Raleigh to make fixes at Dix Park’s Gipson Play Plaza after rain, big crowds
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Gipson Play Plaza drew 68,000 visitors in its first week after June 6 opening.
- City reduced splash pad and waterfall hours due to rain-related pump clogs.
- Officials plan future shade additions after observing heat exposure on slides.
Big crowds and heavy rains have forced Raleigh to make adjustments after Dix Park’s Gipson Play Plaza saw 68,000 visitors in its first week.
“These numbers are higher than expected, and that’s a great testament to the investment and how unique the place is and that people are really enjoying exploring the new park,” said Kate Pearce, the park’s executive director.
Debris washed in by storms and heavy use have forced the city to cut back the hours of the 15-foot-tall waterfall and splash pad from noon to 6 p.m. while crews clear the pumps.
The reduced hours should help people decide when to visit the park, Pearce said.
“We didn’t want people to show up and it not be operating. So we had 100% confidence that we could run it 12 to six every day, and then as the team adjusts, if it’s running beyond that, great,” she explained. “We wanted to give people confidence that they could show up at 2 p.m. and the waterfall would be on and the splash pad [would be] working.”
‘A fan-favorite feature’
The goal is for splashpad and waterfall to be on the entire time the park is open, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily during the summer months, but the city does not know when that will happen.
“I know it’s top of mind for the aquatics team,” she said. “It is a fan-favorite feature, and I know the team’s working really hard to have it operational for longer.”
Meanwhile, green pop-up tents are now stationed over some metal slides to help cool them, and the city may make a permanent adjustment to increase the shade.
“Most of the slides are in full shade,” Pearce said. “There are a couple that we’re kind of observing and might make some additional canopy adjustments and add some additional shade. There are also a couple of caretaker areas where we think there’s an opportunity to add some additional shade for parents and grandparents to enjoy a little bit more shade while they’re watching their little ones run everywhere.”
Natural materials vs. plastic
The playground equipment is made by German-based Richter Spielgeräte, which has a philosophy of more organic and natural materials instead of processed plastic, said Mayor Janet Cowell.
“They are into natural wood and minimizing plastics and materials that don’t connect folks to natural materials,” Cowell said. “The downside is the heat-conducting properties of metal, but design did take that into consideration with shade structures, tubing, etc.”
The city looked at the opening numbers for similar parks around the country, but attendance since the Play Plaza opened June 6 has been higher than expected, Pearce said.
“New projects, new operating team and we’ve had amazing, wild visitorship,” she said. “And all of that combined is just us kind of trying to be responsive and figure things out, listen to what visitors want, need and and respond appropriately.”
This story was originally published June 20, 2025 at 9:34 AM with the headline "Raleigh to make fixes at Dix Park’s Gipson Play Plaza after rain, big crowds."
