The City of Dickson Parks and Recreation Department will open the Henslee Park Splash Pad for its second season on Friday, April 5, 2024.
The 4,000-square-foot Splash Pad has 20 water features and is located next to the 25,000-square-foot Playground with 26 features in Henslee Park at 800 Highway 70 West on the site of the former Dickson Country Club. The city purchased the 126-acre site in 2018 and is developing it into one of the premier recreational facilities in the region.
The Splash Pad and Playground opened in June. Henslee Park also features more than four miles of walking/running/biking trails, fishing ponds, a fenced Dog Park and an 18-hole Disc Golf Course as well as extensive greenspace for picnicking and playing.
“Spring is right around the corner and we’re already seeing temperatures reaching into the 70s,” said Dickson Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Cherie Wilson. “We are excited for another season of fun in the sun at the Splash Pad, which proved to be extremely popular in its first year, drawing visitors from all across Middle Tennessee.”
The Splash Pad will be open under the operating hours that were in place when it closed for the winter in October.
The Henslee Park Splash Pad will be open:
• Mondays 8:00 am-8:00 pm;
• Tuesdays 8:00 am-8:00 pm;
• Wednesdays 4:00 pm-8:00 pm;
• Thursdays 8:00 am-8:00 pm;
• Fridays 8:00 am-8:00 pm;
• Saturdays 8:00 am-8:00 pm; and
• Sundays 12:00 pm-8:00 pm.
The Henslee Park Playground is open:
• Mondays sunrise to 10:00 pm;
• Tuesdays sunrise to 10:00 pm;
• Wednesdays 4:00 pm-10:00 pm;
• Thursdays sunrise-10:00 pm;
• Fridays sunrise-10:00 pm;
• Saturdays sunrise-10:00 pm; and
• Sundays sunrise-10:00 pm.
The Splash Pad and Playground will be closed for maintenance and cleaning on Wednesdays and will open at 4:00 pm.
The picnic tables under the pavilion and the shaded benches around the park are available on a first-come, first-served basis. No part of the park can be reserved or rented. Chairs and tables are not allowed on the Splash Pad/Playground area or on the artificial turf as they can damage the surfaces. Chairs, tables, towels, blankets and pop-up canopies can be set up in the grassy areas surrounding the Splash Pad and Playground.
As part of keeping the Splash Pad and Playground clean, food is not allowed within any of the play areas and those enjoying the park are asked to dispose of their trash before leaving.
No pets are allowed in the Splash Pad and Playground areas but are allowed on leash in the greenspace and trails. The adjacent Dog Park is the only area in Henslee Park where dogs may be off leash.
Skateboards, scooters, roller skates, inline skates and other wheeled devices are not allowed in the Splash Pad or Playground area and pavilion, steps or railings. Parents are cautioned that water will make the Splash Pad surface and bathroom floors slippery and visitors should wear appropriate footwear and avoid running.
“We’ve decided to establish the first Friday in April as the target opening date each year for the Splash Pad and generally will plan to keep it open past the school system’s Fall Break in mid-October,” said Public Works Director David Travis. “Those dates always will be dependent on weather.”
The City of Dickson continues to plan for the construction of an aquatic facility that could include an indoor swimming pool at Henslee Park and is in discussions for a joint project with the Dickson County Family YMCA. The decision was made last year to close the 45-year-old swimming pool at J. Dan Buckner Park due to extensive repairs required by the Tennessee Department of Health before it would issue an operating permit.
The Parks and Recreation Department has received a $1,250,000 Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for Phase I of renovations at J. Dan Buckner Park, to include construction of a playground, pavilion with bathrooms, two basketball courts and two courts double-striped for tennis and pickleball along Weaver Drive on the east edge of the park. That project is currently in the design phase and plans will be reviewed by TDEC before the project is put out for bids.
The city is currently working with consulting engineering firm Kimley-Horn to apply for a grant for Phase II.
The city also is in the design phase for a downtown playground and pavilion with restrooms located next to the Skate Park behind Dickson Fire Department Station #1 on Church Street.
