Wet'n'Wild SplashTown

Wet'n'Wild SplashTown
Location Spring, Texas, United States
Coordinates 30°04′13″N 95°25′55″W / 30.070167°N 95.431935°W / 30.070167; -95.431935Coordinates: 30°04′13″N 95°25′55″W / 30.070167°N 95.431935°W / 30.070167; -95.431935
Owner EPR Properties
Operated by Premier Parks, LLC
General Manager Jody Kneupper
Opened 1984 (1984)
Previous names Hanna–Barbera Land
Splashtown USA
Six Flags Splashtown
SplashTown Houston
Operating season May - September
Area 80 acres (320,000 m2)
Pools 2 pools
Water slides 9 water slides
Children's areas 2 children's areas
Website wetnwildsplashtown.com

Wet'n'Wild SplashTown is a water park located north of Houston in the Spring CDP of unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States.[1]

History

In the early-1980s, the land that Wet'n'Wild SplashTown now occupies was a theme park known as Hanna-Barbera Land.[2] Hanna-Barbera Land only operated for two seasons before its owners, Kings Entertainment Company, sold the park to private investors. The amusement park had all its rides removed, with the new owners installing a water park with several water slides. Much of the park's Victorian buildings, street lights and landscaping remained.[2] Splashtown USA opened to the public shortly after.

In the 1990s, the park changed owners twice: first to the Morris Family in 1994, and then to Six Flags in May 1999. The acquisition was made by Six Flags to eliminate the park from being a competitor to its Six Flags WaterWorld water park, also located in Houston.[3] The park was renamed Six Flags SplashTown in 2000.[4]

Following the closure of Six Flags WaterWorld and the adjacent Six Flags AstroWorld in October 2005,[5] 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 WaterWorld would be the new Splashtown Operations Manager. Several of WaterWorld's attractions were relocated to SplashTown.[5] 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.

In January 2007, Six Flags announced that SplashTown, along with six other parks, would be sold for a total of $312 million. The agreement saw Six Flags sell the properties to PARC Management, who in turn sold the properties to CNL Lifestyle Properties. CNL would then lease the properties back to PARC Management under a 52-year triple-net lease.[6] However, after less than three years into the 52-year contracts, CNL terminated their agreements with PARC Management in November 2010.[7] In early 2011, CNL appointed Premier Attractions Management, LLC (now Premier Parks, LLC) as the new operators of the park. The limited liability company is led by former Six Flags employees Kieran Burke, the former chairman and CEO, and Gary Story, the former president and chief operating officer.[8]

In November 2013, CNL Lifestyle Properties acquired rights to the Wet'n'Wild brand in the United States from Australian firm, Village Roadshow Theme Parks.[9][10][11] In the months to follow CNL rebranded several of its properties to Wet'n'Wild water parks, including SplashTown Houston, which became Wet'n'Wild SplashTown.[12][13][14] The park itself received a multimillion-dollar renovation.[15]

Slides and attractions

Defunct Slides and Attractions

Eateries

Season Pass Meal Deals are available for purchase for an additional cost.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Spring CDP, TX." United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on May 5, 2009.
  2. 1 2 O'Brien, Tim (5 October 1998). "Water attractions: Tropical theming gives way to local schemes". Amusement Business. 110 (40): 21.
  3. ↑ O'Brien, Tim (17 May 1999). "Six Flags makes acquisitions in Atlanta, Houston and Mexico City". Amusement Business. 111 (20): 37.
  4. ↑ O'Brien, Tim (29 May 2000). "Six Flags Events produces 'Celebracion,' draws 150,000". Amusement Business. 112 (22): 36.
  5. 1 2 Dawson, Jennifer (18 September 2005). "Six Flags pulls plug on 37-year ride at AstroWorld theme park". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Six Flags sells seven parks". Park World Magazine. 6 February 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "CNL ends lease deal with PARC Management". Park World Magazine. 25 November 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "CNL announces new management for eight parks". Park World Magazine. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Hawaiian Waters sold, to be renamed Wet 'n' Wild Hawaii". Pacific Business News. 7 May 2009. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  10. ↑ Silverstein, Stephanie (21 November 2013). "Premier Parks to take over operation of Wet ‘n’ Wild Hawaii". Pacific Business News. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  11. ↑ Shanklin, Mary (21 November 2013). "CNL buys Wet 'n Wild Phoenix". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  12. ↑ Descant, Skip (17 December 2013). "Knott's Soak City to become Wet 'n' Wild Palm Springs". The Desert Sun. Retrieved 29 December 2013.
  13. ↑ "Splashtown will undergo multi-million dollar transformation to Wet ‘N’ Wild brand". The Rancher. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  14. ↑ Pulsinelli, Olivia (21 January 2014). "Water park launches rebranding, new attractions as competition heats up". Houston Business Journal. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  15. ↑ Alexander, Heather. "Houston waterpark to reopen with millions in renovations and new name." Houston Chronicle. April 30, 2014. Retrieved on May 12, 2014.
  16. ↑ Zoltak, James (April 2005). "Parks in Bloom: Will Business Blossom?". Amusement Business. 117 (4): 6, 24.
  17. ↑ "Season Pass Meal Deal". Wet'n'Wild SplashTown. Retrieved 6 June 2015.

CNL Terminates agreement with PARC

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