Thompson Park
Set across 3.8 acres in the heart of downtown Overland Park, Kansas, Thompson Park serves as a vibrant greenspace for gathering, playing and relaxing and is the result of extensive planning with the City to create a vision for its most significant downtown park space.
A robust public engagement process resulted in a park concept and construction plans that embrace the prevalence of aviation in Overland Park's past, take cues from the park's historic carriage house that still remains on site and look proactively at how this space will be used in the future. Thompson Park's new modern elements complement its historic features while creating a place that meets the demands of a bustling downtown environment. Our design incorporates interactive features to encourage imaginative play, including a splash pad and a play area with crawl tunnel, climbing structure, spinner, swings and musical instruments. A newly constructed stage features an iconic paper airplane-shaped awning, a nod to the city's significant aviation history, and offers a venue for the city to host concerts and other entertainment events. The existing carriage house, which was originally built by Overland Park founder William Strang, has been renovated and now serves as a modern event space.