The Jag

After 18 months of construction, Blue Spring’s new water park Blue Surf Bay is finally complete and is set to open on May 24. It is part of the Fieldhouse on 425 NE Mock Ave.

Justin Stuart, the director of Parks and Recreation, says that they made the park because residents wanted a new aquatics center after Centennial Pool closed last year.

The park has two parts, the inside and the outside. In the inside, the park includes a splash pad, water slide steam room, hot tube, and a water lap pool that has a rock-climbing wall and two diving platforms. On the ceiling features a NinjaCross Course that is similar to an obstacle course that drops into the pool. With this is a warm pool with a current water channel.

Outdoors of the park is a 40-foot tower with multiple slides, with a wave ball pool and a zero-depth entry pool for younger kids.

Something that was not part of the original plan was a lazy river and the sundeck that has now been added to the park.

The park also has a featured surf simulator, which allows people to knee board or try surfing standing up. This feature is unique to the KC area.

“There is one other waterpark in the KC area that has a surf simulator but it has not been operational in recent years.” said Stuart. “We chose to put one in to give our community something unique, fun, and different to try out. It helps this waterpark stand out from the rest and we will be able to do some lessons and things that you probably can’t find anywhere else around this area.”

The outdoor pool part of the park will be open from Memorial Day-Labor Day, however the indoor pool will be open year-round along with the Fieldhouse. The surf simulator will run on a similar schedule to the outdoor pool but could be open at different times due to its ability to heat the water.

The biggest challenge in making the park was how much money resources cost after inflation hit. In April of 2021, residents approved a sales tax that funded the new water park.

“All final costs are not in yet, but the project will end up being around $40 million,” Stuart said.

The main culprit of this high price is the rise in the cost of resources, especially after COVID hit.

“When construction started, inflation was increasing dramatically and supply-chain issues were causing long delays and lead times in getting the materials needed to build the facility. Working through both of those issues was a big challenge in the beginning because of the unknowns it created,” Stuart said.

This is most likely the final version of the center because there is not much room to expand. However, events are going to be held at the park.

“We’ll hold some special events or theme days throughout the summer,” Stuart said, “We’ll have the ability to hold dive-in movies and host corporate events as well.”

If you are a resident of Blue Springs, admission to the park is less expensive than if you live outside of the area. The base cost for a summer pass for Blue Springs residents is $175 and for non-Blue Springs residents the base is $225. A day pass for Blue Springs residents starts at $9 for adults and $18 for out of Blue Springs adult residents. For children, it’s $8 for Blue Springs residents, and  All of the specific prices can be found on Blue Spring’s Parks and Rec FAQ on their website.

“Many people don’t realize that your pass gets you access to the outdoor waterpark, the indoor pools, Fieldhouse courts, turf, and fitness area. It’s a great facility with a lot of options for things to do. We are excited for the community to come check out Blue Surf Bay on May 24, or whenever you are able to stop by this summer,” says Stuart.

More information can be found on the Parks and Rec website.