Bethel Park opens new Splash Park

Looking into a crowd of children wearing bathing suits in anticipation of being first-ever guests at the new Bethel Park Splash Park, state Rep. Natalie Mihalek decided to keep her comments brief.

“I don’t want to be the one standing in the way of kids going to the splash pad, especially when the sun is shining,” she said. “You got a perfect day for it.”

Mother Nature cooperated May 25 as the municipality opened its latest community amenity. Mihalek joined other elected officials in speaking about the project prior to a ceremonial ribbon cutting, followed by lots of youngsters having lots of water-related fun.

John Oakes, Bethel Park Council president, welcomed guests to “one of the largest municipal splash parks in Allegheny County.”

“This $3.5 million splash park is a little over an acre in size and offers two featured areas, one for younger children, with a river component to float toys, and a larger area for children of all ages with spray toys and other attractions,” he said. “Along with municipal funds, the splash park was financed through two grants from the state and federal government, as well as various community fundraisers.”

Groundbreaking took place in April 2023 for the park, which had “been in the making for four years and was part of our strategic plan to upgrade all of our recreational facilities, giving each park its own unique attraction,” he explained.

“I’d like to acknowledge our past and present council members, who learned in a 2018 recreational study that our residents wanted a water feature. We worked diligently to achieve that goal,” Oakes said, specifically citing the effort of Tim Moury, past council president, “who spearheaded the process for the new park.”

He further thanked municipal manager Kristen Denne for her efforts helping to bring the splash park to completion.

Lindsay Flinn, who chairs council’s public works committee, offered more words of gratitude.

She thanked public works director Susan Dolinar “and our entire public works crew for working tirelessly.”

“We would not have been able to do this without you,” Flinn said. “All of these beautiful details — the lawn, the furniture — is all thanks to public works. They help our community run smoothly.”

She expressed appreciation to interim recreation director Jason Mentel and programs coordinator Lindsey Sibert “for their hard work and attention along the way,” and engineer Louis Lambros for “working side by side with both public works and the recreation department.”

“I am just so proud of all of our staff and everyone who’s worked together to make today happen,” Flinn said.

The splash park’s location off South Park Road formerly was the site of a baseball field, and Mihalek said she is impressed with the transformation from the time her son played there.

“This is really a team effort,” she said. “I remember Tim Moury coming to me a couple of years back about it, that they were going to build a splash pad. It’s going to be right here. And I didn’t really believe him at the time, looking at the baseball field. But they were able to pull it off. Glad to play a small role in finding some state dollars to come back to Bethel Park.”

The Bethel Park Splash Park is open from noon to 7 p.m. daily, with an 11 a.m. opening for seasonal members. Memberships and day passes are available at the Bethel Park Community Center, 5151 Park Ave. Memberships and/or passes must be purchased prior to visiting the park.

For more information, call 412-851-2910 or visit bethelpark.net/community-center/splash-park.