The Legacy Behind the Art & Structures at the Sensory Garden Playground
Every year, thousands of visitors—more than 100,000 since 2014—enjoy the colorful and uniquely themed play offerings for children of all abilities at the Sensory Garden Playground. Among the highlights are the Musical Mare sculpture on the Art Along the Way trail and a horse-stable-themed play structure for 2- to 5-year-olds. But did you ever wonder why the playground incorporates an equestrian theme?
Beyond giving a nod to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s nearby Danada Equestrian Center, the horse-themed sculptures and structures pay homage to Wheaton’s connection with horse racing.
The Rices’ legacy lives on in artistic form at the Sensory Garden Playground in numerous ways—like the rainbow-hued, horseshoe-shaped arch designed by Geneva artist Joe Gagnepain that welcomes visitors to the playground.
Gagnepain also is the designer and builder of the Musical Mare, which features mallets hanging from cords so that children can explore the sounds and resonances produced by the sculpture’s different materials. His most recent addition, a brightly colored sculpture of a thoroughbred and chariot, incorporates materials such as bicycle and car parts—“anything that can be scavenged to reduce environmental impact,” Gagnepain said when the Art Along the Way trail was announced in 2015.
In the 2 to 5-year-old playground, each of the three wooden horse “stables” features the name of one of the Rices’ horses—Lucky Debonair is there on the far right. Two ride-on racehorses on springs carry the theme through, too.
The new 5 to 12-year-old playground, which was recently completed, has its own “starting gate” and racetrack for those who want to take some laps to burn off energy. Ramps will offer users with mobility needs access to a shaded, two-story play structure crowned by track-style turrets.
The late Wheaton philanthropists Dan and Ada Rice, who married in 1920, were horse-racing enthusiasts who founded Danada Farms in both Wheaton, Illinois and Lexington, Kentucky. In 1965, their colt Lucky Debonair won the 91st Kentucky Derby, pictured above.
The Rices’ legacy lives on in artistic form at the Sensory Garden Playground in numerous ways—like the rainbow-hued, horseshoe-shaped arch that welcomes visitors to the playground.
VISITOR SPOTLIGHT
Wesley Luehring Foundation Members Gary and Wendy Crocus visiting the Sensory Garden Playground.
Mission
The Play For All Playground & Garden Foundation’s mission is to create barrier-free and universally accessible outdoor play spaces and gardens in DuPage County. Through the cognitive, social, and physical values of play, the Foundation promotes a spirit of inclusion and enhances quality of life, as well as supports involvement in recreation and wellness activities for all people and abilities.
Without boundaries. Without limits. Play for all.
Playground Partnership with the Wesley Luehring Foundation Wins IAPD Best of the Best Award
Michael Benard, Executive Director of the Wheaton Park District and President of the Play for All Playground and Garden Foundation, was thrilled to accept an award on behalf of the Wesley Luehring Foundation at the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) Best of the Best Gala in Wheeling on October 25. The Wesley Luehring Foundation was honored in the IAPD’s Best Partnership Category.
Over the past 10 years, generous support from the Wesley Luehring Foundation has been instrumental in building and enhancing the Sensory Garden Playground, enabling it to become a uniquely exclusivity-focused recreation space in DuPage County.
A $50,000 seed grant from the Wesley Luehring Foundation helped allow the Sensory Garden Playground to open in DuPage County Forest Preserve’s Danada South area in 2014. Since then, the playground welcomed more than 100,000 visitors from across the area, who come to this very special site to enjoy multisensory features such as a fragrance garden, a music garden, a sculpture garden and a wheelchair-accessible treehouse.
The Sensory Garden Playground would not be what it is today without the continued support of the Wesley Luehring Foundation in addition to the many community organizations, corporations and individuals that support the Play for All Playground and Garden Foundation. We extend sincere thanks to the Wesley Luehring Foundation for its generous partnership.
Help Us Grow the Sensory Garden Playground!
Join us in celebrating 10 amazing years of inclusive play at the Sensory Garden Playground! Over the past decade, we’ve introduced sensory-integrated amenities like the 2 to 5 and 5 to 12-year-old playgrounds, sound and fragrance gardens, an accessible treehouse, and the GT Wave. Now, we’re looking to build on this foundation by adding exciting new features.
Any support will help make these additions possible! Consider joining us through multi-year pledges, corporate gifts, event sponsorships, or contributions from your donor-advised fund.
To get involved, scan the QR code or reach out to Kaitlin Lizik, Annual Giving and Events Manager, at [email protected] or 630.510.4961. Together, let’s keep growing the Sensory Garden Playground!
Interactive Railings & Panels for the Tree House: These vibrant, educational panels will foster cognitive development and encourage more hands-on play.
$10,000-$20,000
Roll-On Piano: Ground instruments like this add a unique auditory play experience, helping children differentiate sounds and boosting brain development.
$30,000
Log Benches: Additional seating will make the playground more welcoming and comfortable for visitors, encouraging families to stay and play even longer!
$3,500 each
Shade Structure Fabric Replacement: Essential for providing respite on hot days, especially for children who struggle with sensory challenges.
$10,000
5 to 12-Year-Old Playground
Thank you for helping us complete the 5 to 12-year-old Playground! This racehorse themed playground is equipped with bridges and other accessible amenities that offer more play opportunities, like climbing, sliding and gathering areas.
We’re proud to have had more than 500 visitors attend our 2024 Summer Play Days at the Sensory Garden Playground! Joining in on the fun were the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA), Cosley Zoo, Lincoln Marsh, the Wheaton Public Library, Rise Fitness and Bloom Psychology Services.
Summer Play Days offer opportunities for families to enjoy themed events that have a deliberate focus on inclusion of all children, regardless of abilities or needs. Participants also have the chance to make new friends and create lasting memories.
This year, attendees got to take home a themed rubber duck for each Play Day they attended. The collectible rubber-duckies series proved a hit with families and was a fun way to enhance the sense of community that we seek to foster at our Summer Play Days.
We celebrated the start of summer and our Play Days in May with a dance party filled with music, movement and bubbles.
In honor of the 17-year cicadas that descended upon us this year, our June Play Day was all about bugs. Families embarked on a scavenger hunt around the park, and visitors met some of the critters who call Cosley Zoo home.
Our July sports-themed Play Day brought the spirit of the Olympics to the Playground, and families competed against each other in RISE Fitness’ obstacle course.
Our final Play Day of the year in August proved to be an especially colorful one, as kids painted rocks with Lincoln Marsh, designed their own buttons with the Wheaton Public Library and created colorful scratch-off animals with WDSRA.
Thank you to everyone who joined us this year, and special thanks to our sponsors Wheaton Bank & Trust and Culligan Water. We look forward to another great year of Play Days in 2025, filled with new themes and fun times!
