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Oasis Splash Pad at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

Palm Desert, CA, USA

Project Details

Location: Palm Desert, CA, USA

Application: Themed Splash Pad

Year of Installation: 2025

Main Features:

  • Gerome
  • Aneth Bloom 1
  • Rain Forest
  • Carousel Cannon 2
  • Activity Tower
  • Waterfall 2
  • Surf Stones
  • Fellows: Fox, Kangaroo, Rhino, and Leopard
  • Sprout Activator

A splash pad shaped by the landscape, wildlife, and story of the desert around it. 

Located in the heart of California’s Coachella Valley, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is one of the only zoos in the world dedicated exclusively to desert ecosystems. Families visit year-round to explore the beauty, wildlife, and resilience of some of the world’s most remarkable arid environments.

But when California temperatures climb, a full day of exploring can be a challenge. The Living Desert wanted to create a place where families could cool off, recharge, and keep the adventure going without leaving the property.

The goal was bigger than simply adding water. The new space needed to feel like it truly belonged at The Living Desert, connect back to the desert ecosystems surrounding the zoo, and support its broader commitment to conservation.

A splash pad offered the perfect fit. Working alongside several project partners, Waterplay helped turn that vision into an immersive aquatic play experience inspired by the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. Colours, creatures, landscapes, and natural forms found throughout the California desert were woven into the design, creating a space that feels connected to its surroundings from the moment Waterplayers step onto the pad.

Play Inspired by Place

Nature and animal-inspired Waterplay features bring the desert story to life across the splash pad.

A nature-themed Activity Tower creates multi-level play experiences for a range of ages, while a Rain Forest and Anith Blooms bring playful tree-inspired shapes, cascading water, and movement throughout the space. Gerome, Waterplay’s giant giraffe, sends sky-high showers raining down over Waterplayers racing across the splash pad, while Surf Stones mimic the rocks and boulders found throughout the surrounding desert landscape.

More playful nods to the zoo’s wildlife appear through Waterplay Fellows dotted across the splash pad. Fox and Kangaroo came from Waterplay’s existing lineup, while Leopard and Rhino were custom designed specifically for the project, weaving even more of The Living Desert’s wildlife story into the play experience.

The water keeps the experience moving, too. Spin Spray 1, Carousel Cannon 2, and a Waterfall 2 invite kids to interact, play together, and discover just how many ways water can move. A variety of ground sprays add gentler splashes for younger Waterplayers or anyone looking for a calmer way to cool off.

Together, those play moments give Waterplayers plenty of ways to explore, from racing through overhead sprays and taking aim with interactive features to finding a quieter corner of the pad.

The Story Continues Underfoot

The theme doesn’t stop with the play features!

Cushy, slip-resistant surfacing from Life Floor uses warm, earthy tones inspired by the surrounding landscape while transforming the splash pad floor into another layer of the experience. Different colours and shapes create geographical islands across the space, each featuring distinct clusters of animals and giving kids even more to discover as they move through the pad.

Custom inlays of desert plants and animals, including prairie dogs and rattlesnakes, were integrated throughout the surfacing, along with The Living Desert’s logo. Even underfoot, the story keeps going, connecting the different design elements and helping the entire splash pad feel rooted in place.

Play with Conservation in Mind

Creating a splash pad that reflected The Living Desert also meant thinking carefully about how water would be used.

A recirculation water treatment system from California Waters allows water from the splash pad to be collected, sanitized, and reused, helping create a more water-conscious play experience that aligns with The Living Desert’s conservation efforts.

Low-flow features like the Fellows, Rain Forest, Anith Blooms, and Spin Sprays help reduce the amount of water needed to create engaging play moments, while an on-demand Sprout Activator gives Waterplayers control with the touch of a button. When the splash pad isn’t being used, the water doesn’t need to keep flowing.

From the custom animal features and desert-inspired colour palette to the immersive surfacing and water-conscious design, every detail works together to tell one bigger story.

Since opening in 2025, the Oasis Splash Pad has become a vibrant place for guests of different ages and abilities to cool off, connect, and play. More importantly, it feels like it could only belong in one place: The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.

 

Project Partners: 

 Photo credit: Life Floor

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