New toddler play area opens at Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair

SAN ANTONIO – A new toddler play area has opened in Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair just in time for the spring and summer months.

A ribbon cutting for the new play area took place Tuesday at Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair located at 434 S Alamo Street.

The play area features six larger-than-life climbable forest-themed structures ranging from a colorful caterpillar, a mini seesaw, and a climbable turtle. The enclosed area also features educational panels that include braille, sign language, and English and Spanish words.

All the structures sit on top of a squishy, fall-protectant safety surface.

“Thanks to the generosity of individual donors in our community and major gifts from an anonymous foundation and The M.R.S. Foundation, the Toddler Play Area will create a new opportunity for smaller San Antonians to come and enjoy Hemisfair,” Hemisfair Conservancy Executive Director Anne Krause said. “We take ‘Hemisfair is for all’ very seriously here and this new feature helps us achieve that notion.”

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, there was a mini donut bar by Alamo Mini Donuts, music by DJ Mayhem, and entertainment followed by storytime with Ms. Kim.

The story will be “The Box Turtle” by Vanessa Roeder to pair with the new turtle climbing structure. Storytime will be followed by an educational STEAM activity that participants can get hands-on and creative, according to a press release.

More than four million people have visited Yanaguana Garden since its opening in 2015.