Come summer, water play is a gift for young and old in our public parks. Photographer Art Howard captured that spirit
by Ayn-Monique Klahre | photography by Art Howard
For kids, water’s not just an essential nutrient — it’s a mysterious, delightful substance that tickles the senses and inspires tears of glee. “North Carolina’s hot summers have made water play a frequently requested feature all over Raleigh’s park system,” says Dean Perry, director of design and planning at Dorothea Dix Park. “Water play encourages getting outside, playing and moving while staying safe from the heat.”
That’s why Perry and his team knew that having water features would be essential in the Gipson Play Plaza, a centerpiece of Dix Park that opened in June 2025. “Water play creates a special, seasonal activity that allows a park to have a unique character depending on the time of year,” he says. “It adds a layer of interaction and engagement beyond our usual slides, climbing towers and swings.” For this playground, they incorporated a waterfall and ground jets, plus “Watermill Mountain,” a play area modeled after Historic Yates Mill that incorporates pulleys, pumps, dams and spouts for children to manipulate. “The water play was an instant hit!” says Lauren Danforth, senior manager of marketing and communications for Dix Park.
Downtown, Moore Square boasts a small-but-mighty splash pad that’s a relief to parents resting at the nearby shaded picnic tables — and, perhaps, a surprise for out-of-towners leaving Marbles Kids’ Museum whose children are lured to the moving water. It was added as part of a multiyear renovation that created a wide lawn for public events and a small nearby playground with a slide that opened in summer of 2019.
John Chavis Memorial Park reopened in summer 2021 after a two-year renovation. In addition to reinstating its historic carousel and building a community center, multiple splash fountains were a must along its plaza, which has become a great cool-off spot after kids climb through its skywalk and down the slide.
Each of these parks offer an urban twist on one of nature’s most elemental offerings for fun, a temptation not just for kids but the young at heart. “Cooling off on a hot summer day by splashing and playing — what could be better?” says Danforth.
Moore Square
In the heart of downtown Raleigh, Moore Square’s splash pad is a delight to folks just passing through or a welcome destination for an afternoon in the city. In addition to the nearby playground, there are bathrooms on-site in the same building as Lucky Tree Cafe.
Splash pad operates daily, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; 201 S. Blount Street, raleighnc.gov
John Chavis Memorial Park
Various fountains shoot water from the ground level, with several shaded tables nearby. Note that visitors who want to enter the community center are required to dry off after using the water feature; dry clothing is required for the historic carousel.
Splash pad operates daily, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.; 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; raleighnc.gov
Gipson Play Plaza
Opened in June 2025, this park includes various features that honor the state’s culture and unique features, including Watermill Village, which was inspired by the nearby Historic Yates Mill, and a waterfall inspired by Western North Carolina. The waterfall and ground jets work on different timers to surprise their guests. The structure has 10 restroom cabanas with room to change clothes. Splash pad
operates daily, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Dorothea Dix Park, 1030 Richardson Drive; dixpark.org
This article originally appeared in the July 2026 issue of WALTER magazine.
