Construction is winding down on the colorful, modern playground that is expected to open in late fall at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park.
All that remains to be done is for turf to be installed, a fence to be erected, signage to be placed and a sidewalk that is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act to be constructed leading to the playground entrance, said Sheila B. Grogan, president of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation.
“The majority of the construction on the playground has been completed,” she said. “Construction continues on the outdoor classroom and pavilion and the museum trail.”
Take a drive along Museum Boulevard, and it’s easy to see that the contemporary-style, 30,000-square-foot playground is shaping up between the Mississippi Children’s Museum and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science.
The playground will include 80 play activities, 73 of which will be inclusive for children with accessibility needs, and play areas based on the age of children. A shading system will make play more comfortable during Mississippi’s hot summers.
The details about a ribbon-cutting will be announced when construction is complete, Grogan said.
Attendance is expected to jump after the playground opens, she said. Expanded parking and additional security are planned, she said.
The outdoor classroom and pavilion, which will be located in an area west of the playground, will support multiple functions for both museums such as programming for school field trips and include tables and seating for up to 50 students. Plans call for an adjacent sloped lawn, which will allow the structure to be used as open-air amphitheater for large assemblies.
The eight-foot wide museum trail, which will be located east of the playground, will lead the way for guests to conveniently visit both museums and the playground. The trail will feature the original story of an otter named Spotter, who lives on the Mississippi Pearl River and meets a diverse cast of local animals native to the river.
Along the trail, Spotter the otter will meet Claire Bear, who shares a Black Bear experience focusing on sleep and hibernation; Regale the Eagle, a Bald Eagle experience focusing on movement and physical activity; and Sally Sawback, a Sawback Turtle experience focusing on emotional well-being, coping and mindfulness. Nutrition concepts and sensory experiences will also be featured along the trail.
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi led in building the wood-structure playground that stood for years at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park.
“Construction was completed with the support of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi employees almost 20 years ago, and the playground has been visited and enjoyed by thousands of children and their families,” Grogan said.
The foundation awarded a $3,855,000 grant to the Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks Foundation for the LeFleur’s Bluff State Park Education and Tourism Partnership, which is between the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks’ Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and the Children’s Museum.
The grant is funding the playground, outdoor classroom and pavilion and museum trail, and the state of Mississippi is providing infrastructure improvements.
The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation provides targeted grants to fund initiatives and programs to improve the health and well-being of Mississippians.
The LeFleur’s Bluff State Park project aligns with the foundation’s strategic focus of providing sustainable health and well-being opportunities for Mississippians.
The project at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park is the largest outdoor activity project the foundation has funded to date.
