Indoor playground in Lake Crystal opens after seven years of planning

LAKE CRYSTAL, Minn. (KEYC) - After seven years of planning and fundraising, the Lake Crystal community has a new outlet for kids stuck indoors during brutal Minnesota winters.

The indoor playground comes equipped with slides and climbers and even has a side workout area for parents to use while the kids play.

The $1.5 million project was funded primarily from grants and donors, with the city of Lake Crystal pitching in the last bit needed after four years of fundraising.

“To come in here and just be in the space and watch the kids run around and play and hear the laughter and see the parents working out it’s amazing how well it came together,” Executive Director of the Lake Crystal Area Recreation Center Ryan Yunkers said. The recreation center is where the playground is housed.

Now the playground is open, and there are already plans to work it into existing programming.

The rec center has a program called “Fit Kids” that’s focused on expanding ways to keep kids active and healthy.

The new space will give a new option to keeping kids moving all year round, and there are already plans to get the school’s after-school program involved in using the space.

“Our Minnesota winters get awfully long,” the rec center’s Family Programs Manager Larissa Ward said. “So without a space like this kids are confined indoors where there isn’t a lot to do, so having this as a creative outlet and a place for them to socialize is an invaluable addition to our community.”

The opening of the space coincides with the reopening of Highway 60 through Lake Crystal, meaning there won’t be any detours or closures awaiting residents who decide to give the space a try.

“The highway opening up at the same time is great. I live in North Mankato and it’s maybe 17 minutes door-to-door to get here. It’s a quick easy ride to Lake Crystal,” Yunkers said.

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