"Well, I probably started in on this in the late 80s," Phil Burcher told KLKN on April 14, 2026, the day the skatepark at Canopy Yard opened near 7th and N Streets. Burcher has owned Precision Skateboard in Lincoln for more than four decades. He is also president of the Lincoln Skatepark Association.
Six months later, the skatepark is still the only part of Canopy Yard you can use. The playground, splash feature, dog park, zipline and trail are still behind construction fencing, and the target date for them has moved into 2027. So this fall and winter, Lincoln's newest downtown park belongs to the people who spent the longest asking for it.
The longest wait got the first opening
Skateboarding has had local champions for a long time. Along with Burcher, the push for a major skatepark included Kevin Wilkins, who founded and edited The Skateboard Mag. According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Wilkins worked in Southern California before coming back to Lincoln. Once home, he joined the people who had spent decades pushing for a significant skatepark in the city. The city named the facility the Kevin Wilkins Memorial Skatepark to recognize his work in skateboarding and his commitment to Lincoln.
The park was built for a lot more than skateboards. Olsson worked with Spohn Ranch, a California firm, on an all-wheels design that works for skateboards, scooters, inline skates and BMX bikes at every skill level. In her October 6, 2026 State of the City address, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird called it the largest inground skatepark between Denver and Des Moines. She said it has already brought thousands of skaters, bikers, bladers and their families downtown.
The programming is still being built. At the opening, Burcher told KLKN the association wants to teach lessons, bring in professional demos and run contests. He said volunteers would make that happen, the same way they got the park built. In June, 105.3 The Bone announced a free, all-ages Go Skate Day gathering at the park for June 21 with no registration. For anything after that, the Lincoln Skatepark Association is the group to watch.
What you can actually use this fall
Here are the basics from the City of Lincoln's Canopy Yard page:
- Hours: sunrise to sunset. That window keeps shrinking as fall goes on.
- Parking: Gold 4 Garage. The first hour is free, and fees apply for each hour after that.
- Closures: the skatepark may close temporarily from time to time through December 2026 while crews finish the areas around it.
- Who it's for: skateboards and other gear without motors only.
- House rules: no food, drinks or glass in the skating area, and no metal pegs or pedals because they damage the surface. Helmets are strongly recommended.
The closure warning has already played out once. 10/11 NOW reported that the skatepark would close after 5 p.m. from Monday, Aug. 3, through Friday, Aug. 7, so crews could build more of the park. If you're driving in with kids and boards, check the city page before you load the car.
Why the rest of the park now says 2027
The city's project page still lists December 2026 as the opening. Its timeline runs from the April 2023 announcement through design in 2024, the fundraising goal being reached in December 2024, and construction across 2025 and 2026. The mayor's October 6 address gave a newer date. "By early 2027, we plan to open the rest of this 10-acre park," she said. The project page puts the park at 8.5 acres. No local coverage we found has explained the schedule change, so early 2027 is the most recent public target.
| Feature | Status as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Kevin Wilkins Memorial Skatepark | Open since April 14, 2026 |
| Inclusive playground | Planned by early 2027 |
| Interactive water feature in Common Ground Plaza | Planned by early 2027 |
| Dog park | Planned by early 2027 |
| Community building with shaded outdoor seating | Planned by early 2027 |
| Zipline and pump track | Planned by early 2027 |
| Chris Beutler Trail | Planned by early 2027 |
The project page lists a few more details that aren't in the mayor's list. There's a welcome area at 7th and N with a public art piece, a canopy structure with porch swings looking out over an open lawn, public restrooms, and a mix of trees and plants that includes many native species. The playground was designed around the Outdoor Inclusive Play Strategic Plan, which the Lincoln Parks & Recreation Advisory Board adopted in 2022, so kids and adults of all ages and abilities can play together.
The trail side has its own namesakes
If skaters drove the first phase, cyclists show up all through the second. The Chris Beutler Trail will run along the west side of the park and link the N Street Protected Bikeway to the Jamaica North Trail. The Great Plains Trails Network is funding it. Once the trail opens, you'll be able to ride to the park on either of those routes.
The trailhead there will be named for Randy Gibson, whom the city calls a beloved community cyclist. Between Wilkins on the skatepark and Gibson at the trailhead, both of the park's memorial names honor people from Lincoln's own skating and cycling communities.
The name explains the site
The park has been on Lincoln's planning maps for a long time. Planning documents first called it "West Park" and "West Haymarket Park" in 2004. After the West Haymarket Redevelopment wrapped up in 2013, it became "South Haymarket Park." According to the city, "Canopy" refers both to the Haymarket's old passenger rail canopy and to Nebraska's tie to Arbor Day. "Yard" refers to the area's railyard and warehouse past, and to the idea of "Lincoln's backyard."
The land itself used to be the Alter Scrap property. The city says the whole site was cleaned up in 2018 to standards approved by the EPA and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. The Lincoln Parks Foundation led a $25 million campaign with the Parks & Recreation Department and the City of Lincoln. The money comes from the city, federal grants and private donors, and the goal includes endowments for repairs, replacement and programming. The park was designed by GGN together with Olsson and Olsson Studio, and Olsson is a next-door neighbor to the park.
Pairing a visit with the rest of the Haymarket this fall
Canopy Yard also sits close to some of downtown's other new pieces. The Downtown Lincoln Association's Halloween in the Haymarket is a free family event on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Railyard, 350 Canopy St. Canopy Street will be closed for it. A late-afternoon skate session that ends before sunset leads right into that evening.
A few blocks east, the Boehmer Street Music District has the Music Box, known as MBX, at 1330 N St., Suite C. The City of Lincoln announced on April 24, 2025, that MBX was open to the public as a place for rehearsal, recording, performance and education, operated by the Downtown Lincoln Association. In her address, the mayor described Canopy Yard and the music district as blocks apart.
By early 2027, the same stretch of N Street should have a playground, a splash plaza, a dog park and a new trail connection on top of the skatepark that's open today. Until then, the gates are open from sunrise to sunset, and the first hour in Gold 4 is free.
Connie Reddish keeps track of downtown projects like Canopy Yard street by street and can walk you through what's actually scheduled near your block or near the homes you're considering. Schedule a free consultation, and bring your questions about the South Haymarket.
