Cool off at these spray parks and splashpads near Dayton

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

What to Do
By Josh Stevens
June 27, 2019
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Need a quick and easy way for your kids to cool off from the summer heat? These spray parks and splashpads are the way to go. 
Here are some of the best places in Dayton to let your kids run around among a variety of fountains to cool off and make a big splash. 
This weekend is your last chance, as these close for the season after Labor Day.

>> Places to go swimming in the Dayton area you might have forgotten about

8/31/07 -- ddn090207salestax --Brian Knuth, 2, (left) and his brother Kyle, 3, of Atlanta play in the fountain at the the Greene while visiting his grandparents in Beavercreek with his family. PHOTO BY JAN UNDERWOOD

Credit: Jan Underwood

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Credit: Jan Underwood

⛲Interactive Fountains at Greene Town Square

WHERE: 102 Plum St., Beavercreek 

WHEN: The fountains are open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily through Labor Day. For certain events, the fountains may be shut off. 
INFO: Free to the public. For more info, call 937-429-4961.
Sister and brother Amariya Hill, 9, left, and Khirya Hill, 5, play on the splash pad at McIntosh Park in Dayton on Thursday during an outing with their grandmother. A rare stretch of dry weather is expected to last into the weekend. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

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⛲McIntosh Park

WHERE: 882 W. Riverview Ave., Dayton

WHEN: Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

INFO: Free to the public. This park is themed after Paul Laurence Dunbar’s poem “The Seedling” and features various flower water elements. Call 937-333-8400 for more information. 
contributed

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⛲Five Oaks Spray Park

WHERE: 329 Five Oaks Ave., Dayton 
WHEN: Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. The kids will definitely love the giant pencil shooting out water. Call 937-333-8400 for more information. 

⛲Mallory Park

WHERE: 3037 Germantown St., Dayton 
WHEN:  Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. If you’re a techie, this is a cool place to play as computer cables shoot water over a diskette. Call 937-333-8400 for more info.
Cianna Richarson gets immersed in the cooling water jets of the spray at McIntosh Spray Park on Riverview Ave.

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⛲Stuart Patterson Spray Park

WHERE: 238 Baltimore St., Dayton
WHEN:  Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. Enjoy some medieval fun with dragons, horses and knights at this park. Call 937-333-8400 for more information.
Walnut Hills Park, at Wayne and Woodman Avenues, was established in 1926 by the city of Dayton, sits on over 9 acres and features a ball diamond, pavilion, viewing platform, playground, sprayground, along with tennis courts and a roller hockey rink. Walnut Hills sits on about 250 acres of Dayton land running the length of Wayne and Wyoming Avenues up to Watervliet Avenue and Pursell Avenue. VIVIENNE MACHI / STAFF

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⛲Walnut Hills Spray Park

WHERE: 2340 block of Wayne Ave., Dayton
WHEN: Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. For all of you music lovers out there, you’ll absolutely love the piano that plays with water. Call 937-333-8400 for more information.
The aviation-themed Washington Spray Park in Dayton is one of the city’s several spray parks. There are many splash pads and spray parks located throughout the Miami Valley. CONTRIBUTED

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⛲Washington Park

WHERE: 3620 E. Second St., Dayton
WHEN: Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. Aviation fans will love this park. Check out Orville and Wilbur Wright with the Wright Flyer overlooking a map of the world. Call 937-333-8400 for more info.
Children walk through the fountains on Riverscape to beat the heat Wednesday. A heat advisory from the National Weather Service is set for noon to 8 p.m. today. Highs will be in the low-90s, but the extreme humidity will push the heat index up. The real feel temperature is 100 degrees. JIM WITMER / STAFF

Credit: Jim Witmer

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Credit: Jim Witmer

⛲Riverscape Metropark Interactive Fountains

WHERE: 111 E. Monument Ave., Dayton
WHEN: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. On hot summer days, children can enjoy water play in the interactive fountains located in RiverScape’s Festival Plaza. Multiple fountain jets shoot water as high as 20 feet into the air choreographed to the sounds of family friendly music.
Jamarcus Anderson, 3 of Dayton climbs a tower during the grand opening of the Fairview Commons Spray Park and Playground on Elsmere Avenue in Dayton, Saturday, June 11, 2011.

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⛲Fairview Aquatic Center 

WHERE: 2262 Elsmere Ave., Dayton

WHEN: Open daily from noon to 8 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. This spray park is beach-themed, with a pirate ship that shoots water through a cannon. Call 937-333-8400 for more info.
Kristina Rader of Kettering and her two sons Trenton, 4 and Alex, 2, take a break from fun in the spray park at Orchardly Park in Oakwood Thursday June 2. As of April 1, the state requires local health agencies to inspect and license splash pads to make sure the water is filtered and treated. Rader said she thought monitoring the parks was " a good idea to make sure kids are healthy."

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⛲Orchardly Park Splash Pad 

WHERE: 2599 Delaine Ave., Oakwood
WHEN: Open daily from sunrise to sunset through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. This park was designed by children for children and includes a playground, basketball court, two tennis courts, green space and a shelter house to enjoy when the kids decide to take a break from the water. Call 937-297-2935 for more information.
Beating the heat was a blast for everyone at Island MetroPark's water playground despite Wednesday high temperature and even higher heat index.

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⛲Island Metropark 

WHERE: 101 E. Helena St., Dayton
WHEN: The park is open every day 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Hours are subject to change based on weather conditions. 
INFO: Free to the public. Grab a picnic basket and your swimsuits and get ready for a day of water fun at this state-of-the-art accessible playground. Basketball court, playground, tennis courts also on site. Call 937-275-7275 for more info.
Addison McCormick, 6, plays at Kennedy Park in Kettering July 19, 2013. AARON MAX/STAFF

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⛲Kennedy Park Splash Pad

WHERE: 5073 Bigger Road, Kettering
WHEN: The park is open from sunrise to sunset daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. The park is farm-themed and features water cannons, various spray features and tall water dumping buckets. The playground alongside the splash pad is also farm themed with a soft surface and encourages active play with multiple climbing features, slides, swings, ladders and more. For more information, call 937-296-2486.
The splash pad, in Thomas A. Cloud Park, in Huber Heights, officially opened on Saturday July 4, 2010.

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⛲Thomas A. Cloud Park Splash Pad

WHERE: Cloud Park, 4707 Brandt Pike, Huber Heights
WHEN: Open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
INFO: Free to the public. This splash pad is rainbow colored and located within Cloud Park, which features 1.2 miles of walking trails, various outdoor facilities and six rental shelters. For more info, call 937-236-9622
Sprayground at Activity Center Park off N. Main Street in Centerville lets children of all ages have fun getting wet in hot weather.

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⛲Centerville Activity Center Park Sprayground

WHERE: 221 N. Main St., Centerville
WHEN: The sprayground is open from dawn to dusk (sprays have daylight sensors) daily from May 25 through mid-August.
INFO: Free to the public. The sprayground is not only for cooling off, but also has an all-access playground. Call 937-433-5155 for more info.
ajc.com

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⛲Bennett Play Depot and Splash Pad at Xenia Station

WHERE: 150 S. Miami Ave., Xenia, OH 45385
WHEN: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
INFO: This water play feature is a zero-depth area filled with interactive water sprayers and fountains. Visit www.explorexenia.com or call 937-376-7232 for more information.
COMING SOON:
⛲ Kacie Jane Park and the Performing Arts Center Splash Pad
WHERE: Southwest corner of Lytle-Five Points Road and Crosley Road, Springboro
WHEN: Opens June 1, hours TBD
INFO: This 3,000 square foot splash pad is part of a new park being built in Springboro. The park, Kacie Jane Park, is not scheduled to be finished until 2020, but the splash pad area will be ready for this summer.
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About the Author

Josh Stevens