Possibility Playground at Hayswood Park

Hayswood Nature Reserve has long been the crown jewel of Harrison County Parks. For decades the playground sitting on the Persimmon Ridge overlooking Indian Creek was an exciting playground stop for kids from all over the surrounding counties. Oftentimes school field trips from all over the area come to Corydon, IN for the historical aspect of it being the first capital of Indiana. While in town, they would often find themselves picnicking at the playground or visiting a realistic reenactment of the Battle of Corydon.

In December of 2019 a call came into the CRG office for an interview with Harrison County Parks Director Larry Shickles and Harrison County Prosecutor Otto Schalk to discuss a new playground project that would change the landscape of not only Hayswood Park, but the vision of what an inclusive playground can look like going forward. This interview was to narrow down the possibilities of which companies will provide the three proposals from a pool of about 12 possible suppliers. After the initial discussions, CRG was chosen to be one of those three providers.

“When we started the five-year journey to building the Possibility Playground we looked extensively at several companies to design and install this new playground. After two rounds of interviews and deliberation it was clear that the folks at Commercial Recreation Group seemed fit to serve us best on this unique venture. What we found was that Commercial Recreation Group quickly became our partner and not just the vendor. Through the whole process the entire team at Commercial Recreation Group was there to work and guide us. Possibility Playground has been a wonderful success and it truly could not have been such a success without the CRG folks on our team and since the project is over they are still there every step of the way.”

– Larry Shickles, Superintendent of Harrison County Parks

Once the decision was made of who to work with, the discussion turned to just how big this area was going to be and what it was going to entail… It was at this point that Mr Shickles said something along the lines of “We want the biggest and grandest inclusive playground in the Midwest.!”. Let the work begin..

With that information at hand, CRG began working directly with Playcraft Systems to design the most inclusive and action packed playground ever built. Spanning nearly 300 feet in length and nearly 150 feet wide in some areas, the new designs were approximately the size of a football field. With dozens of accessible play panels, nearly 20 slides, hundreds of linear feet of accessible ramps and decks, climbing nets, tall towers, enough climbing equipment to keep kids busy finding new events all day long, and with fully accessible surfacing, the three options put together for the board presentation were sure to impress.

Many discussions were had in regards as to what to name this place.. There were many good ones, but “The Possibilities Playground at Hayswood Park” was the only name fitting for something this big. The possibilities are nearly endless.!

After many months of installation the new playground was opened to the public on October 22nd, 2023. Three days of festivities, state dignitaries, and celebration welcomed this new playground to the world. As one of the largest playgrounds on the planet, it was our humble honor to have been a vital part of making it a reality. We look forward to years of stories from those at Harrison County Parks.

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