SplashTown Waterpark Houston
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| SplashTown | |
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| Location | Spring, Texas, United States  |
SplashTown is a water park located north of Houston, Texas in the Spring CDP of Harris County, Texas.
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[edit] History
In the early-1980s, the land that Splashtown now occupies was another theme park known as Hanna-Barbera Land. Splashtown purchased the land and converted to water park only. Its original name was "Splashtown USA." Additionally, there was a sister park, Splashtown San Antonio.
Following the closure of Six Flags Astroworld in October 2005, Six Flags engaged in a restructuring of Six Flags Splashtown, which resulted in the termination of the park's General Manager, Operations Manager and Food Service Manager in early November 2005. In January 2006 it was announced that the former Operations Manager of Astroworld's Waterworld would be the new Splashtown Operations Manager.
The park underwent a "facelift" as well as general cleaning to prepare it for its opening day, April 28, 2006. The entrance received a new sign, with the addition of renovated buildings and ticket booths.
On January 11, 2007, Six Flags announced it sold seven parks to PARC 7F-Operations Corporation for $312 million to help the company's debt burden. Six Flags will receive $275 million cash and a note for $37 million for four theme parks and three water parks. PARC 7F, of Jacksonville, Fla., is expected to sell the parks to CNL Income Properties Inc., a real-estate trust based in Florida, and then lease them back. Six Flags sold Darien Lake, Elitch Gardens, Frontier City, White Water Bay, SplashTown, Waterworld USA, Wild Waves, and Enchanted Village. The company decided not to sell Magic Mountain and its adjacent water park. Spokeswoman Wendy Goldberg said that upon further evaluation, the company decided that the Los Angeles parks remained too valuable to let go as season passes and sales were up. Since the Splashtown has been sold, Six Flags has thus been ousted from the Greater Houston Area.
[edit] Rides
Since Splashtown's inception, it has featured several slides such as Hydra and Ozarka Splash, and a large wave pool, lazy river, and children's area.
[edit] Operating
- RipQurl: An all new ProSlide Cannonbowl.
- Texas Freefall: The flagship ride, it plummets you down a very tall slide, surfacing at the bottom. Formerly Ozarka Splash.
- Center Court: The main area of Splashtown. It features a kid's slide and fountains, in the building it features tube rentals, changing rooms, restrooms, lockers, two food establishments, arcade, a birthday party area, and indoor seating.
- Wild Wave Pool: The wave pool in the center of Splashtown. Recently the 8 foot area has been blocked off.
- Blue Lagoon Activity Pool: Hooked up with the wave pool, this is a youth area. It features swings, a "lilypad lane" and simple slides. Above there is a rope swing and jump-off rock.
- Shotgun Falls: A quick slide that shoots you 10 ft. into 8 ft. water.
- Crocodile Isle: A kid's play area.
- Leaky Pipes: Another kid's play area.
- Thunder Run: A double tube racing slide.
- Guadalupe River Adventure/Crystal Creek: A lazy river.
- Space Rapids: A enclosed slide meant for tubes. There are three different slides.
- Tornado: A large yellow and blue, 4-person tube ride. Very fast, then you rock back and forth on the sides. It opened in 2005. Also found at Waterworld Concord & Darien Lake, The chain's flagship themepark.
- Zoom Flumes: Slide for tubes. Very fast. You slide across the pool at the bottom.
- Big Spin at the Wild Waterworks: Slide down a funnel. You can do it in the open...or the dark.
- Treehouse Island: A family-friendly treehouse with slides, a bucket of water, and multiple levels.
[edit] Defunct
- Hydra: A waterslide on the western part of the park. It had three difficulty levels and had a tri-head dragon sign. Today the dragons rest on the side of Crystal Creek. It had 3 slides: Screamicles: A free-fall cliff dive. (54-degree drop, 66 feet tall, 223 linear feet), Weaknesicles: Speed Slide, (66 feet tall, 320 linear feet long), Longdropicus: (66 feet tall, 320 linear feet long). Built in 1985
- Blue Beast: A one-person tube slide. It was accessible from the stairway to Texas Freefall.
- Kids' Kountry: A kid's play area. It was later replaced with Crocodile Isle.
- SoundWaves Amphitheatre: Replaced with Kids' Kountry and Leaky Pipes.
- Rampage: Replaced with Thunder Run.
[edit] Eateries
- Dippin' Dots are in several locations within the park.
- Center Court contains places to buy pizza, drinks, ice cream, burgers, and funnel cakes.
- A McDonald's and Wendy's are located just outside.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
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