Wet 'n' Wild Waterworld is a 60 acre
waterpark
A water park (also waterpark, water world, or aquapark) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimmin ...
featuring over 25 rides and attractions and a canopy of mature shade trees. It is located at 8804 S. Desert in
Anthony, Texas
Anthony is an incorporated town in El Paso County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,011 at the 2010 census. As of July 1, 2018, the population estimate for the town from the U.S. Census was 5,655. It is the first town encountered in Te ...
, United States, a small town in between
El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; ; or ) is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States. The 2020 United States census, 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the List of ...
, and
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces (; ; lit. 'the crosses') is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the county seat, seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 United States ce ...
.
Park
The park usually opens the first weekend in May, and closes after Labor Day. It has over twenty-five rides and attractions. In addition to traditional
water rides
Water rides are amusement rides that are set over water. For instance, a log flume travels through a channel of water to move along its course.
Notable types
* AquaLoop
* Bumper boats
* Fishpipe
* FlowRider
*Lazy river
* Log flume
* Old Mill
...
, the park has a
wave pool
A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, large waves, similar to those of the ocean. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks, both indoors and outdoors, as well as some leisure centres.
History
Th ...
, a lazy river, shallow kiddie pools, a spray park, and a
climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with manufactured grips (or "holds") for the hands and feet. Most walls are located indoors, and climbing on such walls is often termed indoor climbing. Some walls are brick or wooden constr ...
. Amenities include shaded picnic areas with tables, a restaurant, air conditioned VIP Suites for parties, cabana rentals, locker rentals, grill rentals, inner tube rentals, and reserved parking. The mix of attractions, from thrill rides to a spray park for toddlers, is meant to appeal to all age groups with a focus on families. Wet 'n' Wild offers free life jackets to kids at the park.
Guest can bring their own food and beverages and are not charged a cooler fee. The park does feature a restaurant called The Ribbit Cafe, which offers traditional waterpark fare, such as burgers, fries, nachos, snow cones, and funnel cakes, as well as regional specialties, including corn-in-a-cup, papas locas, piña con chamoy, and
aguas frescas
''Aguas frescas'' () or ''frescos'' or ''aguas'', are light non-alcoholic beverages made from one or more fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water. They are popular in many Latin American countries, as well as parts ...
.
Wet 'n' Wild Waterworld is the site of numerous festivals and concerts performed in a raised
stage
Stage, stages, or staging may refer to:
Arts and media Acting
* Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions
* Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage"
* ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...
in the middle of the open picnic area. Private sleep-overs, birthday parties, company picnics, and reserved areas can be arranged for groups.
History
The park opened in 1979 after El Paso businessman and attorney Berry H. Edwards purchased a KOA campground in Anthony. After his son suggested they get a waterslide for the campground's pool, Edwards visited the now closed Wild Wild Wet in Anaheim, California for research. He then installed two Plantation Plastics waterslides (powered by a Chrysler diesel engine connected to a water pump). The park opened as Wet N Wild Waterslides, charging $2.50 per half hour to ride 2 slides, "Blue Streak' and "Corkscrew." In 1980, after adding the 12 foot deep Volcano Lake, a water zip line, and a few more in-house slides, Edwards changed the name to Wet N Wild Waterworld.
Community Outreach
Since 2011, Wet 'n' Wild has also been host to the Christian Castle Lifeguard Olympics, which celebrates local lifeguards while allowing them to fine tune their skills. In 2015, Wet N Wild was awarded Best Of Aquatics 2015 for Community Outreach by Aquatics International Magazine for its efforts in drowning prevention and water safety. The park also participates annually in the World's Largest Swimming Lesson
an event dedicated to raising awareness of water safety. During Drowning Prevention Week, the park sends Freddy the Surfing Frog to local schools to give lessons in water safety and drowning prevention.
See also
*
List of waterparks
References
External links
Wet 'n' Wild Waterworld
{{coord, 31.990, -106.585, type:landmark_region:US-TX, display=title
Water parks in Texas
Buildings and structures in El Paso County, Texas
Tourist attractions in El Paso County, Texas