Splash Station Won't Open For 3rd Year In A Row

JOLIET, IL— In 2019, the Joliet Park District made the decision to close the Splash Station water park for the summer because of a significant financial deficit facing the district. By 2020, the Joliet Park District fixed its financial problems and announced plans to reopen Splash Station last summer, but then the world-wide coronavirus pandemic came in March, causing the Joliet Park District to change its plans and keep the Splash Station closed for a second year.

Now, it appears that Splash Station will stay closed for the third year in a row.

Joliet Park district director Brad Staab told Joliet Patch's editor there are no plans to open the Splash Station water park along Route 6 for this summer.

Staab said that's mainly because of the continued uncertainty across Illinois stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and what type of crowd size would be allowed for Joliet's outdoor water park.

Staab said the park district has no plans to sell the Splash Station property even though the Route 6 corridor has been undergoing a dramatic transformation in recent years as more logistics and semi-trailer companies construct new headquarters and warehouses nearby.

During the past couple years, the Joliet Park District has leased out space within its large parking lot at Splash Station to trucking companies needing places to park their semitrailers.