Queen Creek Recreation & Aquatic Center

Waterplay was brought on board to help create multiple aquatic play spaces that would provide exciting, interactive play experiences for all. The play spaces cater to people of all ages and abilities, including a splashy play structure, freestanding spray features, a gentle ground spray splash pad, and lazy river features. The finished product is stunning, and will provide thrilling play experiences for everyone who visits the Queen Creek Recreation & Aquatic Center. 

With the sheer scale of this project, there were some challenges that arose surrounding budgets. As a result, some redesigning had to take place to accommodatethose adjustments. There was a lot of thought that went into the design of the facility, and with so many different parties involved in every stage of the Queen Creek Recreation & Aquatic Facility, it took some time to get everyone on board. However, once everyone was in alignment, the rest of the project went smoothly.  

Another challenge that arose was the fact that the facility had initially been intended for just the residents of Queen Creek. After lots of consideration and advocation, the facility was opened up to be accessible to the larger area, including non-residents. As they were designing and building a facility that was seen as a destination, they wanted to make it accessible to anyone who wanted to enjoy it. 

Building a destination recreation and aquatic facility meantcreating multiple spaces that would cater to all ages and abilities butalso help improve the quality of life of those community members.Queen Creek Recreation and Aquatic Center is a great example of how this can be done well, with multiple activity ‘zones’ that will appeal to a wide range of people looking to enjoy the facility for the day.  

Waterplay had a hand in the designof multiple different zones across the aquatic facility, with splash pad features scattered throughout. Theseinclude a dynamic play structure in the family pool that delivers big splashes (complete with other freestanding spray features), fun features that bring excitement to the lazy river, and a smaller splash pad focused on ground sprays that provide a gentler water play experience for small children or others seeking a calmer play experience. These unique areas are intended to provide something for everyone, from small waterplayers to seniors looking to enjoy the aquatic facility. 

When approaching the design of this facility, Queen Creek also had to consider things like shade, seating, and the availability of food and beverages for patrons. Creating comfortable, shaded areas for parents and guardians to relax while their children play is essential to creating a space that will accommodate the long hours that people will likely spend at the facility. Creating food and beverage options on-site is a great way to create a full-service facility that provides everything someone would need for a full day of splashy fun!  

Queen Creek Recreation & Aquatic Center doesn’t just provide great aquatic spaces. The facility boasts several other great recreation options, including multi-use sport courts, a fitness centre, conference and event rooms, classrooms, a walking track, and an area for children that provides childcare while parents or guardians utilize areas of the facility. 

Wanting to create a destination that people from all over would travel to visit, Queen Creek really wanted a space that would make a huge impact. Waterplay’s Activity Tower does just that! It is the first thing you see when you walk through the doors into the aquatic facility and provides a unique play experience that not a lot of community swimming pools offer. It provides HUGE splashes and boasts multiple slides, creating a thrilling play environment for kids looking for high action and big impacts.  

The creation of several different aquatic play zones helps create unique play experiences for all ages and abilities. The Activity Tower is perfect for kids seeking a thrilling play experience, while a smaller splash pad created from ground sprays creates a gentler, low-impact zone for small children or those looking for a less-stimulating play experience. Dumping buckets, such as the River Splash 2 and River Nook 2 add some action to the lazy river without it being overwhelming for those looking for a casual float. Smaller, freestanding features like Blowfish and Crabbie 1 surround the Activity Tower in the family pool, creating accessible play experiences for those wanting sprays and splashes without being directly on the larger play structure.  

Inclusivity was an incredibly important element that had to be factored into the overall aquatic facility design, and the creation of these unique play zones ensures that people of all ages and all abilities can enjoy the water and most importantly, have fun!

As with any project of this scale, it took a few years to go from conception to completion, but the finished result is a truly stunning facility that offers incredible aquatic play opportunities for the entire community. The Queen Creek Recreation & Aquatic Centre expands the recreational offerings within the city, with in turn directlyimpactstheir local economy. The facility operates on a membership-based system which means it can be accessed and enjoyed by members year-round, with several offerings that suit the needs of many different people.  

Their grand opening took place over Memorial Day weekend in May of 2025 and was a massive success! Kids had an absolute blast engaging with all of the different Waterplay features, and will be able to create endless splashy, fun memories at this incredible facility.