Short answer: yes, you can bolt a park bench directly into concrete. You don’t necessarily need a bench-specific kit, but you absolutely need concrete-rated anchors, a hammer drill, and a carbide-tipped masonry bit. Regular screws or plastic wall plugs will not hold up outdoors or under the weight of adults.
The best fasteners for this job are sleeve anchors, wedge anchors, or heavy-duty concrete screws like Tapcons. If the bench is heavy or placed in a public area, sleeve anchors or wedge anchors are safer because they expand inside the concrete. For a lighter residential bench, 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch concrete screws can work well.
Start by placing the bench exactly where you want it. Mark the mounting holes with a marker, nail, or chalk. Move the bench away and drill each hole with a hammer drill. Drill about 1/2 inch deeper than the anchor’s embedment depth so concrete dust has room to settle. Clean the holes with a brush, vacuum, or compressed air. This step is critical because leftover dust reduces holding strength.
Then install the anchors according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Some anchors are tapped into the hole and tightened with a wrench; concrete screws simply drive in with an impact driver. If you buy a concrete anchor kit, many come with the correct drill bit and setting tool, which is convenient. But you do not need a park-bench-specific kit. Just match the anchor diameter to the holes in the bench base.
Use galvanized or stainless steel hardware to prevent rust, especially outdoors. Also avoid placing anchors too close to concrete edges. A good rule is to stay at least 2 inches from any edge to reduce the risk of cracking. If a hole gets oversized or the concrete is weak, switch to epoxy anchors. They take more time but provide excellent holding strength for benches that get heavy use. After tightening, the bench should feel completely solid with no rocking.