains our staff well, which helps us save money, allocating more funds toward equipment. We’re always able to build effectively under Gen Rec’s guidance. Their ability and knowledge of the playground and park world is just awesome.

Rick Holtzman, Park Superintendent, City of Allentown, P.
2016-10-19

Joe had included all the playful and thoughtful design details that other designers didn’t. It really stood out to us and tied the playground into the natural surroundings. He gave us a complete picture of what it could be and brought all of our ideas together.

Rosemarie Lynch, Parks and Recreation Director, Boonton, N.
2016-10-19

First, we went on an adventure to visit a variety of playgrounds in the region. One that stood out to us was Gen Rec’s. We wanted a top-notch, state-of-the-art playground with quality equipment and surfacing. We also were limited with space, so we needed to use it wisely. Curtis helped us accomplish all of that. We enjoyed working with Curtis. He suggested that we have our church community build the playground with his supervision. We really appreciated this idea. It fit in with how we do things.

Cathy Donahue, Executive Director of Ministries, Treasure Lake Church in DuBois, P.
2016-10-19

I’ve been very impressed with the personal service. From our very first meeting, Steve’s professional manner, understanding of our needs and working within our budget were an extremely positive experience. The quality of the equipment also keeps us returning for more!” “ Even with a limited budget, I think we got a great variety of equipment,” she says. “ And, as for the results, the children LOVE the new playground!

Mrs. Karen B. Rubenstein, Principal, Montessori Academy of Lancaster, Lancaster, P.
2016-10-19

I always enjoy working with Gen Rec. They helped to keep things moving smoothly and were very accommodating throughout a process that included several design changes.

Christopher Green, Senior Landscape Architect at Gilmore & A.
2016-10-08

Steve Hemler is very thorough in all aspects and phases of the customer service process. He represents your company well and is one of the reasons for why we continue our business with you.

Tom Landis, Supt of York City Rec & Parks, York, P.
2016-10-08

We chose Gen Rec for a variety of reasons, most importantly Steve [Hemler’s] passion for making our playground a reality; his willingness to go above and beyond to see the project through to completion; and his commitment to excellence and community."........."Steve was and continues to be absolutely amazing and was a true pleasure to work with. I can guarantee any additional purchase will be made through Steve and he will be highly recommended for any opportunity that I have to share.

Maura Hawkins, Principal, Delta-Peach Bottom Elementary School, Delta, P.
2016-10-08

Andy helped us decide to place [our playground] in an existing parking lot. It was flat so no steps or elevation change was needed to make it accessible. Andy knew what would and wouldn’t work in the design. He made everything run smoothly.

Modesto Fiume, President, Opportunity House, Reading, P.
2016-10-08

The Locust Street Playground community-build was better than we imagined! We had just shy of 300 community members come out on June 22, 2013. It was one of the biggest projects we've done.

Christine Anderton, Exec Dir., Gilmore|Henne Community Fund, Reading, P.
2016-10-08

Michael, First off, thank you so much for everything! The playground looks fantastic and we are so happy! You displayed great patience and flexibility on this project and you made my job so much easier.

Rachel Kane, H. Fletcher Brown Boys and Girls Club, Wilmington, D.
2016-10-08

The staff at General Recreation are some of the best 'Playground People' I have ever worked with.

Jim Bobeck, Director of Parks & Recreation, Muhlenberg Township, Reading, P.
2016-10-08

Landscape Structures made the daunting task of organizing a community build fun and tangible.

Sadie Rozenburg Project Manager, Factoryville Borough, Factoryville, P.
2016-10-08

Steve Hemler is by far the best salesperson I have ever dealt with. He went way beyond his call of duty. Very good experience. [We] will most definitely be using Landscape Structures in the future, mainly because of Steve Hemler.

Kristi Swartz, West Manchester Township, York, P.
2016-10-08

Anyone thinking of such a project in their hometown are encouraged to come see our boundless field and playground of dreams. It’s definitely a grand-slam facility.

Larry McCarty, Dir. of Volunteers, South Jersey Field of Dreams, Absecon, N.
2016-09-10

(Steve was) very positive, energetic for the work---very courteous and attentive to our needs and interests in regards to project goals and overall impact for the program.

Stacy Lewis, Executive Director, Luthercare for Kids, Reamstown, P.
2016-09-06

Andy, Michael, and their team have excellent experience, knowledge, and most importantly, I appreciate their familiarity and flexibility in managing community build projects. We have a system and so do they – and together we were able to work together really well.

Steve Sendzik, Consultant for AmeriHealth Caritas Partnership, Phila, P.
2016-09-06

Michael [Wiley] listened to our vision. When we asked what we could do, both he and Landscape Structures fought for that vision.For two full weeks, both Andy [Cush] and Michael were always on-site to guide and help us.

Lynn Cummings, Build Jake's Place Playground, Cherry Hill, N.