'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' play area equipment from Monroeville Mall given to Latrobe

Instead of making another trip to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, a Mister Rogers' trolley has made a journey from Monroeville to Latrobe.

The trolley and several other pieces of equipment from the play area at Monroeville Mall were donated to the Latrobe-GLSD Parks and Recreation Commission.

After a multimillion dollar renovation project at the mall was announced earlier this year, officials began discussions about updating the play area on the first floor near Macy's department store, said Dawn Gnieski, brand development and marketing specialist with CBL Associates Properties Inc., which owns the mall.

Since about 2002, children under 6 could pretend they were a part of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, crawling on and under the trolley, Daniel Striped Tiger's clock, King Friday's castle, trees, bridges and flowers in a 1,500-square-foot play area.

“Mister Rogers is a nostalgic, iconic piece of Pittsburgh history,” Gnieski said. “We wanted to make sure those pieces remain a part of Pittsburgh history.”

Jeanne Ashley, executive director of the Latrobe-GLSD Parks and Recreation Department, said after discussion with the Fred Rogers Company and Latrobe-based McFeely-Rogers Foundation, she was “thrilled” to accept the gift.

“I think it's wonderful that naturally they thought of us because of (Fred Rogers') home being in Latrobe,” she said. “I'm so glad they thought of us, because we'll make good use of it.”

The heavy-duty plastic pieces were constructed for indoor use, so Ashley said they'll remain in storage before being added seasonally to a park on John Street, just off Memorial Drive near Legion Keener Park.

“I think they'll be fine in the spring and summer, then we'll put them away,” she said.

Because of the castle's size and installation to the floor, it had to be dismantled and could not be reused as easily as the other pieces, Gnieski said.

Fred Rogers always encouraged play for young children, plenty of whom attend preschool or day-care in downtown Latrobe near where the equipment will be placed, said Jim Okonak, executive director of the McFeely-Rogers Foundation, established by the Rogers family in 1953.

“They walk to all the different facilities and playgrounds at Legion Keener, and now we can accommodate those younger children,” he said.

Once the play area closed in the mall on Sept. 25, the equipment was moved and put in storage for the winter.

During the renovations, the mall donated a footbridge recognizable in the 1978 horror film “Dawn of the Dead” to the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh's Strip District.

The new play area at the mall will be toy box-themed, featuring oversized classic toys from Fisher-Price, which is partnering with the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based owners of the mall to be one of the first to have such a play area.

It's expected to reopen Dec. 4 after a ribbon-cutting, with family activities throughout that weekend at the play area.

Completion of the mall's renovations are planned for Nov. 7 with a grand celebration, including a ribbon-cutting with local officials and Santa Claus on Nov. 6, Gnieski said.

A shadowbox with a biography of Fred Rogers, one of his signature sweaters and pair of shoes will remain in the updated play area as a continued tribute to his legacy in the region.

“We're really excited to be able to share that joy with the community and keep it moving forward for years to come,” Gnieski said.

Stacey Federoff is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 724-836-6660 or sfederoff@tribweb.com.