The wait is over. Tri-City families finally dive in at new aquatic park
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Pasco Aquatic Center opened with lazy rivers, slides, pools and play areas.
- Pasco residents pay lower day-pass and season-pass rates than nonresidents.
- Regular hours are Mon–Fri 6 a.m.–8 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m.–8 p.m.
One long-awaited addition had Tri-Cities families lining up before they even got in the water.
The Pasco Aquatic Center is officially open. Families, children and friends enjoyed their Saturday afternoon testing out all it had to offer.
For Pasco resident Diana Flores, the center's biggest draw was its variety of activities.
“I brought my son. He’s autistic, and I love that it has all these things he can do and play with. I love that a lot,” Flores said.
The facility features two indoor water slides, a lazy river, a ninja course, an open-swim pool and a children’s play area. Outside, visitors can enjoy additional pools, basketball hoops, a climbing wall and another lazy river and slide.
A hot tub extends between the indoor and outdoor sections.
The $41 million center was paid for by a special sales tax passed by Pasco voters in 2022. And there already are plans for a second slide tower maybe in time for the 2027 summer season.
Tony Tuck, the center’s aquatics manager, said he anticipated about 1,000 visitors on opening day.
Despite the large volume of families, Pasco resident Sarah Barker said the facility never felt overcrowded.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Barker said. “Everybody’s having a great time, and it’s something that we’ve wanted for a long time.”
Barker said she can easily see herself going to the aquatic center at least once a week. She brought her sixth-grade daughter, Sophia, to enjoy opening day as well.
Sophia said she’d already tried all the slides and planned to come back throughout the summer.
“I like it a lot,” Sophia said.
Both outdoor and indoor areas will remain open throughout the rest of the summer. The outdoor section will close after summer, restricting visitors to the indoor portion.
The aquatic center’s regular hours will be Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.
Lap swim and programming opens the center until 10:45 a.m. daily. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the first open swim block starts with the second following from 4-8 p.m.
Pasco residents pay a cheaper fare for the facility, with day-pass rates starting at $10 for youth tickets, $9 for seniors and $12 for adults. For residents outside of Pasco, the prices slightly increase, starting at $13 for youth, $11 for seniors and $15 for adults.
Summer passes and annual passes are also available. For Pasco residents, summer passes start at $126 for seniors, $140 for youth, $168 for adults and $265 for families. Annual passes range from $280 for youth and seniors, $375 for adults and $750 for families.
Other visitors can pay $168 for youth summer passes, $151.20 for seniors, $210 for adults and $304.75 for families Annual passes are $350 for youth and seniors, $469 for adults and $938 for families.