Manuel Brothers Park in Lead, South Dakota.
Tallgrass Landscape Architecture worked closely with the community of Lead, SD to develop the first phase of the South Rim Parks Master Plan - the Manuel Brothers Park Playground Remodel. This was a major civic improvement project for the mountain town of Lead, featuring a splash pad, a large playground for older kids, a large playground for littler kids, lots and lots of boulders, and some of the existing trees and infrastructure of the park into a new and vibrant center for their town.
The splash pad is a community favorite, with a push button to trigger the jets and fountains. Hand picked local boulders placed throughout the pad activate the space during winter months and bring a unique local twist to the water feature in summer months. An adjacent seat wall (also made of locally sourced rock) is a great place for parents and caregivers to get a light mist. The splash pad includes a special feature for toddlers - the Water Journey, where smaller children can activate water and manipulate water flows.
The City of Lead’s new brand and colors are incorporated into the playground theme: a blend of the historic mountain mining town and the Homestake Gold Mine’s new life as the Sanford Underground Research Facility. A diversity of new play opportunities replaced a few aging structures. A climber, several types of swings, a large play structure for older children, smaller play structure for toddlers, musical play equipment, and a maze of natural play logs and balance beams make a wonderful playground for kids to explore.