The renovated and renamed Adventure Reef Water Park, formerly known as Water Raves, opened adjacent to the Kettering Recreation Complex at 2900 Glengarry Drive on June 3.
In its first 10 days, the park drew more than 10,000 people, according to Kettering Parks and Recreation Director Mary Beth Thaman.
“We expected a lot,” Thaman said. “We knew that the fun factor was going to be three of four or five times that of the previous park.”
In the opening weekend alone, the park saw a 50-percent increase compared to Water Raves’ opening weekend last year, and saw the most visitors on a single day , 2,500, on June 8.
Adventure Reef occupies the same footprint as Water Raves, but has added an interactive splash pad, a waterfall pool, a lap lane/vortex area, a water playground, a shaded shelter and two slides believed to be the highest and fastest in Montgomery County.
The pool, whirlpool and sauna also have been upgraded and enlarged, and a translucent retractable roof and expanded pool deck were added to the rec center/water park.
The water park and pool improvements were part of a $10.9 million, two-year, rec center improvement project, which was designed based on feedback from the community.
The renovations, which were paid for by a 2008 bond issue and money from the city’s capital improvement fund, also are expected to be complete Monday and will be unveiled to the public in a grand opening event from noon to 4 p.m. June 25.
For Kettering residents, admission to the park costs $3 for youths and $3.50 for adults. For nonresidents, the cost is $6 and $7, respectively.
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