Mississippians looking to beat the heat are in luck as a new water park almost 2 years in the making opened just in time for a hot summer.
Just over an hour’s drive from the Mississippi Coast, is Serengeti Springs at the Hattiesburg Zoo. The park has been open now for a couple weeks and so far season passes for the inaugural season are already sold out. On Wednesday, the Sun Herald took a tour of the brand new $10.5 million dollar park, here’s what we saw.
What attractions are offered?
The park packs in a lot over 3.5 acres of land. Built upon Kamper Park, which is adjacent to the Hattiesburg Zoo, the park was started in 2022 but delayed from its original opening scheduled for Sept. 2023.
Treetop Trek, the park’s main attraction, is a sprawling jungle gym to which all of the park’s nine water slides are connected. Various interactive water features such as water cannons surround the base of Treetop Trek and multiple massive water dump buckets shower the structure on timed intervals.
The park’s largest slides are Feather Flight, Peaco*ck Plunge, Blue Rapid Run, Reptile Racer — which is really three slides parallel to each other, allowing for guests to race each other — and Serengeti Swirl, a large slide that ends in a giant swirling space almost like a toilet bowl.
The park also offers several slides aimed at smaller children, including Rino Rush and Parrott’s Plummet.
All of the slides have height requirements to ride. Guests wanting to ride Feather Flight, Peaco*ck Plunge, Blue Rapid Run, Reptile Racer must be at least 40 inches tall and guests wanting to ride Serengeti Swirl must be 48 inches tall. Height requirements for the slides for smaller children start at 36 inches.
The park’s other main feature is a 450-foot-long, 150,000-gallon lazy river called the Pole-Pole River. The lazy river opens up into an adult-only pool and swim up bar called Habari Riverside Sips where guests can sit on underwater stools and order a number of specialty co*cktails including a drink called the Lazy River, which consists of rum, orange juice, pineapple juice and curacao.
Free inflatable inner tubes are provided for guests on the lazy river and guests under 42 inches tall must wear a provided life jacket. Guests can bring their own life jacket as long as it meets requirements but outside inner tubes and other inflatable pool toys aren’t allowed.
So far the park has two main food options, Boa Bites Food Trucks and Chakula Snacks. At Boa Bites, guests can choose from a pizza truck offering different size pizzas and dough knots or a grill truck offering burgers and chicken. A truck serving tacos is set to be added soon. Chakula Snacks is a snack shack offering, among other things, Pop Brothers popsicles.
What are the seating options?
Lots of different seating options are included in the standard admission price including many Adirondack chairs and adjustable lounge chairs, but guests looking for more private, covered seating can rent cabanas the park offers.
The park offers two different cabana options — deluxe and premium. Both offer lounge chairs, additional seating, a ceiling fan, a USB port and a safe as well as food and beverage service.
There are 18 deluxe cabanas at the park and they can seat up to 8 people with a price range from $69 to $79 depending on the day of the week. The park has 4 premium cabanas which seat up to 12 people and cost from $109 to $119 depending on the day of the week. The cost of the cabana rental does not include admission.
The park also has three different pavilions that are available to rent for parties and events.
How much are tickets?
Ticket prices for Serengeti Springs vary depending on the day and if they’re bought online or in person. The park has a daily ticket limit and unless purchased ahead, it’s possible tickets will be sold out at the gate. Tickets can be purchased online up until 9 a.m. the day of.
Monday through Thursday tickets that are bought at the gate are $25 and $23 online. Friday through Sunday tickets are $30 at the gate and $28 online.
Season ticket passes for the 2024 season are already sold out.
Other things to know
While Serengeti Springs is a part of the Hattiesburg Zoo, admission does not include the zoo admission and bundled tickets are currently not offered. The two parks also have completely separate entrances and do not have a walkway connecting them.
Serengeti Springs is completely cashless. A reverse ATM on site allows customers to exchange cash for a Visa or MasterCard gift card that can be used anywhere Visa and MasterCard are accepted.
Restrooms with changing rooms and showers are provided along with locker rentals. Two gift shops on the property sell things like sunscreen, beach towels and aspirin.
The park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
