On May 22, ground was broken for Kids Town, a railroad town scaled to children for interactive play at the Tammany Trace Trailhead in Mandeville. The first phase of the miniature village, the Kids Town Square, projected to be complete in late 2014, will offer a performance area, tree park and a water feature for cooling off during the summer months. 

Designed by VergesRome Architects, Kids Town features a Train Depot, Fire Station, Bank, Ice Cream Saloon, Sheriff’s Office, General Store, Restaurant and Barber Shop, each offering opportunity for interactive role play, exploration, and learning. 

The Train Depot, which will be built in the next phase of construction, will also serve as a temporary home for the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany, a project of the Junior League of Greater Covington in partnership with parish government and private donors. Kids Town is a venture of the Tammany Trace Foundation, the non-profit fundraising arm of the Tammany Trace.

In remarks presented to a crowd of residents, parish officials, and donors, St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister commented that “Our greatest treasures are our children…We want to ignite their creativity and imagination while doing what they do best – playing.”