The ribbon cutting ceremony at the newly unveiled playground at Russell Park. June 17, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A dedication for one of Fond du Lac’s newest playgrounds was held Monday at Buttermilk Creek Park.
“The city of Fond du Lac is fortunate enough to have Burke Playground Equipment right in our backyard, so we were able to get a lot of the new features for this particular playground, so a really unique structure,” explained Park and Forestry Superintendent John Redmond.
Features include towering slides, climbing sections and a rubber surface. This not only makes it safer, but also more accessible for children in wheelchairs or who use mobility aids.
Head five minutes north, you’ll find Russell Park — which now has a baseball-themed playground, complete with a fake concession stand and scoreboard.
It goes great with the park’s existing baseball diamonds, according to City Manager Joe Moore.
“Youth sports happen here all the time, but if you’re here watching, if you’re somebody’s brother or sister, what are you going to do?” Moore said. “So now, you’ve got this playground here for those times.”
In total, the two playgrounds cost around $280,000 to build — paid for in part by the city’s Capital Improvement Projects fund. Redmond said these two playgrounds are just the beginning.
We’ve identified playgrounds that have older structures, and we will be designing those and installing some new playgrounds at each of those parks every other year.
The upgrades aren’t just for visual improvements. The city is looking to make playgrounds safer and more inclusive for all children.
“We want to provide ADA accessibility, so we want to be able to have playgrounds that everyone can play at,” Redmond said.
The end goal? “That’s really what we want our parks to be. Not just neighborhoods, but destinations,” Moore said.
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