Did you know that San Antonio is the only major city in the state of Texas without a free public inclusive playground? Well, that is about to change with a new play area coming to Stone Oak.
Mitchell’s Landing, a project partnership with the city’s park system and The Mitchell Chang Foundation, is a family-friendly playground that will honor the memory of Mitchell Chang, a 3-year-old boy who tragically drowned in February 2018 at a local swim school.
We spoke to Mitchell’s mother, April Chang, who shared details about the new development and what visitors can expect.
Where will Mitchell’s Landing be located?
The playground will be a part of the massive 204-acre Classen-Steubing Ranch Park located at 20000 block of Hardy Oak Pkwy. (Think: softball + soccer fields, an education center, hiking, and bike trails). The development is set to open in the summer while the playground is set to open later on in the fall.
What will the playground feature?
The area will be a little less than an acre and will feature a pirate-themed play area (Mitchell’s loved all-things pirates) with inclusive activities like:
- An interactive scavenger hunt game
- Sensory dome
- In-ground bouncer
- H-E-B Mermaid Lagoon climbing rocks with tunnels large enough for assistive mobility devices
“One of my friends, Vanessa V., uses a mobility device and the H-E-B rock tunnels were her favorite part because of the unique experience and continued inclusion in play.”
Art will also be displayed around the playground including a mosaic mural by Jerimiah Heye who incorporated a braille message created by a local student.
“There will be a plaque explaining the message in the art, encouraging individuals to figure out the short poem written by Cora Gilley from St. Mathews Catholic School. It is very fitting of Mitchell’s Landing and I hope people accept our invitation to discover it.”
April shared that Mitchell’s Landing will also have hidden easter eggs for families to find including Pirate hooks that resemble ones that Mitchell picked up at a pirate ship attraction during a family vacation in Destin, FL. There will also be a collection of snail shells around the playground that look similar to ones that Mitchell and his brother would collect.
“One other Easter egg of Mitchell are snail shells worked into different parts, like resting on the entrance. Mitchell and Evan (his brother) had a special thing about finding them in our yard and saving them. I had three from Mitchell and GameTime (playground developer) used those as the model for what the shells looked like, even down to the color.”
April hopes this new playground will bring joy to families in the Alamo City. Until then, you can support the Mitchell Chang Foundation and its mission by visiting their website.
“...when people go to Mitchell’s landing…they will feel the love, the happiness…we want people to go there and have fun and have their needs met, not just go and say, okay, I can use one or two pieces of equipment, and we’re gonna call it a day.”