For this week’s Slide Guide, we traveled to Kaukauna to check out that community’s newest playground.
La Follette Park, on a hill near the Fox River, has lots of nostalgia for area residents. One parkgoer, Katie Peters of Appleton, said the park was near the bus stop she used to take to school while growing up nearby.
Still, while the park has kept old playground equipment, it has also made plenty of room for new upgrades. La Follette’s new playground opened in June 2024 as part of a phased plan to improve the park. And, in June 2025, the park opened a set of six pickleball courts.
La Follette Park, 220 Park St., Kaukauna
Surface: Poured-in-place rubber surfacing for new playground, woodchips for old playground
Fencing: No fencing
Restrooms: Restrooms in shelter
Shade: Pavilion, shade trees near playground
Inclusive features: paved walkway, handicap parking, harness and generation swings, seated spinner, communication board
Other features: Playground for ages 2-5 and 5-12, pickleball and basketball courts, sandbox with digger, pavilion, net climber
Reviews: Online reviewers said they loved both the old and the new park equipment, a sentiment we also found when we visited.
Riker, 8, said his favorite part of the park was the tallest slide on the new structure. Kaukauna resident Kortney Nelson said she thought keeping the old equipment was a good choice since it’s in good condition.
And the old equipment is still being loved. During our visit, several babies and toddlers were playing on the swings and a wall of spinners on the old playground, separate from where bigger kids were enjoying the new structure.
Slide Guide rating: 8/10. While the playgrounds could use more seating nearby as well as a water fountain, we liked seeing plenty of play equipment for all ages and lots of shade trees.
Food and drink nearby: Hill Top Bakery, 100 E. Seventh St.; Patty and Pablo’s, 145 E. Second St.; Fast Taco, 201 Dodge St.
Do you have a park you’d like reviewed? Let us know!
Rebecca Loroff is a K-12 education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. Contact her at rloroff@gannett.com.