Winona Lake Limitless Park is a universally accessible playground that allows everyone in the community, regardless of age or ability, to join in play. It’s a place that embraces the beauty of its surrounding environment and engages everyone in limitless fun. Located in Winona Lake, Indiana, this park stands out as a beacon of inclusivity, offering a wide range of amenities and features that cater to individuals with diverse needs.

It has been labeled as a place “where fun has no limits.”

In 2014, JPR partnered with the Winona Lake Parks and Recreation Department to design and develop the 1.5-acre site. The project was broken into two phases.

One of the most noteworthy aspects of Winona Lake Limitless Park is its commitment to inclusivity and community involvement. This was instilled from the very onset of the project.

Knowing that community engagement would be essential for ensuring inclusivity and accessibility of the park, JPR met with and interviewed physical and occupational therapists, caretakers, teachers, and parents within the Kosciusko County community. These conversations allowed the design team to gain insight into the diverse needs and preferences of different groups; it also helped identify potential barriers to accessibility and inclusion that might not have been immediately apparent.

By involving stakeholders in the planning process, our team was able to find solutions and tailor the design to ensure inclusivity from the outset. This process helped the team infuse therapeutic aspects into an array of playground components, providing ample opportunities for visitors that may have physical and cognitive challenges.

Extending beyond current ADA accessibility requirements, the park features an inclusive playground with distinctive elements such as an expression swing that allows tandem swinging for toddlers and parents, and a recirculating splash pad - known as the K21Splash Pad. Utilizing filtered, recycled water, it offers numerous types of barrier-free water play for all ability levels, including a colorful water tunnel. An existing restroom building was also renovated to become fully accessible, and an existing fire pit and beach area were incorporated into the design.

In addition to the playground and splash pad, the park boasts spacious pathways and wheelchair-accessible picnic areas to create a welcoming environment for individuals and families to gather, relax, and engage in outdoor recreation together.

“This vision of Winona Lake Limitless Park has always been inclusion and unity. Seeing those who would traditionally be sidelined, whether on the water or the playground, be able to interact and play with their peers is so rewarding,” said Holly Hummitch, Parks Department and Senior Center Director for the Town of Winona Lake. “The park isa recreation destination where residents of Winona Lake, and beyond, can come and feel welcomed, safe, considered, and included.”

Phase 1 of this project did not come without its challenges. Located less than 100 feet from the shores of Winona Lake, the park contends with a high water table, positioned just a few feet beneath the surface. This posed difficulties for the design and construction of the splash pad.

Beneath the surface lay approximately 25 feet of soft muck soils incapable of adequately supporting the splash pad foundation. However, JPR conducted a geotechnical investigation and discovered sandy soil beneath the muck. Using this information, JPR engineered treated timber piles that were driven into the ground - specifically into the sandy soil - which would support the weight of the splash pad safely and counter the draw-down friction loading from the muck soils.

Above the piles, a network of reinforced concrete grade beams was also engineered and constructed. These beams met at reinforced concrete pipe caps, which were located over the driven piles, to support the splash pad’s weight by transferring it to the deep piling foundation below.

JPR also engineered a water reservoir tank for the splash pad system. Because the muck soils behave more like a fluid than a solid, there was a concern that the tank might float within the muck, especially when empty. To prevent this, the tank was anchored in place to resist buoyancy forces.

Upon completion of Phase 1, Winona Lake Limitless Park opened in 2015. It serves as a shining example of what can be achieved when communities come together to prioritize inclusivity and accessibility. The park stands as a testament to the power of public spaces to foster connection, joy, and belonging for people of all abilities. Because of this, it quickly became a destination park for families throughout Northern Indiana.

The overarching vision for Winona Lake Limitless Park began in 2011, and 13 years later it will be completed. Groundbreaking for Phase 2 of the project took place on April 9, 2024.

“We are excited to begin construction on the final phases of this project in early May with tentative completion in late summer 2024,” said Hummitch.

After more than a decade of planning, fundraising, and envisioning, this final phase represents the culmination of efforts to establish an inclusive park catering to individuals of all ages and abilities. Upon completion, the park will feature a variety of play elements designed to promote safe risk-taking, cooperation, and problem-solving, fostering confidence and enhancing the park’s natural play aesthetic.

Amenities will include a large crawl tunnel, natural play elements such as climbing boulders and hillside slides, as well as designated areas for relaxation and shade in case playtime becomes too overwhelming. Other noteworthy play components include a wheelchair accessible spinner, a cozy dome that provides sensory development, and a rope climber.

Winona Lake Limitless Park was made possible because of public and private donations, as well as grant money. This included a $300,000 awarded grant from the K21 Health Foundation (K21) and a $500,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). JPR aided the Park Department by creating cost estimates and producing conceptual plans utilized for the submission of the LWCF grant application.

“This project has taken many years,” said Hummitch. “I am so thankful that JPR didn’t give up on us and worked right alongside us to see our vision come to fruition ... I am beyond grateful for the knowledge and experience JPR has given to this project.”