Construction officially began on Moss Universal Park in Wauwatosa with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 26, 2023, a project organizers describe as the country's first park built entirely for people of all ages and abilities. The 18-acre site at 10300 W. Wisconsin Ave., formerly known as Wisconsin Avenue Park, broke ground with plans for adaptive baseball fields, sensory play areas, therapy spaces and accessible trails woven throughout the grounds.
According to OnMilwaukee, the project includes a clubhouse, ball fields and fitness or therapy areas. The opening timeline has varied across reports. The project's website lists Phase 1 and Phase 2 figures of $12.5 million and $9.5 million, respectively. Phase 2 groundbreaking is planned for fall 2026 and would add a universal playground, a challenge course, trails or woods, fitness areas and a sensory valley.
The park's name change reflects a major act of philanthropy behind the project. Wisconsin Avenue Park is being renamed George French Moss Park in honor of the late Wauwatosa donor after a $2.5 million gift from the George F. Moss Foundation Trust, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. The overall project cost has also varied by report, with WPR citing a $10 million redevelopment and Sports Destinations describing a $12 million overhaul.
What's Actually Being Built
Beyond the dollar figures, the design details are consistent across sources. The park is meant to offer universal accessibility “from ball fields to bathrooms, playgrounds to picnics, fitness to forestry,” according to the project's own site, universalpark.org. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that planned amenities include a wheelchair-accessible slide, a clubhouse with accessible restrooms and sensory rooms, baseball fields, picnic areas, a half-mile of universally inclusive trails and a challenge course.
One of the centerpiece features will be a universal field designed for adaptive sports, according to Sports Destinations. The project's website says one baseball field will be transformed into what it calls the country's first Universal Field, intended for adaptive athletes and disabled veterans. Seasonal adaptive equipment — including bikes, trail chairs and cross-country skis — will be available for free rental, per Wisconsin Public Radio.
A Public-Private Partnership With a National Model in Mind
The project is a public-private partnership between the Ability Center, Milwaukee County, Milwaukee County Parks and IMPACT Parks, according to Wisconsin Public Radio's reporting. OnMilwaukee reports the park sits near notable neighbors, including the Milwaukee County Zoo, the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center and the St. Camillus senior living community — a location that could put the adaptive amenities within easy reach of nearby medical and senior communities.
The park is being positioned as a model for communities nationwide: according to Gametime, it is meant to be registered as a National Demonstration Site for inclusive play.
Timeline Details Still in Flux
Exactly when different pieces of Moss Universal Park will open has shifted across reporting. The project's website lists a schedule calling for Phase 1 groundbreaking in fall 2025 with an opening in summer 2026, and Phase 2 groundbreaking in fall 2026 with an opening in summer 2027. Wisconsin Public Radio's earlier report said the first phase, to be designed by IMPACT Parks, was expected to open the following summer.
Whatever the final costs and calendar turn out to be, the scope of the vision is clear from the amenity list alone: adaptive play equipment, a sensory-safe playground, therapy and fitness stations, and trails meant to be usable by people of all ages and abilities, all built into what was previously a standard neighborhood park. For a broader sense of what inclusive outdoor recreation can look like elsewhere, Sports Destinations notes that Great Smoky Mountains National Park has offered seven adaptive opportunities of its own, including hikes, mountain-bike rides, a kayak trip and a night of camping.
