New splash pad opens on the Outer Banks, a first for Dare County

KILL DEVIL HILLS — Peals of children’s laughter and the whoosh of spraying water formalized Thursday’s grand opening of a new Outer Banks’s splash pad, the first in Dare County.

Set in a fenced-in, concrete area at Meekins Field Park, located at 1634 N. Croatan Highway in Kill Devil Hills, the splash pad has a variety of interactive water features that appeal to children of all ages. The pad is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

The splash pad cost the town $256,744, uses recirculated water and is tested and maintained by a town staff member who is a certified pool operator, according to Kill Devil Hills spokesperson Rachel Tackett.

At the grand opening, Mayor Ben Sproul said other recent park improvements include new playground equipment, a new restroom building, drinking fountains and a water bottle refill station; a new picnic shelter, sidewalks throughout the park and around the perimeter, upgraded lighting and an expanded parking lot and a new drop-off circle.

The tennis courts are being resurfaced and will soon also be able to host pickleball, and a new toddler play area is also coming, he noted.

“Meekins Field has also expanded beyond just a one-sport park,” Sproul said. “There is now a large, open play field, which can be used for all kinds of activities like soccer, lacrosse, football, kickball — even a game of catch.”

His comments were an apparent reference to the park’s primary use for years for baseball and softball.

In all, the upgrades cost nearly $1.4 million, $200,000 of which came from an Outer Banks Visitor Bureau grant and the rest from the town’s general fund, according to Tackett.

The grand opening took place from 10 a.m. to noon on Aug. 3, and featured a ribbon cutting as well as free doughnuts, hot dogs, snow cones, towels with the Town of Kill Devil Hills logo, rubber ducks, coloring books and more.

Before the ribbon cutting, Sproul thanked attendees for their support and patience with the project.

“You are the reason that we have these improvements,” Sproul said. “And why we’re doing this is to make this place a great place to live, work and play.”

He added, “I’d like to say how proud the board of commissioners and the town and staff are to have our very first splash pad in Dare County.”

The Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners had established an ad hoc committee of town residents called the West-side Recreation Group, which Commissioner Terry Gray chaired.

The group reviewed the town’s recreational sites west of U.S. 158/Croatan Highway, and both the group and town staff solicited input for what the public would like to see improved. The group submitted its recommendations to the board, which adopted the final plan with improvements for Meekins Field Park, including the splash pad, Tackett explained in an email.

Splash pad construction began in the fall of 2022, and it opened on July 6, 2023—a “soft opening” so town staff could monitor for any unexpected issues before the grand opening, according to Tackett.

At Thursday’s event, local mothers expressed their appreciation of the splash pad.

“We’ve been two times before, and the kids stayed for four hours, so it’s safe to say it was a popular event,” said Nikki Phan, a Kill Devil Hills mother of two. Her children, ages 11 and 5, were busily playing.

“I would definitely say it’s advantageous for us, because if we don’t want to go to the beach, or if it’s too crowded or hot, it’s always good to come here,” Phan said, adding that the playground next to the splash pad makes it even better.

A Kitty Hawk mother of four said all her children, ranging from 3.5 to 10 years old, enjoy the splash pad.

“It’s an opportunity to get wet on a hot day, and see people in the community, so it’s a good thing,” Katie Hardt said.

Children were obviously thrilled with the result, actively moving through the water spray with shrieks and smiles.

Grace Martinez, a 10-year-old Kill Devil Hills resident, took a break from playing in the splash pad to sit on the grass outside the fence and eat snow cones with her 6-year-old sister and mom.

This was her second visit to the splash pad, and she said she liked when the buckets dumped water on her. But she had difficulty singling out her favorite water feature.

“The little buckets, I like that, and the little umbrella—I love everything about it,” Martinez said.