Get ready to play, explore, and celebrate! The highly anticipated Gipson Play Plaza is set to open its gates at Dorothea Dix Park this June, promising an 18.5-acre wonderland designed to transform how Raleigh residents and visitors experience one of the city’s most beloved green spaces. A grand opening celebration, featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a weekend packed with community activities, is scheduled for June 6-8.
This transformative project, years in the making, will serve as a welcoming gateway to the expansive 308-acre Dix Park from Lake Wheeler Road. Designed by the world-renowned landscape architecture firm Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the Gipson Play Plaza is more than just a playground; it’s envisioned as an inspiring public space for all ages, blending imaginative play with civic gathering areas, stunning gardens, and captivating art installations.
Visitors to the Gipson Play Plaza can look forward to a dazzling array of features, including towering three-story climbing structures connected by skywalks in the “Adventure Playground,” a mesmerizing sensory maze, and an interactive “Water Play Mountain” modeled after Historic Yates Mill, where children can power the water flow with pulleys and pumps. A “Slide Valley,” a “Sand Bowl” for creative play, and a “Swing Terrace” offering views of century-old oaks and the Raleigh skyline are also among the highlights…