'A Gathering Place' Play Towers Arrive At Tulsa Park

The largest pieces of play equipment for the Gathering Place are not at the park. Trucks hauled the playground towers in a 90-minute convoy across town Wednesday.

It's a significant step because the towers will soon be the tallest structures in the park.

Bound for the Gathering Place, the six towers were on the move from east Tulsa to Riverside Drive. The towers stacked up in a convoy as they moved from the warehouse to the playground.

A Gathering Place For Tulsa

"I think it looks wonderful and it's a great thing for Tulsa," said Tulsa resident Shanelle Edison.

The towers were designed and built in Germany then reassembled in Tulsa.

3/15/2017 Related Story: Play Towers Are Ready For Delivery To Tulsa's 'A Gathering Place'

The wooden and steel towers include a water tower custom designed for the Gathering Place.

News On 6 anchor Scott Thompson visited the factory to see how it was made.

Manufacturer Julian Richter said they try to build the most imaginative play equipment in the world that can teach children to be independent.

"They should make their own experiences and they should be self-determined in play,” Richter said. “And they should decide whether they want to go up this tower or not. And this is one of the most important principles, not just in play, but in work."

Project Manager Jeff Stava said the towers will go up over the next few days but it will take months to complete them.

Though the park is far from finished, the towers have to go in now because they're too large to move in later.

Stava said, “Trying to get all those things place because it's so difficult to bring large items in once you've got all the soil in, and the irrigation and the sidewalks with cobbled edges, we've been waiting to get this installed, so we can get all the finish work done.”

The towers will have bridges connecting them and the tallest tower will be so high it will have a view over the tree tops.