Wilder Bluff Park, the city of Shawnee’s newest amenity, opens to the public next week at West 55th Street and Belmont Drive.
City leaders and staff will celebrate the new park with a dedication ceremony at 9 a.m. Tuesday, July 6.
Located on 40 acres at 24200 W. 55th St. in the northwestern part of Shawnee, Wilder Bluff Park features a treetop playground, hillside slide and a nature-themed sprayground.
The park also has a patio overlook and a shelter that features a fireplace and a buffet ledge with power outlets. A 1.38 mile walking trail loops around the park.
The $4 million park was fully funded by the city’s Parks and Pipes sales tax, according to the city.
This week, crews have been making the final touches to the park.
Neil Holman, director of Shawnee Parks and Recreation, said it’s good to be near the finish line. While the recent rainy weather has made it a little difficult to finish up their to-do list, Holman said they’ll have things wrapped up before the park opens Tuesday.
“I think everyone will like it,” Holman said. “It was a good process with everybody, and I think everyone should be real pleased with it, the neighbors and everybody.”
Holman said he’s particularly proud that they preserved much of the natural topography and scenery going through the area. The new treehouse in the play area, for instance, is tucked into the canopy of the trees.
“[We] really tried to not go in and really just tear everything up, just make it more natural and just a real nice, natural setting,” Holman added.
Coming up next on Holman’s task list: reestablishing the prairie along the north side of the park.
Holman pointed out the park opening coincides with the start of July, which is the nation’s official Park and Recreation Month.
Folks who cannot attend the dedication ceremony can meet park staff and Centric, the company that built Wilder Bluff, at the new park on Saturday, July 10, for some community activities.
Here are some pictures of the new park:
