KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.
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Blue Springs' Blue Surf Bay water park at the Carson Ross Community Recreation Complex has prompted memberships to climb 80% compared to memberships in 2023 without the water park, with crowds so large that staff regularly stop selling day passes.
Justin Stuart, Blue Springs Parks and Recreation director, said the facility has something for everyone — from a zero-depth entry splash area for young children to a surf simulator and water slides for more adventurous visitors.
Membership at the community center, which also houses the Blue Springs Fieldhouse, jumped 45-50% in the park's first year of operation in 2024, then grew another 30% the following year.
"There's a lot of days when we max out capacity, we have to quit selling day passes because we just have too many people in here," Stuart said.
The growth along with being in its third summer has allowed Blue Surf Bay to expand its programming opportunities, according to Stuart, like adult nights or group water fitness.
The park is primarily designed to serve Blue Springs residents. Out-of-town visitors are welcome on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which Stuart called "out of service days."
"We are geared more towards Blue Springs residents, but then on Tuesdays and Thursdays we also have what we call our out of service days, and so people that live in our out of service area codes come in on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so it still gives them an opportunity to come and try it out too," Stuart said.
An in-service summer pass costs $350 and covers up to 5 family members, which breaks down to $3.21 a day.
Samantha Gibilisco, a stay-at-home mom from Grain Valley and Blue Surf Bay member, said her family visits often.
"Oh, it's great. It gives us activities, you know, and we've, we've been here 3 times this week," Gibilisco said.
Gibilisco said the park's popularity means visitors should plan ahead.
"Yes, it is busy. You definitely want to get here early to get a chair if you want a chair," Gibilisco said.
Construction of the facility was funded by a park sales tax approved by voters in 2017 and renewed in 2021. Day-to-day operations are funded through the facility's own revenue.
Park leaders are also planning for the future. Stuart said the department is setting aside money from daily operations for long-term maintenance, including equipment replacement and capital improvements.
"We've got some maintenance contracts in place with contractors that installed the equipment to do preventive maintenance on our equipment, so we don't get to the point where it's, you know, broken down so bad that we are at the point of no return," Stuart said.
To see the hours and prices, click here for the Carson Ross Community Recreation Complex page.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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