As many of you know, I’m a BIG fan of the waterpark idea for the OmniSource property. I believe such an attraction would provide year-round entertainment for tourists and residents. However, it must be the right attraction done in the right way. “Just another waterpark” won’t cut the mustard. It has to be big. It has to be bold.
We have a unique opportunity to feature our city’s history all the 
while providing an exciting vacation experience for out-of-town guests. I believe the Old Fort Waterpark Resort holds great potential.
I’ve proposed the Old Fort/river theme as both are naturally appealing and historically relevant. Here are a few ideas:
- “The Raft Race” – bring back this perennial favorite and feature dueling raft slides, complete with corporate sponsorship (local businesses advertise on the rafts with logos).
- “The Flood” – Family Raft Ride. Reminiscent of the “Flood of ‘82″ and the “City that Saved Itself,” this ride features a sandbag levee waterfall at its base.
- “Wabash-Erie Canal Lazy River Ride” – The less adventurous grab a “Little Turtle” raft or inner tube and are transported around the park via a waterjet-propelled canal system. In the center of the park towers “Summit City” – a water playground with air pressured water guns and cannons, minislides and more.
- “Mad Anthony’s Wild Indoor Playground” – This is a dry indoor playground. Imagine McDonald’s playland or Chuck E Cheese on steriods. Four stories tall with foam ball cannons, ball fountains, ball pits, multi-story slides, and tunnels galore.
- “Fallen Timbers Challenge Pool” – Swimmers attempt to cross an obstacle course of foam timbers and apple barrels without falling in. Features water basketball and volleyball.
- “Bucky Beaver’s Toddler Town” – just for the little ones. Toddler slides and water features. Help Bucky and his animal friends rebuild the dam with sandbags before Summit City floods.
- Local artists paint historical murals on the walls surrounding the gallery.
- A retention pond “moat” surrounds the facility to absorb water displaced by the facility and reduce area flooding concerns. Guests cross the moat via a timbered bridge to enter.
- Family restaurants such as TGIFriday, Pizza Hut, Applebee’s as well as snack bars for “grazing” while swimming
- Arcades, video & prizes. Players earn “Bucky Bucks” to exchange for Fort Wayne themed toy souvenirs.
- Future additions could include: wave pool, outdoor slides, additional guestrooms, miniature golf, indoor whitewater rafting, canoeing, paddleboats, and more.
The complex includes 250-350 suites and guestrooms, as well as conference rooms for business meetings. Mom and Dad can bring the family on business trips to the Summit City. High-speed Internet access is available.
This would not be just any other waterpark but uniquely themed to capture the best of Fort Wayne. Visitors leave the resort with a positive family experience and having learned a little bit about what makes our city great.
Any other ideas?
Potential Marketing Targets?
1. Youth groups
2. Church leader conventions
3. Family reunions
4. Homeschool conferences
Any other ideas?
5. High School After-Proms
6. Incentive Trips (Travel agencies, insurance companies, etc.)
7. Science Central workshops
8. Extended-stay accommodations for families with a loved one receiving hospital care.
9. Media vacation giveaways in surrounding markets (South Bend/Mishawaka, Toledo, Muncie, Merrillville, Indianapolis)
10. School class trips
11. Annual passes for local residents
I totally agree with your vision.
Fort Wayne definitely needs an attraction that makes it a destination point for family fun, beyond the wonderful seasonal zoo, of course.
It also would be a point of pride for local residents.
I, for one, am tired of taking my family on two and three hour drives for family fun at a water park.
I would like to add another potential marketing target to your list:
12. Birthday Parties for kids (and adults?)
We went to Caribbean Cove in Indianapolis recently and saw a birthday party in progress. It looked like a great time.
I am looking forward to this vision becoming a reality.
Is there anything I can do to help?
Are there any petitions being signed, etc…?
Thanks Nikole for sharing the vision! Birthday parties are a great addition.
The best thing we can do to help this vision become a reality is to share the ideas with everyone we know. It may be helpful to drop the good folks on the North River Task Force a note as well.
Yesterday, I submitted Letters to the Editor to the Journal-Gazette, News-Sentinel, Fort Wayne Business Weekly. I’ve emailed the Fort Wayne Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as Indiana News Center and WANE-TV.
Contacting your city councilman will be helpful as well.
Please note that I’m not suggesting that the City of Fort Wayne should in any way own/maintain such a facility (see Seven Point Plan for Success).
There is an appropriate role for government which includes providing a vision and gathering public support for the project. With a ground-swell of support, the City can then approach developers and investors to bring it to reality.
as much as i’d love to see this too (i have two young children), i just can’t see any reasonable developer attaching themselves to the project. fort wayne simply isn’t considered to be a destination city outside of our region. its a sad fact, but to get to destination status, we’d need to start smaller with less riskier developments for something like this to work.
tis a shame considering the city’s rich, lush history.
Absolutely LOVE your idea for this waterpark and I am sure there are many more in our city and surrounding areas that would like to see this happen. We need something like this in Fort Wayne! It would be a great attraction to bring families in to visit and would give the residents a fun, healthy activity.