The short version: Ahoy, Baltimore! Hampstead Hill Academy celebrated the opening of its new playground on October 21, 2026, a milestone in the school’s multi-year capital improvement project, with Baltimore Curriculum Project leaders, elected officials, donors, families, and community partners on hand.
The playground is phase two of a project that began in April 2024 with construction of the Newstead Gym, a 9,545-square-foot facility that opened in April 2025 with a modern gymnasium, spectator seating, a new classroom, and upgraded restrooms. Built and installed by Playground Specialists Inc. over the summer of 2026, the new playground gives students a dedicated space to play, explore, and build friendships — and gives parents a gathering place too.
A colorful community-themed mural by multidisciplinary artist Jordan Lawson, designed with input from Principal Matt Hornbeck, students, staff, and the PTO, now brightens the wall along South Linwood Avenue. The project was funded by the Middendorf Foundation, the Richman Foundation, the HHA PTO, and more than 30 individual donors.
Read the full story at the Baltimore Curriculum Project.