SS Gateway playground coming to William A. Bush Park in Lacey 

Children in Lacey will soon be able to climb aboard SS Gateway, a tugboat-themed play structure that is going to replace the aging playground at William A. Bush Park. 

Gateway Rotary - Thurston County donated $110,000 for the replacement project, and the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office also awarded grant funding. The City of Lacey announced the playground replacement on Tuesday, Jan. 20. 

The city said the current play area, built in 1995, has reached the end of its useful life. Construction is tentatively planned from early February through early April. 

In September 2025, the city presented four design options at two, on-site park events and a Horizons Elementary School open house. Lacey residents then voted on their preferred design and selected the tugboat theme. 

SS Gateway will feature slides, climbing features, a disc swing, a spinner, rope climbing and accessible rubber surfacing to replace wood chips for children ages 5 to 12. 

The city credited Gateway Rotary for "incredible leadership, hands-on volunteer support, and generous $110,000 donation that helped bring this project to life." 

William A. Bush Park, which is located at 4400 Chardonnay Drive SE, and visible from Yelm Highway, honors the former Lacey mayor who served on the city council from 1973 to 1997. He was the first to complete a full term under the council-manager government system. 

The city named the park for Bush in 2005. He died on Dec. 21, 2023.