Dozens of Salem kids marked the first day of summer by splashing in the water, building a sand dam, playing tag through a maze, and enjoying a cold tropical shaved ice at the newly constructed outdoor play area at the Gilbert House Children’s Museum.
The old structure was built in 1998 with supplies intended to last 20 years. To ensure the safety and well-being of its guests Gilbert House has made it a priority to update the structures. The new installments are designed to last another 30 years.
The play area’s reopening Wednesday has been months in the making. Construction on the project began in October 2022, following a $750,000 fundraising campaign launched in 2021.
“You’d think the playground has been shut down for years,” said Karin Holton, the communication director at Gilbert House.
The big hit for the day was the new water pump and sand area, as 15 kids gathered around delving out tasks and shouting with urgency at whichever child happened to be closest to “keep pumping the water!” to maintain the growing river they had been tirelessly working all morning to build.
Moms Sabrina Dent and Cassie Gibead have been bringing their kids to Gilbert House for about a decade. They appreciate the community and togetherness the space provides and said their kids were ecstatic to explore the new space.
“We’ve been here 45 minutes and have yet to leave the outdoor play area,” Dent said. “They always keep finding more things to do.”
Wednesday’s opening featured the sound of footsteps scampering through the maze again and squeals as rain-showered toddlers. Kids filled buckets with sand, built fires by the cookout and tossed balls through the maze.
One of the main goals of the construction was to make the playground more accessible to kids with varying motor skills and those who get easily overstimulated by traditional play structures geared only toward running. To create a space where even more children can gain confidence and independence through active play.
Some of the major changes include the installation of ball racing tubes, a ramp up to the wooden maze, a slide on the far side of the maze that is more accessible to those in a wheelchair, and a redesigned sand area with a water pump. There is now a sensory area that is geared to be a quieter and calmer space, where kids can make forts with fabrics.
The new play area contains all non-toxic plants and water features for kids to play with at different height levels.
Some other adjustments include removing some of the higher climbing areas so parents can better keep an eye on their kids and to better enjoy the play experience together.
“We hope this new outdoor play and learning area can continue to be a space where parents and their kids can participate in play together,” Holton said.
Gilbert House partnered with Learning Landscapes to redesign the old play area. They specialize in designing nature playscapes for inclusive, accessible, outdoor learning. Dalke Construction built the new space.
This reconstruction was made possible through Gilbert House’s two years of fundraising efforts from their capital campaign and community donations.
The unpredictable weather in spring and random snow days were the only minor obstacles the team faced in keeping construction on track, Holton said.
Before Covid, the Gilbert House hosted about 9,000 guests each year, and in more recent years the numbers have been closer to 7,000. Holton said they hope to see numbers grow back with the reopening of the play experience.
Gilbert House will be open seven days a week this summer from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and include access to the outdoor play area, or you can sign up for an annual membership. Half-price tickets are available Tuesdays from 2-5 p.m.
Contact reporter Natalie Sharp: [email protected] or 503-522-6493.
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Natalie Sharp is an Oregon State University student working as a reporter for Salem Reporter in summer 2023. She is part of the Snowden internship program at the University of Oregon's School of Communication and Journalism.
