EUREKA! MCCONNELL SCIENCE MUSEUM PLAYGROUND

Client: Eureka! Museum at Mesa State University
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
Project Status: Completed 2022

Connect One Design was chosen by Colorado Mesa University through a competitive RFP process to design a S.T.E.A.M.-inspired playground to compliment the Eureka! McConnell Science Museum. Given the museum’s growing visitor numbers, the Museum Board wished to add a playground that would transition the museum’s learning experience to the outdoors. The project included the conversion of an existing lawn space into an outdoor classroom, an eating area, and exhibits that embodied the trifecta of learning, ‘naturing’, and playing. ADA access, shade, and enclosure were also high priorities.

Connect One and museum staff chose the theme “cause and effect” to guide the design and Connect One worked to incorporate sensory play, open-ended play, musical play, and experimentation with motion into the play features, which included a large net climber, human-powered lift, vacuum tube, chime forest, sensory rollers, a roller table, kid-activated misting feature, spinning climber, seesaw, in-ground trampoline, and berm slide. JVA provided civil engineering services to integrate construction expertise and knowledge into the design phase of the project.