A “magical treehouse” playground is planned for the renovated Dwight Murphy Park and is promised to be Santa Barbara’s “most accessible” playground ever.
Santa Barbara’s Dwight Murphy Field project includes a new outdoor fitness area, soccer facility, softball field, recreation lawn, picnic tables, and an accessible magical treehouse-themed playground at 501 Ninos Drive, next to the Santa Barbara Zoo.
The project was reviewed by the Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review on Monday for minor changes made after final approval, including moving a park entrance and adding an archway at the entrance to the field, named the Ty Warner Sports Complex.
“This is pretty exciting,” said Justin Van Mullem, capital projects supervisor with the city Parks and Recreation Department. “We don’t get to do these types of projects very often.”
He added that the last major park renovation like this one was the Chase Palm Park expansion in 1994.
The playground, named Gwendolyn’s Playground, features a three-story treehouse, and Van Mullem called it “the most accessible playground that Santa Barbara has ever done.”
It will include inclusive swings, hill slides, musical play elements, and a calming pod.
The playground is named for Gwendolyn Strong, who was born with a disease called spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA. Her parents, Bill and Victoria Strong, started the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation after she was born to reach out to other families of children with SMA and help fund research for a cure. Gwendolyn died at age 7.
Van Mullem explained that the original playground designs had too many entrances and exits; specifically, one exit was a ramp that led out of the treehouse directly onto the corner of Ninos Drive and Por La Mar Drive.
The ramp was redesigned as an overlook with bench seating.
“It gives you the ability to sit down and relax, but if you’re a child that wanders it doesn’t really give you an opportunity to escape into the street,” Van Mullem said.
The Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review was supportive of the changes; however, board member Trey Anderson called the design “extravagant.”
“It feels like there’s a lot going on, but I’m overall somewhat agnostic to the project as a whole,” Anderson said.
The new multi-sports field will be able to accommodate youth and adult soccer, rugby, and lacrosse, will feature defined areas on the sidelines for players and spectators, and sports lighting.
As of March the project is 36% complete, according to the city. Crews have installed underground storm drains and sewer systems, electrical equipment for park lighting, retaining walls and trash enclosure walls, and the steel frame for the magical treehouse.
In the coming months, work will include construction of the restrooms and sculpting of the trees around the magical treehouse.
The project is set to cost $32 million and includes $5 million in funding from billionaire Ty Warner, $6 million raised by the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, $1.5 million of federal Community Project Funding (CPF) secured by Congressman Salud Carbajal, and $19.5 million in Santa Barbara city funds.
Even with all the winter rain and flooding in the area, Van Mullem said the project is still on schedule for completion in spring 2027.
