Exploration Place Landscape Design and Vision Unveiled

The playscape aspires to become an iconic national attraction, embodying science-centric and interpretive play while reflecting the region's unique ecologies and histories. It will feature ten distinct playscape rooms, which are being conceptualized in collaboration with three renowned play providers: Monstrum, Kompan, and Richter/APE Studio.

Notable spaces and features include the signature play area known as Aviation Play Grove. This area boasts a 50-foot aviation control tower with a plane that appears to be mid-flight, a business jet and control tower, climbing tower structures, and a hot air balloon overlooking the play area from the adjacent climbable slide hillside.

The Water Play Cascade area is situated directly next to the concessions building. It showcases a series of water play channels, runnels, and boulders winding down a concave bowl-like hillside into a central flexible water plaza, complete with a lower wading pool. Alongside these channels, you'll find clusters of water play elements such as Archimedes screws, wheels, and rotating cups.

Lastly, the Festival Plaza / Tornado Fountain area offers a flexible water plaza featuring a spiral of whirling jets intricately carved into a prairie hillside.

This project is anticipated to be completed in 2025, which marks Exploration Place's 25th anniversary. Thank you to our team, including Fluidity Design, Abundant Playscapes + Kanics Inclusive Design, Schaefer Architecture, and Garver, for your support and collaboration during the Master Plan process!