The Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s water playgrounds provide an engaging and interactive fun activity year-round for children, especially during the hot summer months. Water playgrounds have distinct advantages over swimming pools in that they are cost effective, low maintenance, and water-play activities extend well beyond normal pool season. Water playgrounds are controlled using a timer and touch-sensor. The timer is set for 12 hours of water activation, and the touch-sensor turns on the water for a two to three minute cycle.
Adult supervision recommended. No lifeguards are on duty.
Hermann Park 6001 Fannin The Playground for All Children
Located just west of the Houston Zoo on the site of Hermann Park's original playground, the eight-acre Playground for All Children, is nestled under large oak and pine trees. More than five million people visit Hermann Park each year and thousands of children make their way to the Playground for All Children. The innovative playground is the flagship of Houston's park system and provides a safe, yet challenging environment for children of all ages and abilities.
A Water Play Zone features timed spray elements on a blue rubber surface. In-ground sprays, poles, palm trees and a spiral provide a variety of water effects for all children to run through.
Two large beaches create a sand play zone adjacent to the water play area. Here children of all abilities can enjoy the fun of sand on the ground.
Burnett Bayland Park 6200 Chimney Rock The water playground at Burnett Bayland Park a has a multi-colored rubber surface, and spray and ground features that include three colorful arches, a flower, cactus, a spiral spray and two water cannons. The water playground project was funded with a Community Development Block Grant at a cost of approximately $250,000. Other park improvements include three picnic shelters, several benches, and landscaping.
Melrose Park 12200 Melrose Park Road The water playground at Melrose Park features a multi-colored rubber surface and spray and ground features such as a flower, cactus and an arch. The water playground project was funded with a Community Development Block Grant at a cost of approximately $210,000. Other park improvements include benches and landscaping.
Nieto Park 500 Port Nieto Park Water Playground was conceptually designed to look like a beach, with a wave of stairs, a surfboard, real palm trees and plastic palm trees that spray water. It has a rubber surface with play items that also spray water. The water playground project was funded with a Community Development Funds at a cost of $414,000. Other park improvements include two picnic shelters, benches, landscaping, drinking fountains and electrical work.
Wiley Park 1414 Gillette James Wiley Park Water Playground includes a multi-colored rubber surface and spray ground features such as a flower, rainbow, fire hydrant activator, raining buckets and an in-ground spray fountain. The water playground project was developed at a cost of $243,000. Other park improvements include benches, landscaping, drinking fountains, electrical work and black vinyl coated chain link fence.
Settegast Park 3000 Garrow Settegast Park Water Playground includes a multi-colored rubber surface and spray ground features including a ground geyser, a bell- spray column, a misty arch, a magic touch bollard, a water trio, a donut and a flower.
The water playground project was developed at a cost of $200,000. Other park improvements include park, security and ballfield lighting; drainage, irrigation and landscaping improvements; the addition of a new educational garden with ornamental steel fencing, and playground renovations.
Gutierrez Park 7900 Flaxman
Tony Marron Park, 808 N. York
H.E.B. Water Playgrounds
H-E-B Grocery Company has generously donated more than $1.1 million to the Parks and Recreation Department through the Houston Parks Board Inc., to create and build an additional five water playgrounds in Houston city parks. With this donation, the department now has eleven water playgrounds open from dawn to dusk, and families are encouraged to come and enjoy the attractions together.
These are brightly colored facilities featuring equipment that squirts, sprays, mists and shoots water. Children will be able to enjoy everything from oversized flowers that mist to a whale that spouts and squirts water and in-ground elements that resemble geysers.
Hidalgo Park 7000 Avenue Q Hidalgo Park, opened June 21, 2003.
Blueridge Park 5600 Court Road Blueridge Park water playground opened July 2003.
Cullen Park 19008 Saums Road Cullen Park water playground opened August 2003.
Edgewood Park 5803 Bellfort Edgewood Park water playground opened June 2003.
Aron Ledet Park 6500 Antoine Aron Ledet Park water playground opened June 2005.
Montie Beach Park 915 Northwood Montie Beach Park Water Playground, opened 2006.
