W.C. Johnson Park — Attraction in Collierville

It has been about two years since I took my kids to this sprinkler park. All week long we have been looking forward to having a family outing at the sprinkler park. We put on our swimsuits and got all geared up to go. It takes about 25 minutes of driving time to get from our home in East Memphis to Cox Park. On our way out to the park, we patronized a Collierville establishment to get a picnic for lunch. It is overcast today (July 23, 2016,) so we weren't too surprised the sprinkler pad was empty. There were only 4 boys (maybe 16 or 17 years old) sitting together at one of the picnic tables by the gate. There is now a chain link fence around the sprinkler section. I had not seen that the last time we were there, but thought it was erected for the safety of the children using the park. We walk up to the gate with all of our gear and food in hand, and one of the guys comes up to us and asks us if we have a recreational pass. I told him I didn't know what he was talking about. He then said, "do you live in Collierville?" I told him we lived in East Memphis. He said, "well, you can only use this park if you live in Collierville or if you have a rec. pass." He then informed me that the rec. office, where you buy the passes, is closed today... so we are out of luck. Sadly, that fence wasn't build to keep children safe, it was built to keep people out. Let me review. There are 5 people in towels and swimsuits with hot food in hand who have driven 25 minutes to get there and there isn't a soul at the sprinkler pad and there is no way we could buy these passes because their recreational office is closed and he isn't willing to make an exception. I maintained my composure, but needless to say, I am disappointed. Even more than that, I think it is sad that this sprinkler park is really only for a certain group of people now. That's sad. I guess there may be other public parks that practice this type of exclusivity, but I haven't run across those yet. For others, like me, who weren't aware of this recreational pass thing, each person must have a pass and it will cost you $10 per pass. Maybe it's just as well the rec. office was closed today, as I am not sure I would have been mentally prepared to spend $50.00 spend an hour at the park.

Addendum: I have now spoken with a half dozen of my friends (all of whom live in Collierville) to talk about this situation and 5 of the six told me this is being done because Collierville residents were unhappy there were "so many Hispanics and African Americans frequenting the park and it was clear they were coming in from other areas outside the city" and this was the city's way to cut down on "those types of people." Really!!?? I'm glad we didn't end up staying; I...

As a Germantown resident, we went to the splash park last Saturday not knowing that the policy had changed and you now have to be a Collierville resident to go to the splash park area. My 3 year old was SO excited as we led him into going to the park all week long just to be turned away. We were directed to go to Parks and Rec to get a pass for $10 per person per day. REALLY?? This isn't a freaking theme park! To top it off, the only time to get these outrageously priced passes is M-F 8-5, when most people are at work, making it impossible to get! The look of utter disappointment on my child's face will now forever be in my mind because of this .. racist, if you will, park. Stay classy, Collierville. GAC will get my money next year for an even better...

This park is great for the whole family! There are plenty of fields for sports, walking trails, a fishing pond (license required), little skate park (I believe?), a splash pad (must have a pass to enter), and a playground! Unfortunately the playground is not shaded but there is shade for the picnic tables. One of the playgrounds has sand around it which is fun for the kids. We kept a bucket of sand toys in the back of the car because we would go so often. The splash pad has shaded tables also and has interactive parts go it. Definitely fun for kids of all ages. This park is always clean. There’s not usually many kids on the playground during the summer because the equipment is too hot but usually there’s a lot of friendly...