WATER GARDEN
Detroitisit got a sneak peek inside Detroit’s next great public space — a private tour of Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park just days before its grand opening — and it’s safe to say: this is a game changer for the city’s riverfront.
Eight years in the making and backed by an $80 million investment, this 22-acre transformation officially opens October 25, welcoming Detroiters to four distinct zones of recreation, reflection, and riverfront connection.
Once a flat industrial stretch of the West Riverfront, the park has been reimagined as a lush, living landscape featuring nearly 40,000 native perennials, grasses, shrubs, and trees — including 967 trees, 2,413 shrubs, and nearly 39,000 perennials and grasses, many grown specifically for this project.
DELTA DENTAL PLAY GARDEN
Designed by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) — the same firm behind iconic parks in New York and Chicago — and led by the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Ralph Wilson Park blends artful design, ecological restoration, and pure Detroit spirit.
A major highlight is the Delta Dental Play Garden, a vast sculptural playscape anchored by three enormous animal structures built by Monstrum, the Danish playground design company known for its imaginative, climbable art pieces. The creatures — part play equipment, part public art — make the garden an instant landmark for families and visitors.
At the park’s heart is The Water Garden, a striking feature that brings the Detroit River directly into the landscape through a series of controlled, ecologically sensitive channels. Visitors can get close to the water, walk among native plantings, and experience the river up close — safely and sustainably. Rolling landforms, cherry blossoms in spring, fiery oaks in fall, and year-round biodiversity promise to make the park a stunner all year long.
With the East Riverfront complete and two more miles of the West Riverfront soon to open, Detroit’s riverfront renaissance is entering its most beautiful chapter yet.
WATER GARDEN
Fun Facts: What to Know Before You Go
• Opening Day: October 25, 2025 — with community celebrations to follow.
• Total Investment: $80 million.
• Size: 22 acres — one of Detroit’s largest new public parks in decades.
• Years in the Making: 8 (planning began in 2018).
• Planting Power: Nearly 40,000 plants, 967 trees, and 2,413 shrubs — all native to the region.
• Four Main Zones: The Delta Dental Play Garden, Huron-Clinton Metroparks Learning Zone, The Water Garden, and the expansive Performance Lawn.
• Playground Spotlight: Three massive Monstrum animal structures bring art and play together in the Delta Dental Play Garden, plus two other structures within a younger kids play area – designed straight from the imaginations of Detroit youth.
RALPH C. WILSON PARK
• Design Firm: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA), known for Brooklyn Bridge Park and Maggie Daley Park.
• Sustainability Focus: Recycled water systems, native biodiversity, and zero pesticides or fertilizers.
• Best View: The Detroit skyline framed by wildflowers, river water, and sunlight.
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