Pools are great, but sometimes, splash pads are even better. Often adjacent to playgrounds, you can get a twofer by playing on the playground and then cooling off in the water. They are almost always free. If you have littles who are still learning to swim, a trip to the splash pad is a lot less stressful than a visit to the pool. Lastly, splash pads tend to stay open a bit later in the summer, since they do not rely on staffing. You can even visit many of them in the evenings!
The only downside to splash pads is that they can sometimes be finicky. So, if you are planning a trip out, have a backup plan. We’ve organized our list by part of town so you know which other splash pads are in the same part of town, if you do hit one that’s malfunctioning.
Happy splashing!
Northern Surburbs
Brushy Creek Park Splash Pad (Cedar Park)
3300 Brushy Creek Rd.
Open until the end of September
10am-7pm daily
Playground adjacent
Champion Park (Cedar Park)
3830 Brushy Creek Rd.
Sprinkler park open until September 7
10am-7pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Covered sandbox adjacent
Northeast Metro Park (Pflugerville)
2703 E. Pecan St.
Open until September 30
10am-7pm daily
Skate park, shaded sandbox, climbing wall and swings adjacent
Prete Plaza (Round Rock)
221 E. Main St.
7:30am-10pm Sundays – Thursdays, 7:30-11pm Fridays and Saturdays
Closed during some holidays and special events
Quarry Splash Pad (Leander)
3005 County Road 175
Open until September 7
10am-7pm daily
$2 admission (cash)
East Austin
Bartholomew Splash Pad
5200 Berkman Dr.
Open until September 27, 2015
9am-8pm daily
Playground and municipal pool adjacent
Splash pad is covered
Chestnut Splash Pad
1404 E. 16th St.
Open until September 27, 2015
9am-8pm daily
Playground adjacent
Lott Splash Pad
1108 Curves
Open until September 27, 2015
9am-8pm (Open daily, except closed Wednesdays)
Playground adjacent
Metz Splash Pad
2407 Canterbury St.
Open until September 27, 2015
9am-8pm daily
Playground and neighborhood pool adjacent
Rosewood Splash Pad
1182 Pleasant Valley
Open until September 27, 2015
9am-8pm (Open daily, except closed Wednesdays)
Playground and neighborhood pool adjacent
South Austin
Liz Carpenter Splash Pad
1000 Barton Springs Rd.
Open year-round, except closed for maintenance on Mondays from 8am until noon
* Note: due to a broken pipe, the fountains are closed until further notice. Check the PARD Closures site for updates.
Ricky Guerrero Splash Pad
1100 Brodie St.
Open until September 27
9am-8pm daily, except closed Wednesdays
Playground adjacent
West Austin
Bailey Splash Pad
1011 W. 33rd St.
Open until September 27, 2015
9am-8pm daily
Playground adjacent
Clarksville Splash Pad
1811 W. 11th St.
Open until September 27, 2015
9am-8pm daily
Playground adjacent
Splash Pad is covered
Eastwoods Splash Pad
3001 Harris Park Blvd.
Open until September 27, 2015
9am-8pm
Playground adjacent
Metered parking
Pease Splash Pad
1600 Parkway at Kingsbury
Open until September 27
9am-8pm daily
Playground adjacent
Be sure to take a picture and upload it to Instagram with the hashtag #AustinSummerFun for a chance to win prizes each week!
About the author: A recovering workaholic, Nicole Basham now spends her time rediscovering Austin through her 9-year-old son’s eyes. A soccer-playing mom, Nicole also enjoys tickling too close to bedtime, taking in some live music and being silly. You can also find her writing at LiveMom.com and FreeFuninAustin.com.
Thanks for the info and the links about the splash pads. I will keep them in mind for the next time.