Bay Beach Amusement Park hopes to get an inclusive playground. Here's what to know.

A few years ago, Friends of Bay Beach took on a project unlike what they had previously done: instead of exclusively focusing on the rides, they wanted to bring an all new inclusive playground to the amusement park.

After the nonprofit group raised $1.3 million with the help of community donors, they hope the playground will open next summer.

“We really need to have more accessibility,” said Rick Beverstein, volunteer with Friends of Bay Beach. “We can’t remake the rides, but what we can do is add a brand new feature and make it fully inclusive.”

James Andersen, deputy director of Green Bay’s Parks, Recreation and Forestry department, said a number of playgrounds in Green Bay have inclusive elements – but not to the extent Bay Beach Amusement Park’s new playground will.

“We didn’t really have a true inclusive playground yet, and so this is kind of the first of its kind in our park system, which is really exciting,” Andersen said.

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What will make the new playground inclusive?

Britney Burkart-LaBar, facilities supervisor at Bay Beach Amusement Park, explained multiple elements of the upcoming playground, from its Burke equipment to its poured-in-place rubber surfacing, make it inclusive.

“Everyone of all ages, backgrounds and abilities will be able to come out here to play,” Burkart-LaBar said.

Because of its flat rubber surfacing, the playground will be easily navigable for people in wheelchairs, walkers, families using strollers, and more – something not possible with wood chip or loose gravel surfacing.

Children in wheelchairs and other mobility devices can use multiple pieces of equipment, such as a rocker that shifts with children’s weight or with a friend on the outside pushing it and a spinning surface children stand on, without having to forgo their device. The main playground structure also includes ramps. Other pieces, such as a swing, one of three ziplines and the Volta Inclusive Spinner, provide seats with extra support for users of all abilities, the zipline and swing having a harness too. The Volta Spinner’s outward-facing seat is also designed for easy transfers into and out of wheelchairs.

The new playground will also boast a “Serenity Spot,” a semi-enclosed space with built-in games that children can go to when the hustle and bustle of the playground gets too overwhelming. Burke’s website explains this can be particularly helpful for children with autism or other sensory processing differences.

Why is it important to have an inclusive playground at Bay Beach Amusement Park?

With Bay Beach Amusement Park attracting visitors from all over the state, those both from Brown County and beyond will be able to enjoy the new inclusive playground.

Andersen said the playground will be strategically placed in a spot on the west end of the park to support those with sensory sensitivities and to give families a more relaxing place to play.

“At this point, it was just a very underutilized area, and … it also gives people an opportunity to get away from, or have some respite from, some of the more higher energy rides, somewhere people could rest, picnic and enjoy themselves in a little bit different way at Bay Beach.”

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How did the idea for the playground come up?

Beverstein said the nonprofit group first started talking about bringing an inclusive playground to Bay Beach years ago, after seeing more inclusive playgrounds crop up across the state and how children of all abilities benefit from them.

The Big Wheel at Bay Beach has two gondolas that are accessible to wheelchair users. One special moment that Beverstein witnessed after its opening in 2019 further solidified the need to have an inclusive playspace at the park.

“There was a gentleman in a wheelchair that was crying after he rode the (Big) wheel. He said, ‘I’ve been coming to Bay Beach since I was 6 years old, and this is the first time I’ve ever been on a ride,’” Beverstein recounted.

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What's next?

The $1.3 million donation will cover the cost of the playground equipment, surfacing and site preparation and engineering.

Burkart-LaBar said they hope to add accessible bathrooms, including one with an adult-sized changing table, a fence, and extend the train tracks closer to the new playground. Funding has yet to be secured for these costs.

Those who wish to support the playground financially may contact Bay Beach staff at parkadmin@greenbaywi.gov for more information on how to do so.

The playground was discussed at last week’s Park Committee meeting, and now will go to the Common Council for approval. Burkart-LaBar said she hopes to start installation in the spring, with it opening in time for summer.

Madison Lammert covers child care and early education across Wisconsin as a Report for America corps member based at The Appleton Post-Crescent. To contact her, email mlammert@gannett.com or call 920-993-7108. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to Report for America.

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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay aims to get inclusive playground