Holiday weekend in the sun: A list of the region’s places to splash around, cool down

Summer is nearly here, and few experiences are such a quintessential part of summer as spending the day at the pool. Most people have childhood memories full of long days swimming and sunning, the smells of chlorine and sunscreen and the pool snacks.

This Memorial Day weekend sees the opening of most local water parks and splash pads. Here is a partial list of places to check out:

Fairfield Aquatic Center

The Fairfield Aquatic Center, which includes a climbing wall, a diving board, a waterslide and a spray ground, opened May 27. From May 27 to Aug. 13, it is open noon-8p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays. From Aug. 14 to Sept. 3, it is only open on weekends, noon- 8 p.m. both days. On Sept. 4, the last day, it is open from noon-6 p.m.

Daily admission is $8 for resident adults, $10 for nonresident adults, $6 for resident children ages 3-17, $8 for nonresident children ages 3-17, and free for children under 2. Senior and military admission is $5 for residents and $7 for nonresidents. Season passes are $160 for resident adults, $240 for nonresident adults, $120 for resident youths, $180 for nonresidents, $340 for resident families of four, and $510 for nonresident families of four. Additional family members are $25 per person.

For more information visit fairfield-city.org/496/Aquatic-Center.

The Fairfield Aquatic Center is located at 2605 Augusta Blvd. in Fairfield.

Wake Nation

Wake Nation, a watersports facility in Fairfield with a cable park, wakeboard lessons and an aquapark, opens on June 2. From June 2 to Aug. 3 it is open noon-8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. From Aug. 14 to Sept. 17, it is open noon-7p.m. Fridays through Sundays. From Sept. 18 to Oct. 8, it is open noon-5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. It is closed on all holidays.

Aquapark tickets start at $29 dollars, and season passes start at $109. Cable park tickets start at $54, and season passes are $799. Wakeboard lessons start at $109.

For more information visit https://wakenation.com.

Wake Nation is located at 201 Joe Nuxhall Way in Fairfield.

Aqua Adventures at Land of Illusion

Aqua Adventures is a water park at Land of Illusion amusement park in Middletown and has beaches, inner tubes for floating and a designated zone for smaller children. It’s biggest attraction is a 65-piece inflatable obstacle course. It opened May 27.

For more information go online to landofillusion.com/aqua.

Aqua Adventures is located at 8762 Thomas Road, Middletown.

Soak City at Kings Island

Soak City, Kings Island’s water park, opened May 27. It will be open every day from 11a.m.-7p.m., and access is included with Kings Island admission. Soak City’s attractions include 36 waterslides, two wave pools, rushing rivers, and lagoons. It will close on September 4.

For more information, go to visitkingsisland.com/rides-experiences?location=soakcity

Soak City is located at Kings Island at 6300 Kings Island Dr. #2 in Kings Mills.

Mason Municipal Aquatic Center

The outdoor leisure pool at Mason Municipal Aquatic Center opens May 27. The indoor pool is open year-round. From May 27 to Aug. 20, it is open from 11a.m.-8 p.m.. From Aug. 21 to Sept. 4, it is open from 4-8 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekends.

A daily pass is $15 for anyone ages four or older. Family season passes are $239 for Mason residents (including people employed full-time in Mason) and $543 for nonresidents. For individuals ages 12-60, individual season passes are $132 for residents and $265 for nonresidents. For children ages 4-11 and seniors, individual season passes are $83 for residents and $162 for nonresidents. Children ages 3 and younger get in free.

The Mason Municipal Aquatic Center also has a splashpad.

For more information, go online to imaginemason.org/things-to-do/parks/masons-new-aquatic-center.

The Mason Municipal Aquatic Center is located at 6249 Mason Montgomery Road in Mason.

Oxford Aquatic Center

The Oxford Aquatic Center, which has a kiddie pool, slides, a lazy river, a diving board, and an 8-lane competition pool, opens May 29. It will be open from noon-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon-5 p.m. Sundays.

Daily access is $6 for children, $8 for adults, and $7 for seniors. Children younger than 2 years old have free admission. Season passes are $100 for adult residents and $110 for adult nonresidents, $80 for resident children and seniors and $88 for nonresident children and seniors, and $210 for a resident household and $231 for a nonresident household.

For more information visit https://oprd.recdesk.com/Community/Page?pageId=17437

The Oxford Aquatic Center is located 701 Kay Rench Drive in Oxford.

Paul E. Fitzgerald Pool

The Paul E. Fitzgerald Pool in Franklin opens May 29. From May 29 to Aug. 6, it is open from noon-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday. From Aug. 7-13, the pool is open noon to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. It is also open noon-7 p.m. Saturdays, and noon-6 p.m. Sundays. From Aug. 14 to Sept. 4, it is open on noon-7 p.m. Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays.

Daily admission is $10 for all nonresidents, $5 for adults from ages 18-61, $4 for children ages 3-17, and $3 for seniors ages 62 and up. All children ages 2 and under have free admission. Season passes are $70 for an individual resident and $100 for an individual nonresident. Family passes, which admit up to four people, are $175 for residents and $250 for nonresidents. Senior passes are $30 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.

For more information online, visit franklinohio.org/community/pool.

The Paul E. Fitzgerald Pool is located at 301 E 6th St. in Franklin.

Coney Island

Since 1925, Coney Island in Cincinnati has been deemed as having the world’s largest recirculating swimming pool. Sunlite Pool is more than 2 acres large. Coney Island also has water slides and an inflatable obstacle course. It opened for the season May 27.

Coney Island is located at 6201 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati.

See it online at https://coneyislandpark.com.

Kirkwood Camp & Adventure Park

Kirkwood is located in Wilmington and is owned and operated by Matthew 25 Ministries. The park has an inflatable obstacle course on a pond and a Lakeside Beach for relaxing in sand. New this year is Zebby’s Splash Pad, a splash playground for smaller children.

Kirkwood is located at 5719 Ohio 73 West in Wilmington. It and opened for the season May 27.

Get more online at gokirkwood.com.

Spraygrounds and splash pads

There are many spraygrounds and splash pads located throughout Butler and Warren counties.

The city of Hamilton has several spraygrounds, which are open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. through the summer. They are located at Benninghofen Park (913 Noyes Ave.), the Booker T. Washington Center (1140 S. Front St.), Crawford Woods (2470 Hancock Ave.), North End (1100 Joe Nuxhall Blvd.), Marcum Park (116 Dayton St.), Millikin Woods (195 N. Washington Blvd.) and Jim Grimm Park (1025 Cleveland Ave.).

In Warren County, the Kacie Jane Memorial Park has a splash pad. It is located at 525 West Lytle-Five Points Rd. in Springboro and is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.

The Home of the Brave Park is located at 11605 Lebanon Road in Loveland and is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m.. The splash pad is open Memorial Day to Labor Day.

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