Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher stands near one of the swimming pools at the $23million YMCA Water Park at The Landing during opening ceremonies Friday, May 23, of the new Bettendorf aquatic center. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Bettendorf’s new aquatic center – The YMCA Water Park at The Landing – opened last weekend and brought a “wow” factor to the community. “We had a lot of people saying ‘Wow’ when they looked at the park. They were saying ‘Wow, this is bigger than I expected,’” Josh Whitson, chief operating officer of the […]
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Bettendorf’s new aquatic center – The YMCA Water Park at The Landing – opened last weekend and brought a “wow” factor to the community.“We had a lot of people saying ‘Wow’ when they looked at the park. They were saying ‘Wow, this is bigger than I expected,’” Josh Whitson, chief operating officer of the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley (YMCAIMV), said Monday, May 26, shortly before the water park’s doors opened to the public at 1 p.m.On Monday, Mr. Whitson and other YMCA staff were on hand to help welcome some of the first guests to the almost $23 million The Landing facility on its second day of public operations. More than 50 people were lined up at the front gates when the park opened. The facility first opened to the public Saturday afternoon, May 24. (It was closed on Sunday due to cool temperatures.)
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A girl sits by one of the swimming pools at the YMCA Water Park at The Landing during opening ceremonies for the $23 million Bettendorf facility on Friday, May 23. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is held Friday, May 23, for the new YMCA Water Park at The Landing in Bettendorf.
A boy tests the waters in one of the swimming pools at the YMCA Water Park at The Landing in Bettendorf on Friday, May 23. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
These are some of the features at the new YMCA Water Park at The Landing in Bettendorf.
These are some of the features at the new YMCA Water Park at The Landing in Bettendorf.
These are some of the features at the new YMCA Water Park at The Landing in Bettendorf.
These are some of the features at the new YMCA Water Park at The Landing in Bettendorf.
These are some of the features at the new YMCA Water Park at The Landing in Bettendorf.
These are some of the features at the new YMCA Water Park at The Landing in Bettendorf.
“We had 400 people on that first day. That was really good, when you consider the weather,” Mr. Whitson said.The new, state-of-the-art aquatic park is owned by the City of Bettendorf and operated by the local YMCA.Ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, more than 50 people from the YMCA, the city and business community gathered Friday afternoon, May 23, to officially welcome The Landing with a grand opening ceremony and a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce.“This will be a place to make memories, to make friends, and most importantly, to have fun,” Bettendorf Mayor Bob Gallagher said during the brief ceremony.City and YMCA leaders also used the ceremony to thank the many groups and people who helped turn the dream of a new aquatic center into a reality. Much of that work in creating the center came because of a lot of planning and partnerships between the City of Bettendorf, the YMCAIMV and many businesses, said Debbie Anselm, the YMCAIMV board chair. “This community dream is now a reality. … Let the summer begin,” she added.Friday’s events also gave people the chance to look over many of the features of the new aquatic center, which include:
Zero-depth entry main pool area, built with ninja bars and two rock climbing walls.
Three full-sized water slides.
Lazy River area.
Kids Zone area with smaller water slides and a water dump bucket.
Full-size male, female, and family locker room and shower areas as well as a full selection of concessions for purchase.
Members of YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley will be able to enter the park at no additional cost. YMCA memberships can be purchased at the park, giving members access to not only the YMCA Water Park, but all other YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley facilities.
Non-members can purchase admission to the park for a fee of $8 for youth (under 18), $14 for adults, and $20 for family. On certain days, admission to the park may be restricted if capacity limits are reached.
The Landing project is a $22.9 million investment. This cost includes The Landing Ice Rink portion of the project, which opened this past winter. The ice rink attracted more than 16,000 visitors in its first season. City officials on Friday predicted the aquatic center will bring in many more people this summer.
When The Landing is open, there will be 16 lifeguards on duty, and the local YMCA has about 50 people assigned to work at the facility, according to Taylor Bley, the YMCA’s director of communications and marketing.“When people come here, they’re going to see we have something for everybody,” he added.The YMCA Water Park at the Landing is scheduled to be closed the rest of this week because some local school districts are still in session. It will reopen for the summer starting Saturday, June 7, and be open seven days a week from 1-7 p.m. (weather permitting) through the Labor Day weekend.The Landing is just one of several area water parks that are or will soon be open for the season. Others include:
Moline Riverside Riverslide: The Riverside Riverslide opened Saturday, May 24. Hours through Memorial Day will be noon to 6 p.m. Starting Tuesday, May 27, through Friday, May 30, hours will be 4-8 p.m. On Saturday, May 31, hours are noon to 6 p.m. Summer hours will begin on June 1, with the pool opening at noon everyday. Closing times can differ and a full list of the summer hours can be found online on the city's park and recreation page.
Rock Island Whitewater Junction Aquatic Center: The center opened on Saturday, May 24. The aquatic center will open at 10 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Summer hours are: Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Whitewater Junction is a zero-depth to nine-foot-deep pool featuring four waterslides, a tot slide, splash features, and fun for the whole family. Whitewater Junction. It is located at 17th Street and 18th Avenue. Go to www.rigov.org/WWJ or call (309) 732-SWIM (7946) for more information.
