GRAND PRAIRIE (WBAP/KLIF) – A vision by the City of Grand Prairie vision four and a half years in the making became a reality Friday when the city-owned Epic Waters Indoor Water park opened its doors for business.
The park includes three “first-in-the-industry” slides, a climate controlled-interior, and a café and full-service bar. City officials anticipate that the waterpark will prove a major boom for Grand Prairie tourism as well as the city’s continued development.
“This is definitely a historic day for the City of Grand Prairie,” said Grand Prairie Mayor Ron Jensen. “We absolutely can’t wait to show off our beautiful indoor water park to the world.”
Jensen praised other developments like the opening of a solar powered IKEA store, the development of new hotels, and the continued expansion of the Epic Central Grand Prairie.
“There’s no doubt that it’s a great time to live, work or play in Grand Prairie, and that’s even truer now that the water park is open for business,” said Jensen. “We believe that Epic Waters will quickly become a star player in our city’s economic development, as well as a top visitor attraction and resident amenity that citizens can point to with pride.”
One of the water park’s most distinctive elements is a curved, retractable roof, making it the largest indoor water park under a single retractable roof in the United States. The roof is160 feet wide, 384 feet long, and 83 feet at its tallest point.
“We wanted to offer a year-round water park experience that’s available even when it’s cold or rainy, and that people can enjoy in the height of summer and still stay out of the sun if they want to,” explained Richard Coleman, Principal for American Resort Management, the water park’s operator. “This is the only year-round water park in North Texas that doesn’t require a hotel stay, which makes it an affordable entertainment option as well as a premium one.”
Coleman said that the park is attractive to people of all ages and will serve the greater DFW metroplex.