New Splash Pad Now Open in Coach James Valentine Park

The City of Abilene added a new splash pad to its roster Thursday with the grand opening of Valentine Splash, bringing the total number of splash pads throughout the City to six.

Valentine Park is located at 1317 North Pioneer Drive. Like other splash pads in town, it has a unique animal mascot. Jumpin' Jamie the Orca represents Valentine Splash.

Lesli Andrews, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Abilene, said the new water feature boasts amenities similar to the existing play areas at Stevenson and Scarborough Parks.

"Some community members approached the City Council a couple of years ago and asked for something to serve children a little bit closer to their area of town," she said.

Other splash pads are located at Nelson Park, Sears Park, and Redbud Park in Abilene. All splash pad locations are available from sunup to sundown from mid-April to mid-October.

The Valentine splash pad was partially approved in the Abilene City Council's Fiscal Year 2022 budget and the rest in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, with a total cost of $581,197.

Andrews said the cost includes the splash pad, a public and private rental pavilion, picnic tables, and other features. Additional shade features have been added to all of the City's splash pads to help young and old residents beat the searing summer heat.

Andrews said there has been a high demand for splash pads since the first one was built in Nelson Park in 2011.

"Kids love them, and parents love them," she said. "It's a great place to cool off, get wet, and play a little bit."

Andrews said an innovative feature of the pads is their ability to recycle water.

"Everybody in Abilene knows how precious water is," she said. "So, the water is recycled, treated, and monitored daily to meet all local and state codes. We offer this amenity free of charge using very little water."

Sports Facilities Companies is the third-party vendor that monitors the City of Abilene's splash pads.

Andrews said that when the City's first splash pad was built, there was speculation about its popularity. The location was so well-received that a plan to build four more splash pads was included in a successful 2015 bond election. Continued demand led to the community's request to build another location in Valentine Park.

A map of the City of Abilene's splash pads, along with a look at their individual animal mascots, is available here.

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