JCC opens new inclusive playground for all families in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Trager Family JCC opened a new inclusive playground on Monday.

The Blieden Family Playground is on the east side of the JCC campus off Dutchmans Lane in the Bowman neighborhood. The brightly colored playground allows for children of all abilities to play together.

It has elements for children who use wheelchairs and features for children who use Cochlear Implants. The playground has a swing for children in wheelchairs to ride, a roller slide and a metallophone.

"It's been a dream of ours for the last decade, and this is the physical embodiment of who we are, in our approach to creating environments, communities for people no matter where they come from, what stage of life, what difficulties they face," said Thomas Wissinger, senior vice president of Trager Family JCC. "We want them to find a home here at the JCC."

The playground is open to all of Louisville. Families don't need to join JCC to use it.

The Trager Family Jewish Community Center opened in 2022. The 107,000-square foot facility is located at 3600 Dutchmans Lane behind the previous JCC building, which has been torn down.

The $43 million project created a facility with a variety of fitness activities, an indoor aquatics center, two basketball courts, group exercise and training rooms, along with a cycle studio and elevated track. The aquatics center will offer a six-lane, 25-meter pool.

JCC opened its former facility in 1955 after the Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA) was started in 1890. It will be demolished within the next few months.

For more information like scheduling a tour or becoming a member, click here.

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