Hessel Park Splash Pad
Hessel Park Splash Pad is a water play area in Champaign controlled by a computer system that operates water sprays at timed intervals. Visitors can press buttons to activate water routines and restart them whenever they want to continue playing.
Hessel Park was established in 1918 as a large recreational green space for the community. The splash pad was added later as a modern water play feature to provide families with a cool retreat during hot weather.
The splash pad features a bug and critter theme with water sprays shaped like flowers, snakes, butterflies, and spiders. These animal figures create a playful environment that draws children to explore and cool off in a fun way.
The water runs from late May through early September daily from 10 in the morning to 7 in the evening, even during rain. One adult can supervise up to three children, and only clean swimwear is allowed, with children not yet potty trained needing plastic pants over diapers.
Some of the moveable water toys, like the hourglass-shaped fountain, can be hard to activate automatically, but children and adults often try to tip it by hand to trigger the water spray. This makes play more interactive and rewards effort with surprising water bursts.
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