A pirate ship and a barn are going up at The Dryer in downtown Katy, adding a children's playground to the Third Street entertainment district.
Owner Andrew Nurcahya Jr. told the Katy Times the two structures cost a combined $25,000 and should be finished by early October. Construction began Aug. 27 at the 3-acre site at 5339 E. Third St., adjacent to the Katy Beer Garden.
The playground is for kids ages 6 to 18, though Nurcahya said young adults are welcome, too.
The Nurcahya family put three options to a Facebook vote: a train, a pirate ship and a barn-and-silo set. After the poll closed, the family realized most voters were adults.
So they held a second vote for kids at the weekend farmers' market. The result was a tie.
"The kids ended up tying two of the options (pirate ship, and barn and silo) so we decided to build both," Nurcahya said in an email to the Katy Times.
The Dryer team designed the layout, shade structures and themes, then purchased plans from Paul's Playhouses and modified them to fit the site.
Once open, the playground will be accessible from both The Dryer and the Katy Beer Garden at 5345 E. Third St. Hours will match each business and the weekend farmers' market:
- From Katy Beer Garden: Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Friday through Sunday, noon to 2 a.m.
- From The Dryer: Friday and Sunday, noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The playground is the latest addition to The Dryer, a revitalization project built around the historic J.V. Cardiff & Sons Rice Dryer along U.S. 90. The Katy Beer Garden opened in June 2024 as the project's first phase. A second phase outlined by the Katy Area Economic Development Council in April 2025 included plans for shipping-container vendor stalls, a stage and a miniature train branded "The Katy," a nod to the city's Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad history.
No specific October date has been set. The family has posted updates on Facebook.
