Lincoln Memorial Garden has been a cherished outdoor space for generations of families, and this summer LMG will unveil its largest installation in nearly 60 years: The Children's Woodland Garden. This natural playscape is located just beyond the nature center, which was also upgraded over the winter to include a large, shaded deck with picnic tables that overlooks the upper play area. Visitors are invited to picnic on the deck or simply sit back and enjoy a respite from the sun as they take in peaceful views of the lake.
Joel Horwedel, who has been LMG's executive director for more than 10 years, explained that some of the features of the upper play area were purchased, but most of the play structures were created out of materials found at LMG. Purchased materials include a large wooden xylophone, log tunnel and giant turtle statue, but the rest of the area is beautifully accented by natural log play structures that were salvaged from various areas around the gardens. Stumps are strategically grouped to form a stage, balance beams, tables and more, encouraging kids to play freely and let their imaginations run wild.
An accessible, paved path featuring a StoryWalk runs around the new play area. The StoryWalk was placed in LMG in April 2021 by the Lincoln Library as part of the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read. It's a whimsical activity that encourages families to read together as they read pages of a story that are placed in holders along a walking path.
Also under construction, just south of the upper play area, is a simulated stream that will wind down from the nature center. Once complete, kids and grownups will be encouraged to wade and play in the shallow stream and can even control the flow of water from a wooden chute.
The Children's Woodland Garden, which was designed in collaboration with area landscape architecture firm Massie and Massie Associates, was designed with accessibility in mind and features paved paths and a wooden footbridge over the stream. "We'll probably open the upper area first, where the log play structures are located, hopefully by the end of May," said Horwedel, "but it will ultimately depend on the weather." Heavy rain during the end of April slowed construction of the stream and lower play area, but the project is still on target to be completed in the summer of 2024.
The final installation in the children's garden will be a third wooden troll statue to complement the garden's two existing giant trolls, which were inspired by the works of Danish artist Thomas Dambo and built by the Springfield Art Association. Svon (which is Swedish for sleep), the first troll installed at LMG in 2021, sits sleepily against a tree just north of the play area and will soon be joined by another troll overlooking the play area.
"We already have two guy trolls, so I think we'll have a girl troll up here," remarked Horwedel. "She'll hold a torch or some kind of a lighted feature that's yet to be worked out."
Once the Children's Woodland Garden is complete, LMG will focus on expanding the maintenance shed and greenhouse area near the Ostermeier Prairie Center over the next few years. The eventual goal is to free up space adjacent to the Nature Center to create more accessible parking.
"We're very conscious that this is a Jensen historic site," said Horwedel. "The space for the play area was previously just a nightmare of honeysuckle and wasn't being fully utilized. Our hope with the children's garden is that we will have created something positive that can be enjoyed for many more generations to come."
Ashley Meyer is a freelance writer from Springfield whose children have always loved Lincoln Memorial Garden.
