Have you been to Kid Venture 2.0, the Anderson splash pad and playground yet? We are here to tell you all about it because you are going to really love it!
Kid Venture 2.0 has been in the works for several years and cost about $3.5 million. I learned that it has really been a lesson in bureaucracy done right. Everything from the funding to the planning to the implementation has been local counties and governments working together in a way that has produced something so beneficial to the community.
The biggest draw of the playground is the splash pad, but there’s so much more to enjoy! The splash pad is open starting Memorial Day 2023 and runs through August 13, 2023 daily from 9 am – 8 pm. Then only Saturday and Sunday plus Labor Day from August 19th – September 3rd, 2023.
The entire park is free.
The Splash Pad
Let’s just start there because that’s why you’re reading this story, isn’t it? The splash pad hours for 2023 start Memorial Day and run through August 13, 2023 daily from 9 am – 8 pm. Then only Saturday and Sunday plus Labor Day from August 19th – September 3rd, 2023.
The design of the entire playground is so playful and fun, including the splash pad. There is water that comes out from the ground as well as drops from above in structures that are tall and colorful. There isn’t much shade yet at the splash pad but the county will be planting trees along the benches to help remedy that challenge. They couldn’t do it in the heat of summer or the trees would die.
The entire splash pad is fenced in and sits right next to the path along the pond where the ducks and geese are.
The Playground
The whole playground is ADA-accessible and part of the playground is also sensory-friendly. Glenn Brill, the Director of the Parks, Recreation & Tourism Division for Anderson County, told me this playground is meant to be for everyone. His enthusiasm was contagious and I could easily see how excited he is for the playground and splash pad to open to the public.
There is an adorable little market area for little kids with a fire truck for them to drive, tunnels to climb through, and an imitation farmers market. It is so cute and they call it the Lil Village. Aw!
The sensory-friendly area is just beyond that part with cozy nooks to sit inside.
Part of the original playground from Kid Venture is still there and it includes some of the swing and bigger slides and walkways. There’s also a spinning area called Swingin & Blues with little seats that spin, a mushroom spinning wheel kids can hang onto, and a wheelchair-accessible ground level spinning covered seat Merry Go Round. My kids loved this one.
There are beautiful shaded areas with benches throughout the playground and the ground is quite soft.
The Bathrooms
The bathrooms are large and beautiful and heavy duty. Glenn told me they double as a storm shelter and can sustain winds up to 120 mph. You didn’t know a bathroom could do that, did you? Don’t feel bad, neither did I.
The bathrooms are on automatic locks and are open 8 am – 8 pm and are right inside the playground next to the splash pad for easy access.
The Picnic Shelter
There’s a nice, big shaded picnic area at Kid Venture but the county isn’t renting it out – it’s first come, first served. So if you want to have a birthday party there for your kid (which would be pretty cool), just get there early and set up. There’s no charge for having a party there or any other gathering.
Visiting Kid Venture 2.0
Kid Venture 2.0 has a lot going for it and as a parent, the two things I noticed straight away that I thought were so key was that the entire playground is fenced in and that there are plenty of shaded areas for sitting. And the shade isn’t just some canopy. Nope. They are gorgeous butterflies and flowers, so eye-catching and pretty and useful! If you’ve been to Dollywood, these look very similar to the shade structures they have there.
The playground is open daily for play, bathrooms open from 8 am – 8 pm. The splash pad is open daily starting Memorial Day, 9 am – 8 pm.
There is no fee for the playground or splash pad. The county has installed cameras throughout the park for security as well.
I brought my kids, ages 11 and 7, to both the playground and splash pad, and they loved it. I’d say the best ages are toddlers through middle school, maybe a bit younger. Kid Venture 2.0 is such a great addition to Anderson County and I think the community will truly love this place.
Kid Venture
7 Jim Ed, Rice Circle, Anderson
864.260.4800
Kid Venture Facebook page
Looking for more parks and playgrounds near Greenville, SC? Here’s your ultimate guide to all the parks and playgrounds in the Upstate.