By Kim Bryant
It is a sunny, 85-degree day. The temperature is still rising and the heat is beginning to take its toll on you. You try to cool off by attempting to lounge in the small, cramped inflatable kiddie pool you “borrowed” from the kid who lives next door. Despite all your attempts, you are still hot. So what else can you do to cool off? There is only one solution: the water park — a wonderful, cool and wet oasis of fun. The following is a guide to local water parks in Omaha and the surrounding metro area. When it comes to beating the heat (or at least trying to deal with it), the following places are where you want to be:
Fun Plex
7003 Q St., Omaha
* Water park hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Amusement Park Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week
* Cost: Combo Pass (Amusement and Water Park): $19.95 plus tax; Water Park Pass: $12.95 plus tax; Amusement Park Pass: $14.95 plus tax; Children 5 and under are admitted free
Since it’s opening in 1979, Fun Plex has had an average of 100,000 customers per summer, says Fun Plex employee Sarah Jodlowski.
While you are at Fun Plex, you can slide down one of the two five-story water slides into the splash pool at the bottom. You can also go for a ride in the Motion Ocean, a simulated wave pool. Or if you just feel like being lazy, you can just float around in the 4-foot-deep Lazy River. Fun Plex also offers group rates for families and organizations that want to use the park to hold picnics, family reunions and other events.
Papio Bay
815 East Halleck St., Papillion
* Hours: 12 -8 p.m., seven days a week
* Cost: $3.50 for children 17 and under, $4.50 for adults, children 2 and under are admitted free
Papio Bay opened in 1994. Manager Matt Stigge says the water park has received an average of 60,000 to 90,000 visitors per summer. The park’s amenities include two water slides, a pool with high and low diving boards, two sand volleyball courts and a kiddie pool.
For those who are too broke to pay the entrance fees for the parks mentioned above, Omaha has more than 26 public pools spread throughout the city.
Pool admission ranges from free (under 2 years) to $3 (ages 18 and older). Pool hours vary for each park, so call ahead to check for times.
A guide to local Omaha pools can be found on www.discoveromaha.com/recreation/guides/summers.
