About three hours south of Indianapolis, the Nature Playscape at Wesselman Woods in Evansville makes for a fun family day trip. This five-acre outdoor play area skips the typical playground setup and gives kids space to climb, dig, explore and make up their own adventures in a setting built around the woods instead of plastic equipment.
What Kids Will Find at the Nature Playscape
Forget standard slides and metal climbing structures. The Welborn Baptist Foundation Nature Playscape is all about open-ended play in a wooded landscape. Kids can scramble over fallen logs, balance on rocks, explore native plants and get good and muddy while they’re at it. The whole space is designed to let children follow their own curiosity through unstructured outdoor play.
The Arwood Family Treehouse
The Arwood Family Treehouse opened in June 2024 and stands 12 feet high, putting families at mid-canopy level in the forest. Kids can tackle ramps, rock walls, rope bridges and climbing ropes, and an overlook faces Odonata Pond, where you might spot turtles.
The Bernhardt Family Bird Sanctuary
Also inside the playscape, the Bernhardt Family Bird Sanctuary adds more trails, nature play rooms and plantings designed to support wild birds. Look for a redbud tree tunnel, a dry creek bed ecosystem and other nature-based play elements that blend into the surrounding habitat.
Getting There
A newer accessible pathway now connects the Nature Center directly to the playscape, making it easier for more families to reach the play area. Everyone enters through the Wesselman Woods Nature Center.
Plan Your Visit
Admission to Wesselman Woods includes the Nature Playscape, the Nature Center, more than four miles of walking trails, the Arwood Family Treehouse and the Bernhardt Family Bird Sanctuary.
Location:
Wesselman Woods Nature Center
551 N. Boeke Road, Evansville, IN 47711
Hours:
Tuesday–Saturday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sunday: 12–5 p.m.
Closed Monday
Good to know:
The Nature Playscape, including the treehouse and bird sanctuary, closes at 3 p.m. Winter hours run through March, when the whole site closes at 4 p.m.
Admission:
Adults: $5
Children ages 3–12: $3
Children under 3: Free
Members: Free
For current details before you go, visit the official Wesselman Woods Nature Playscape page.
