The Grandest Smart Park in Solo

Several children were seen happily playing among wayang (shadow puppet) character statues at Jebres Smart Park (Taman Cerdas Jebres), Solo, in early July 2018. Others chose to rest in gazebos, occasionally taking photos near the dinosaur statues. That afternoon, the weather was quite hot, yet the 3.5-hectare park remained lively. Since its establishment in 2014, Jebres Smart Park has become a favorite spot for schoolchildren and local residents alike.

Access to the park is very easy. It is located just north of Sebelas Maret University (UNS) Solo, behind Solo Technopark. Admission is free—visitors only need to pay a parking fee of Rp2,000 for motorcycles. The park features children’s play areas, a multipurpose hall, a library, an IT room, an open-air theater, and an audiovisual room. There is also a children’s radio station and a gamelan room.

The library and IT room are located in the main building, while the children’s radio station is housed in an education building managed by Solo’s Office of Women’s Empowerment, Child Protection, and Community Empowerment (DP3APM). Beyond the indoor facilities, Jebres Smart Park also provides outdoor play equipment to help children develop motor skills, such as seesaws, slides, and tunnels connected to gazebos. An open stage, similar to the Ramayana stage at Prambanan Temple Tourism Park, stands right behind the main building as a venue for self-expression.

The most striking features are the six statues of wayang characters—Kresna, Bima, Gatotkaca, Rama, Shinta, and Hanoman. Each statue is made of fiber and stands three meters tall. Visitors should also take time to see the variety of reliefs and copper statues depicting Indonesia’s founding fathers Soekarno and Hatta, as well as the Father of Indonesian Education, Ki Hajar Dewantara.