Splash Station Won't Reopen June 19 After All

JOLIET, IL— For the second year in a row, the Joliet Park District's Splash Station Water Park along Route 6 will not be open for swimmers. On Tuesday, park district director Brad Staab told Joliet Patch's editor that he decided not to open Splash Station for the summer. Staab had set June 19 as his target date of opening.

In 2019, the park district kept Splash Station closed the entire summer as a way to improve the park district's finances. Earlier this year, before the new coronavirus pandemic, Staab announced that finances had greatly improved, and Splash Station should be open in the summer.

Then came the pandemic, and that forced all the park district facilities to shut down in Joliet and everywhere else in Illinois.

On Tuesday, Staab told Patch that under the governor's current phase 3 for Illinois, Joliet's Splash Station could not have more than 50 people on the premises.

"We'd only be able to have 50 people and that's not counting staff," Staab said.

When asked if Splash Station can remain closed for two consecutive years and reopen for business in 2021, Staab told Patch, "we hope so."

On a more positive note, Staab said that weekend weather has been great for the Joliet Park District and lots of people are golfing at the Joliet Park District's three 18-hole courses: Wedgewood, Inwood and Woodruff.

"We've had a great response from people with our golf," Staab said.

As far as the indoor buildings, Staab told Joliet Patch he is hopeful the Joliet Park District can reopen some of its facilities June 29.

That's the date when the state may move into Phase 4 of the governor's plan to reopen Illinois, Staab said.

"We think that we'll start seeing some people on the 29th," he added.