Wegmans Playground

Onondaga Lake Park

Wegmans Playground

Wegmans Playground... a priceless recreational landmark involving investment of approximately $350,000... over 70% accessible elevated surface... sensory rich... age zoned... braille signage... designed by the children of Central New York.

Onondaga County Parks worked with the nationally acclaimed, non-profit Boundless Playground organization to create a magical place where all our children and adults- the fully able and those who have physical, sensory and developmental disabilities-can play and grow together.

The Wegmans Playground, opened in September 2003, is a prime attraction at the southern entrance to our community’s most popular park. As a major component of Onondaga County’s "Parks for Tomorrow" initiative to assure stewardship of treasured places, the Onondaga Lake project also featured the region’s first concrete skate park; a Visitor Center; recreational play fields; areas for bocce, shuffleboard, and volleyball; and extended tram and Loop the Lake trails. This is indeed a special place for family adventure, a place where history is honored and memories created, a place where everyone can feel like a kid again.

Contributions for the Wegmans Playground are accepted on an ongoing basis to assure meeting the stewardship expectations of our community, with the permanent entry crediting signage updated on a timely basis. Contribution levels are as follows:

Wegmans Playground Fact Sheet

• The Playground is open daily during regular Onondaga Lake Park hours, dawn to dusk
• Wegmans Playground is located at the southern end, Wegmans Landing section of Onondaga Lake Park in Liverpool, New York.
• Wegmans Playground is 35,000 sq. ft. including entry, walkways and grounds.
• The cost to build the playground was $350,000 for playground equipment, plus amenities.

Wegmans Playground is a boundless playground, meaning that all children regardless of their abilities will be able to play together. One child in ten (five million children) in the USA has disabilities. For them, a playground can be a very challenging experience. This playground is 70 percent wheelchair accessible, compared to the average of 20 percent. The idea for the boundless playground originated from the Marlene and Melvin O'Donnell family who came across a boundless playground while on vacation in New England. The O'Donnells, who's son had cerebral palsy, approached Linda Karmen of Special Children's Services, Onondaga County Health Department, who came to Parks and suggested the new playground being planned at Onondaga Lake Park be a boundless playground.

• Major elements of the Wegmans Playground include:
  • Three large sections of the playground: Playhouse (2-12 yrs), Pre-School Age (2-5 yrs.) and School Age (5-12 yrs.)
  • Sway Fun, a teeter-totter structure able to accommodate wheelchairs.
  • Direct ramp access to the largest area, the School Age section
  • Sensory-rich play stations
  • Elevated sand boxes
  • 8 ft. suspension bridge
  • Imagination & Activity Panels such as a sight 'n sound panel, magic ball popper panel, vision adventure panel, park ranger panel, race car panel and more.
  • Chameleon & Flippopotamus Slide systems
  • Orbit, Horseshoe, Cargo, Spiral and Hump Bridge Loop Climbers
  • Spider, Look Out and Horizontal Ladder
  • Unitary Surfacing, a poured in place rubber and Fibar, a specially formulated wood chip material will make the playground easier to navigate for children and adults in wheelchairs.
  • Shade, thanks to the mature trees in the park and from roof coverings throughout the playground.
• Major Donors:
  • Wegmans
  • WTVH, LLC
  • JP Morgan Chase & Co.
  • Lights on the Lake
  • Coca Cola
• Donations are still being accepted.

For more information, contact Onondaga Lake Park at (315) 453-6712 or olp@ongov.net

• Boundless Playgrounds was established as a nonprofit organization in 1997 by a passionate team of parents, children of all abilities and professionals.

For more information, contact:
Boundless Playgrounds
45 Wintonbury Ave.
Bloomfield, Connecticut, 06002
860-243-8315

www.boundlessplaygrounds.org