Magical Bridge Mountain View Grand Opening

This past weekend saw the Grand Opening of another Magical Bridge Playground! The newest member of the Magical Bridge family is located in Mountain View, at Rengstorff Park.

Tucked into a corner of the park, this playground offers inclusive play features, as wells as art zones and relaxation areas.

The entry way features the large Magical Bridge Playground sign greeting all who visit. One of our three retreat huts can be seen behind the welcome sign

Olenka Villarreal, Magical Bridge Founder & CEO, talks about the importance of inclusive play and community during the grand opening speeches.

The local police were there to make sure we didn’t have too much fun during the celebration! Actually, they were enjoying the relaxation area where picnic tables provided an eating area and the retreat hut provided a secluded space.

Fun stuff is always happening on the first floor stage where crowds gathered to watch the entertainment. Or for quieter moments, slip away from the commotion to the cafe upstairs and enjoy a good book. Barbara’s built-in Magical Bookcase features bright colors and is filled with donated books - the “take a book, leave a book” program makes for a delightful revolving compilation of children’s’ books, complementing the hand carved & stained permanent Barbara Butler book collection! And how better to read a book then by enjoying a (hand-painted) cup of coffee at the reading table next to the bookshelf.

The opening was celebrated by a large crowd!

The disk swings were in constant use, providing an accessible and unique swing experience for kids of all abilities!

Testing out the slide mound! All clear for take off!

The bakery is open for business! Hand carved & painted signs, bakery items and sweets adorn the play stations on the first floor. Parents and children enjoy hours of imaginative play together at the bakery! Barbara and team created the play features, sculpting & carving the pieces from mahogany; then Rudi Verhoeven, artist and sign painter, brought Barbara’s sketches to life. Finally the pieces are doweled and glued to the tables, to withstand years of play.

We built the overhead sign at the 2nd park entrance which was hand painted by our legendary sign painter, Rudi.