Part of the park · Replaced 2019
The playground
Swings and climbing equipment mid-park, between the shelter and the bust of the woman who wanted children here.
The story
Helen McKennan wanted her land to be a place where "children, young people, and mothers with their little babies could come and rest in the cool shade, drinking in the fresh air." The 1983 National Register survey lists playground equipment among the park's facilities, and the nomination calls the playground extensive.
The present accessible playground, mid-park next to the picnic shelter and the Helen McKennan bust, was replaced in 2019. The 2020 master plan proposes toddler play elements as a grant project.
Photographs: Frame from The McKennan Park Historic District, City of Sioux Falls government-access television, 2010, via Internet Archive.
At a glance
| Replaced | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Access | Accessible equipment |
| Where | Mid-park, by the shelter and the bust |
| Restrooms | At the pool bathhouse and the tennis building |
Questions: Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation, 605-367-7060.
Keep walking
Next parts of the park.
Tennis and basketball courts
Eight lit courts at the north end, on ground where tennis has been played since the park's second summer.
The picnic shelter and winter rink
A 22-by-22-foot shelter with power, reservable online. The ice rink goes in beside it when the ground freezes.
The wading pool
Free since 1929. The fourth pool on the site opened May 29, 2026, with a slide, sprays and a new bathhouse.