When Neil and Ellie moved to Richmond fifteen years ago, they were brand new parents with five-month-old twins and virtually zero local connections. While Richmond may feel big to some, the couple left behind the bustling cities of Los Angeles and New York to come to what both describe as the smallest city they’ve ever lived in.
Their twins, Aiden and Grace, are now ninth graders in high school. Both are on the autism spectrum and both, their parents explain, grew up alongside PARK365. The family first visited when new friends, who had twins of their own, invited them to meet there on a crisp fall day.
Discovering a Playground with Purpose
“We didn’t even know how to navigate around Richmond at that point,” Neil remembers. “But we showed up, and the moment we walked in, our kids just took off. Every kid who goes there for the first time does that. They just take off.”
They had already visited some other, more traditional, playgrounds, and they liked those spots well enough. But PARK365 felt different from the start. The difference was subtle, but powerful.
“It was the first time we went to a place that was made with purpose,” Ellie says. “Everything was clearly thought through. The colors, the ground, the equipment, the way the play space flowed. And because Aiden was comfortable, I was comfortable. There was no anxiety.”
The twins’ comfort mattered deeply. Their parents were already sensing that Aiden, who was diagnosed much earlier than his sibling, processed the world a little differently from his peers. Even so, they immediately recognized how being at PARK365 changed the way their children interacted.
“It was the first experience of true integration” Ellie says. “Aiden would go on the big circle swing, and our friends’ kids would push him, then all the kids would hop on together. Everyone was included and nobody had to point it out. It was just happening.”
Over time, their family returned often. With each visit, they noticed new details that revealed just how intentional the design really was.
A Foundation for Belonging and Friendship
“There is kindness built into that playground,” Neil explains. “A knowingness. You could see it in things like the size of the caves the kids crawled through and the way the light came in. The place felt like it was saying, we get you.”
Even birthday parties under the pavilion felt different. Large gatherings sometimes made Aiden anxious, yet at PARK365, the environment supported him in a way that felt natural. “He would walk right through the crowd and back again” Neil remembers. “We didn’t even think about it. That was huge for us.”
The impact extended far beyond the playground. As their twins got older, they realized those early moments of belonging helped shape the way both children approached school and friendships.
“It helped them, absolutely” Ellie says. “It showed them, consciously or unconsciously, that they could move through the world with other kids who might do things differently. It helped us as parents too. We could see these are just kids. There was no separation.”
Today, as PARK365 celebrates its tenth anniversary, Aiden and Grace are nearly fifteen. They have grown taller and more independent. The family who invited them to the park that first day remains one of their closest friendships. Every New Year’s Eve, the two families still gather and reminisce. They even have photos of their kids spinning on the circle swing, legs tangled together in a way only children can manage.
For Neil and Ellie, the lessons of PARK365 still apply long after the playground years have passed.
“To new parents of children with disabilities, I always say keep going out into the world,” Ellie shares. “You will have more questions than answers, but places like PARK365 show you that all are welcome. Your child will find something that makes them comfortable, and you might feel relief too. Let that be the beginning.”
A decade after its opening, PARK365 remains one of Richmond’s most cherished accessible spaces. And for this family, it will always be something more than a park. It was a place that embraced their children exactly as they were and offered a glimpse of what true inclusion can feel like.
“It was magical” Neil says. “A happy place. A place built with love and thoughtfulness. And we’re still thankful for that.”
Do you have a favorite PARK365 memory or a story you’d love to share? We’d love to hear it! Submit your story at bit.ly/StoriesFromPARK365 or email us at soarcomms@soar365.org. To learn more about PARK365 and how SOAR365 supports individuals with disabilities and their families, visit soar365.org.
