Water park put up for sale after virus cancels season

United Parks is making a move to sell Hydro Adventures, a Poplar Bluff water park they acquired in 2014.

The move was announced last week via the water park’s Facebook page.

A phone number listed to contact owners also is being used for season-pass holders to request refunds.

Messages left for United Parks had not been returned as of press time.

Another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, the water park has not been able to open this summer.

The cancellation of the season was announced July 1, when owners shared in a post that, “Management at Hydro Adventures carefully considered many options. However, we ultimately felt this was the best way to proceed in light of the current public health crisis.”

As late as June 15, owners had set July 1 as the tentative opening date, but also warned they were monitoring the local situation.

United Parks also owns Daytona Lagoon in Daytona Beach, Florida, a year-round family entertainment center purchased in 2015, and Playland, an amusement park in Rye, New York, which it acquired in 2016. Daytona Lagoon has opened for the summer and some features of Playland were also able to open, according to Facebook pages for those locations.

The company has reported it made significant upgrades to all three locations after purchasing the properties.

Among the biggest investments in Poplar Bluff, the company reported, was a 55-foot high steel roller coaster added for the 2016 season. The roller coaster was later taken down.

The company planned a “two parks in one” concept, offering both the water park and dry attractions.

The concept was central to Hydro Adventures’ blueprint for long-term success, Jack Falfas, CEO of United Parks and a 40-year amusement park industry veteran, said at the time.

In addition to the roller coaster, also new in the 2016 season was the installation of a “Scrambler” ride, along with the refurbishment of the Hydro Adventures Midway, which doubled in square footage and added new children’s rides and games, company officials reported at the time.

A 4,300-square feet full arcade and an indoor Laser Tag arena were added for the 2017 season.

United Parks is part of a larger portfolio of investments of Purchase Capital, a private investment firm founded and led by Nicholas J. Singer, which provides patient capital for private and public companies with significant potential for long-term value creation, according to the company website.