PLAY PARK AND SPLASH GROUND

PROJECT INFORMATION:
Project: Play Park and Splash Ground
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Owner: Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Construction Cost: $4.9 Million
Project Size: 2.5 Acres
Completion: March 2006

Play Park opened to Zoo guests in the spring of 2006. The 2.5 acre park within the Zoo is located in the center of the busy Main Path (Zoo Road) that connects many of the Zoo’s exhibits. Play Park is a maze of paths defined by both landscaping and hardscaping with all paths leading to the area’s primary attraction, a 4,000 square foot Splash Ground, which features manatees, dolphins, sting rays, and sea turtles, all of which were part of the project’s extensive theming package.

Other features of the Play Park include the Discovery Center, a place where kids can re-connect with nature and learn about the Zoo’s many inhabitants through interactive, hands-on activities. The area also features a tree house, rock wall, and dig-zone, as well as two exhibits – Squirrel Monkey and Otter.