Come mid-June, Gilroy Gardens will host a new water feature designed to teach young children about the physics of water while they play in it and beat the heat, according to theme park administrators.
At a groundbreaking ceremony Friday, Gilroy Gardens Vice President and General Manager Barbara-Lea Granter explained the $2 million project on half an acre will have an interactive splash pad for kids to get wet, a hands-on water zone and an 18-inch-deep lagoon.
Salinas based-construction firm Don Chapin and Company will be working around the clock to built the water feature, according to Granter.
The new attraction is a welcome sight to Mayor Don Gage, who thanked park staff for their dedication to Gilroy Gardens and to beautifying the City.
“When you have a theme park, if you don’t change what’s going on in the park, it’s very difficult to be able to attract people year after year,” Gage said at the ceremony. “I think it’s amazing that people find this a real attraction to the City, and it really is.”
Without the continued loyalty of the guests to the sprawling 536-acre theme park, Granter said they wouldn’t have been able to bring this project to fruition.
“It has allowed us to put enough money aside to do this capital project, so we really do appreciate our guests and the fact they come back year after year,” she said.
The water feature will join five other water-based attractions already at the park, from a lake that houses paddleboats for children and their parents to a waterfall designed to allow guests to walk behind it. Gilroy Gardens is slated to open for the season on March 30.
