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On 15 fenced-in acres at his NatureÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Touch Garden Center on JanesvilleÃÛèÖÊÓƵ far west side, Elrod and his staff have built an outdoor entertainment center geared toward young kids, adolescents, teens, and adults alike.

Elrod said he has been working alongside 10 others for about two years to transform some of the land at his garden and landscaping services center at 5013 Highway 11 into an outdoor family activity center.

He is even planning to change his business name, maybe to “NatureÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Touch Garden & Activity Center.â€�

ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ a plan Elrod said he hatched about a decade ago. The activity center grounds opened to families last weekend, and Elrod said the first Saturday morning, about 1,000 people showed up. Most of the foot traffic was drawn by word of mouth.

Elrod said that he is not finished adding features to what he, his friends and his colleagues have created.

As it stands, ElrodÃÛèÖÊÓƵ playland has the feel of agritourism gone squirrely. The point, Elrod said, was to create something dreamlike that would hold the fascination and interest of people of all ages.

ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ a fun park thatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ quite unlike anything in Rock County.

“ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ like the old-style, outdoor McDonaldÃÛèÖÊÓƵ Play Land from the ’80s, only itÃÛèÖÊÓƵ way bigger and everything is adult-proof,â€� Elrod said. “I mean, adults can join in and use almost anything here. I can’t think of much here adults wouldn’t be able to use right alongside their children or grandchildren. The point is to offer something for the whole family.â€�

In addition to wooden obstacle courses is a bevy of giant games, including 4-foot by 8-foot beanbag boards, a massive sandbox and a giant pinewood derby-style wooden ramp designed to race matchbox cars.

Elrod said the activity area required $80,000 in lumber alone. It all sprawls across acres of grassy land dotted with pine and shade trees.

Circling it all is a mini track for a train with multicolored cars. Elrod hopes to have the train linked to a tractor by next spring. For now, because of an ongoing shortage in the supply of new and used tractors, Elrod is using a four-wheeled ATV to pull the train.

“Actually, every kid seems to like the ATV a lot more than a tractor. I don’t know why. ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ weird, but they seem to like it more,â€� Elrod said.

On Wednesday afternoon, a few dozen families explored the large, fenced play land. Some jumped on the huge bounce pillows while others played checkers on a giant board made of landscaping stones. The checkers are made from the lids of drywall buckets.

For now, Elrod is charging an entry fee of $5 per person, although the fee is likely to climb next year as he adds more features. In the works, he said, is a possible petting zoo with farm animals, along with greenhouses that could be used for indoor activities in cold or rainy weather.

Elrod said he plans to offer some agricultural/educational features such as hands-on displays that allow children to touch and feel some crops they might never have seen, like barley and sugar cane.

For now, the center will be open to families through part of November, then reopen in the spring.

During a tour of the grounds, Elrod continued to rattle off future ideas. He pointed at a humanmade hill, and talked about how he wants to turn it into a vertical playground. Somehow, he also wants a space for kids to pan for gold and diamonds.

“This is the most fun I’ve had in my entire life,â€� he said. “ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ an adventure for me, maybe even more than any of the families, just to see people smiling and having fun like this. It was what I hoped would happen.â€�