We stopped by on Memorial Day to check out the park. There was a fantastic window of nice weather in the afternoon and we wanted to make the most of it. Thanks to the trusty iPhone X which proved to be waterproof, I was able to shoot some video which you can watch above. Otherwise, let’s continue on with what you can expect on your first visit to Splash Aqua Park.
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820 W Steeple Bay Parkway
Wichita, Kansas 67217
316-351-3551
Open Daily: 11am – 7pm
Cash/Card Accepted
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First let’s cover how to get there. In a couple of weeks, direct access off of Seneca will open up but that will be finished in a couple weeks. Right now the best way is to take the Seneca exit and head south. Then turn left on MacArthur and head east. When you see Gold Street, head north and boom you’re there.
When you arrive, you are asked to fill out a waiver form. I would recommend doing this online to save time and avoid the lines that could potentially form at the tablets. After that you have to pay. Prices are $15 for a one hour pass, $25 for a 2-hour pass and $50 for a 5-hour punch-pass. Also, kids must be at least five years old to participate and able to navigate the obstacles under their own physical power.
I’ve read a bunch of comments regarding how pricey it was so I decided to look into some other family options around town. Urban Air and Aviate trampoline parks are both $13 an hour. Laser Quest is $8.50 a person 15 minutes of action. A single Go-Kart ride is $7-9 at the Alley. Escape rooms average around $20 a person for an hour. A bucket of beers with friends at a bar can run $15. Lastly, let’s not get started on how much money kids can go through in an hour at the upcoming Dave & Busters.
I agree that taking a family of four could definitely add up but when you really put things into perspective and compare it all out, I don’t see much of a difference. I honestly could have sat back in the sand, catch some sun and let the kids do it themselves. That would allow any parent to save money, get a tan and let their kids have fun. My family has done everything from escape rooms to multiple trampoline parks and those alternatives for a similar amount of time and costs were very close. On the flipside, I do get that it all still may be too costly for some families who still find those forms of entertainment to be too expensive.
After paying, everybody was given a lifejacket. There were different sizes available for everyone. The staff made sure each person was fitted properly especially the kids. Then we were given a rules briefing and let loose.
The afternoon we stopped by had probably 25-30 people at the park and a good number of them were employees running around making sure all the kids were either having fun or doing things safely. I had to hand it to the employees, they were constantly engaging with the kids and inviting them to do things; a stark difference from trampoline parks which I find to be the closest in terms of experience and things to do.
I engaged with many of the employees working on the inflatables as my body needed a rest from running and jumping everywhere. (Sidenote: This was an exhausting review that my body was sore for the next day.) I was curious as to what would happen if the park was full of kids. I found out that the park was suitable for 200 people but they only sell a maximum of 100 spots an hour. How it works out is you buy your ticket and given a wristband which signifies which hour you arrived. Every hour on the hour, new people come on to play and those whose time expired are shuffled out; very similar to Nerf gun arenas. It’s best to show up about 10-15 minutes early to time it out right.
They also had paddleboards for rent at $10 an hour (I hope I got that price right) but no way in hell was my body going to do that after the rare much overdo workout my body had.
….and if you don’t want to partake and want to sit, watch, take pictures of the fun, there’s a little beach area with chairs you can lounge at. No charge. There were quite a few grandparents sitting and taking in the fun. At one point, I sat with them and was given a hard time and told I was too young to be resting.
For the time we spent there, the kids loved every second. They were extremely active, running around, jumping off of inflatables, participating in games of tag, doing obstacle course races as shown in the YouTube video, sliding, swinging, you name it. We recently did two hours at Urban Air and they were getting a little bored after an hour and a half. Two hours BLEW by at Splash. This was followed by naps in the car on the way home.
We gave the park an honest shot and really enjoyed it. We may even be back next weekend if the weather cooperates. I posted about their opening last week and noticed a lot of negative feedback and wanted to address some of those things as I felt it was unfair. I’ll also say I am not associated with the owners in case someone is wondering:
- Safety. It’s safe. There were plenty of employees staffed to supervise and watch the kids.
- Area of Town. It’s just ludicrous to me people are worried about going there. There’s a Camping World being built which should really rejuvenate the area even further. There have been parts of the downtown area that were once considered unsafe but someone had to start the development for it to improve.
- Prices. See above.
- It’s only going to attract trashy people in that area. Well it attracted me to go there so you may actually be right, otherwise eyerolls galore.
- It doesn’t look like the pictures they advertise. I had the kids do the research for me and every inflatable appeared on the lake in the proper place.
When I was younger, my parents used to own a little grocery store in the neighborhood of Plainview. My parents worked their tails off to keep it nice and make it last for how long they did. I can only imagine how tough that was for them given the area and the misconceptions people had. I suppose when I see a business started locally in Wichita judged by people who have never been there, it just boggles my mind and reminds me of the struggles my parents went through.
If you’re willing to keep an open mind and have the flexible money to spend on this form of entertainment, I really think you (and/or your kids) would really enjoy it. Everyone in attendance that afternoon seemed to really enjoy themselves especially the kids who expended twenty times more energy than all the adults. We needed to stop and take a breathe every now and then.
Once again, take a couple minutes and enjoy this little video we put together:
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Thanks for your great review and article from one Plainview kid to another.
Such a thoughtful review. Thank you for addressing some of the issues people have brought up. We went 2 days in a row and my husband and college-age son had a great time. The owner is extremely personable and kind. I applaud his desire to provide another source of healthy entertainment for Wichita. So, tear your kids away from electronics and go have an hour of active fun.
In town from Chicago and super excited to try this, thank you for the review