SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The Great Plains Zoo & Delbridge Museum of Natural History continues to grow with new attractions for visitors.
Monday morning Mayor Paul TenHaken announced that a new splash pad will be added to the zoo’s campus. The splash pad will open next year, the mayor hopes.
“This water area will be privately funded and is a great addition for families,” TenHaken said. “The collaboration of public private partnerships is what makes this community so special.”
Last year, the zoo and The Butterfly House & Aquarium announced plans to merge into one campus, a partnership celebrated by the mayor.
“This collaboration will just create a stronger organization that will live on one campus for the community to enjoy,” TenHaken said.
Hayward Park will also be adding a new splash park this May.
TenHaken also spoke of the ongoing process to improve the city’s pools.
“At the beginning, many in the community expressed that they wanted a new outdoor pool in their neighborhood because that’s what they had previously. As our parks and recreation team started dreaming, they began to realize they could think outside the box and looked at what could be,” TenHaken said.
That includes a mix of both indoor and outdoor recreation areas that include libraries and fitness centers, he continued.
“Right now, our parks and recreation team is looking for design consultants to game out a master plan for each of these sites. This situation is still fluid on when construction will start,” TenHaken said.
