On Thursday, May 26, the town of Fountain Hills held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the grand re-opening of the Rotary Splash Pad for children to have a place to cool off at 17000 E. El Lago Blvd.

Many supporters of the project were thanked and a ceremonial “first splash” declared the Rotary Splash Pad officially open for the summer season during a short morning program, according to a press release, noting standard operating hours will be 9 a.m. to sunset daily.

For towns without a community pool, a splash pad is a welcomed amenity. Since 2007, the Rotary Centennial Splash Pad at Fountain Park in Fountain Hills has been the “cool” place to be during hot summers. The town’s splash pad was one of the first installed in Arizona, according to the release.

After 15 years of use, the splash pad components exceeded its “life expectancy and showed significant wear,” so construction for the new splash pad began in the fall of 2021. Due to the splash pad's popularity, staff recommended Town Council increase the size of the play area and create zones for age-appropriate play.

The expanded footprint allowed additional play structures to accommodate the large volume of youths using the park. Fun attractions include the Mega Soaker and Sneaky Soaker water buckets, Custom Cool Trane, Geyser, Tidal Wave, Froggie-O, Tidal Wave, and more than 30 water features, the release said.

The splash pad was part of a playground renovation at Fountain Park, the town’s flagship park within Fountain Hills and the most frequented park in the community. The playground at Fountain Park replaced a 15-year play set in March, becoming increasingly hard to maintain.

One of the playground’s unique features is a 30-foot climbing tower. This new structure features challenges for older children, age five to 12. In the fall of 2021, the town replaced another playground at Fountain Park for ages 2-5, added the release.

Go to: fountainhillsaz.gov/187/Community-Services.