SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. —
Since the news of Splash Down reopening made local headlines, people have been eager to beat the heat at the Spokane Valley waterpark.
The park initially announced on Facebook it would be open by June 2023, but now, at the end of July, the only water to be seen is coming from the sprinklers.
KREM 2 spoke with the new park owners on Thursday and learned they hoped to reopen the water park on Saturday. On Friday, however, a Facebook post confirmed they would be opening Saturday.
Branson Olson, son of the new water park owner, said he hopes that won’t be the case much longer.
“We want it open just as much as you do,” Olson said.
In fact, Olson wanted to open Splash Down this week.
“Totally set on opening Wednesday," Olson said. "Day before we were testing everything out, one of pumps actually decided to snap. One of them, the main line that spins and brings it up the hill just decided to snap on us.”
But in the month the original park opening has since been delayed, people in the park's Facebook comments have been asking when Splash Down will actually open.
It's the clarity neighbor Christy Cortez has been waiting on.
"Over the last couple months, in regards to Splash Down, I've seen that they're gonna open, that they're not going to open, the news says they're opening, that the news says they're not opening and they have season passes, kind of, sort of," Cortez said.
As a mom of a soon to be 6-year-old, she said Splash Down would be something her daughter would enjoy.
"This would be the perfect first slides waterpark for kids her age," Cortez said.
But until the park opens, Cortez and her daughter - like many families - just have to keep waiting.
"Totally apologize," Olson said. "Probably should have taken another year, but we were just so eager to open."
He said his family has been working on Splash Down for about a year before taking over the business.
"It was a lot of work," Olson said. "Super tall weeds, the landscaping was the biggest thing to fix. Then, of course, the vandalism and cleaning everything up. It was a lot to take on and it's not perfect, but we're trying."
Olson said despite all issues, the park was inspected, several times, and approved. The park is still looking for additional lifeguards who are already certified and trained. If someone wants to apply, he said they should send an email to the business.
While the park prepared to open, it began selling season passes. Now, with most of the summer behind us, Olson's dad said season ticket holders have been refunded.
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