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Epic Waters Waterpark
Grand Prairie, TX

2023-2026 USA Today 10Best Indoor Waterparks Winner

Epic Waters is the result of the city of Grand Prairie wanting to offer their community a place to play and experience leisure unlike any other… It is now the Gold standard for municipal waterpark development:

Quick Facts

500,000+ annual visitors
Top 3 U.S. indoor waterpark for 3 consecutive years according to USA Todays 10Best List
Major anchor for mixed-use district growth
Proven tourism and tax revenue driver

Community Impact

Annual land value growth accelerated from 5% to 20%
Average $8M contribution to special revenue funds
Supports surrounding hotel, retail, dining, and entertainment development
Strengthens long-term district ROI and tax base

In 2015, the Texas city of Grand Prairie had the ambition to build a lasting recreational space in the spirit of New York’s Central Park that could serve as a major leisure destination. They planned to build a huge recreation center with event space and a waterpark in the heart of the city that would live up to Grand Prairie’s motto, “Dream Big, Play Hard.”

To make their dream a reality, the City Council chose the best waterpark team for the job, commissioning a large-scale partnership between OpenAire and leading industry experts. This dynamic group gave rise to The Epic Central; a monumental complex that provides 172 acres of concentrated recreation space for all of Grand Prairie’s six million citizens. Major attractions during concept included outdoor trails, a recreation centre and athletic facilities, an amphitheater, a music studio, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, a library, a spa and the 62,000-square-foot Epic Waters waterpark (indoor), all framed by elegant, sweeping architecture and landscaping. Epic Central now houses a hotel, several restaurants, an evening water fountain and light show, concerts, festivals and more.

When it opened in 2019, Epic Waters waterpark was the largest retractable-roofed indoor municipal waterpark in the USA. Only now being out grown by the Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark opening in Bellevue, NB.

OpenAire’s incredible free-standing aluminum structure with polycarbonate-roof panels and coloured blue glass walls that makes a bold impression, yet connects beautifully with the rest of the centre’s design. The waterpark enclosure is 160 ft. wide and 384 ft. long. The design includes 18 retractable bays along each side of the roof’s apex that lets the in sunshine and fresh air, while closing securely at the touch of a button during colder or rainy days.

Included in the park is the longest indoor lazy river in Texas, the tallest Aqualoop in the USA, the world’s first boomerango and constrictor combination slide and the first two passenger Aquasphere in the USA.

“We are seeing an exciting, overwhelming amount of guests visiting on Fridays and into the weekends. Our capacity is 1,500 guests, and we have reached that every single weekend since we opened on January 12th. We have been selling tickets on our website ahead of time so guests can be guaranteed admission on the day that they would like to visit, and avoid being turned away until we are no longer at capacity on any given day.”

– Chelsey Lamar, Director of Marketing & Events
Epic Waters’
Grand Prairie, TX

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