Hilton Head’s newest Coligny-area park is officially open! Take a look around
It’s finished!
Hilton Head Island’s newest park, the Lowcountry Celebration Park off Pope Avenue, officially opened Thursday with a town ribbon cutting.
A handful of children, arriving to play on the playground, squealed with excitement and wide-eyed “WOW”s as they approached the massive play structure. Parents praised the beauty of the new development.
The 10-acre park, playground and museum have been under construction since summer 2018. Its construction is responsible for a new traffic light on the island’s “boulevard to the beach.”
It takes the place of a previously undeveloped lot and retention pond that sat behind the Coligny Beach parking lot. The overgrown area was often used for overflow parking.
Now, it’s transformed.
The park features a massive, ship-themed playground titled “The Adventure.” It’s named for the vessel that explorer Capt. William Hilton used to travel to Hilton Head Island in 1663.
Surrounding the playground is a water feature that will be activated soon, as well as walking paths, open space for events, a stage, a restroom building and a children’s’ museum.
It’s clear the area was designed with Hilton Head families and visitors in mind. There’s plenty of seating around the multi-level playground, with places to charge phones and electronics. The playground and nearby benches have large shade structures to keep people cool in the summer.
As Hilton Head Urban Planner Chris Darnell stood on the ground level of the playground Thursday morning, children ran above his head, emitting the roar of joy that comes with a good old-fashioned day outside.
He grinned ear to ear and pointed out his favorite features: the functional cannons that send mist into the air. A child on the other end of the cannon frolicked in the mist.
The park was built in just under 18 months. Darnell has been part of the planning process that began before Hurricane Matthew hit the island.
“This really was a team effort,” he said Thursday. “I hope everyone comes and enjoys the park, because it really is a celebration of Hilton Head and all that is special about (this place).”
The park was originally planned to be open by May, but construction was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to Scott Liggett, director of public projects and facilities. The pandemic meant delayed material deliveries and a reduced number of people working.
The budget for the project is $12 million, but Liggett said the final costs are likely to be around $14.1 million. It’s being funded by taxes from a special tax district that includes the Coligny Plaza area.
Here’s some information about the new Lowcountry Celebration Park:
Park hours
The Adventure Playground will be open from sunrise to sunset.
Restrooms at the park close at 10 p.m.
Because there are no gates at park entrances or fences around the perimeter of the park, it will be open 24/7.
A path around the outside of the park is softly lit for walkers and runners.
On Thursday, leaders from The Island Recreation Center were on site, mapping out the new park. Darnell said the green space will be a prime place to host festivals once it’s safe to do so.
Plugs are located throughout the park for electric hookups for food trucks, music and vendors.
In the future, Darnell said, the town will host events and festivals at both the Lowcountry Celebration Park and Shelter Cove Community Park.
Parking at Coligny
Parking is available in the Coligny Beach Parking Lot off Nassau Street or on-street parking on Nassau Street.
You can enter the park from the Nassau Street or Pope Avenue sidewalks or at the Lagoon Road and Pope Avenue intersection, which leads to a drop-off location for the park.
The park is generally accessible for persons of all abilities, Gruber said.
Spaces designated as handicap parking are available in the Nassau Street parking lot and near the drop-off location.
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 10:00 AM.
