When trying to decide on areas to travel to with our family during the summer, I always try and look for places that are fun and family friendly. Whether it’s a theme or water park, if it’s something we can do together as a family I try and make it happen. We recently visited Hot Springs, Arkansas where they have one of the best places to visit. Magic Springs Water & Theme Park is nearly a 200-acre park area that is two parks in one. Magic Springs combines the cooling paradise of a water park and the excitement of an amusement park.
Magic Springs Theme Park
The park is set up in a way that everything is easily accessible without having to walk for long distances. You have Magic Springs which is the theme park side of the park. This area houses all of the rides such as The Gauntlet, X-Coaster, Dr. Dean’s Rocket Machine and more! The thrill rides are amazing with my favorite being The Gauntlet! My kids are quite ready for these types of rides just yet so they really enjoyed the smaller rides like the Diamond Mine Coaster, Ozark Mountain Taxi Company and Razorback Roundup Bumper Cars.
Magic Springs newest attraction is the Sky Shark where riders are hoisted to the top of a 115-foot steel arch before plummeting in a free fall back to earth at speeds up to 50mph. While we didn’t brave it this time, it looked like a lot of fun! Here’s a quick video of the Sky Shark in Action.
hoisted to the top of a 115-foot steel arch before plummeting in a free fall back to earth at speeds up to 50mph
There is also an area for smaller kids who are under 42 inches but still want to enjoy the rides.
Magic Springs Water Park
On the other side of the park is Crystal Falls which has all of the water fun like the Wave Pool, Water Slides, and Boogie Blast. I LOVED Crystal Falls and could have easily spent all day here. It’s actually the largest water park in Arkansas and has some of the best water attractions compared to other similar parks. Boogie Blast is the first ride that we came across at the park. It’s basically like riding a wave on a boogie board and as long as you are over 42 inches tall you can ride it. If you don’t want to ride you can sit in one of the many chairs that overlook the Boogie Blast and cheer everyone on as they attempt to ride the wave.
If you are wondering what to wear at the park, since it’s both a water and theme park, that’s pretty easy. Just wear whatever you are most comfortable in. I saw a lot of people wearing their bathing suits underneath their clothes. Also people who brought extra clothes can store them in the lockers that are for rent throughout the park.
We decided to hit the theme park first and wore regular clothes. Then when we moved over to the water park we made a quick stop in the restrooms where you can easily change into your bathing suit.
Magic Springs Concert Series
Throughout the summer months Magic Springs hosts their 2014 concert series which features some amazing artists including:
Daughtry
Steven Curtis Chapman
Switchfoot
Bridgit Mendler
Skillet
And more!
The concert series is included in your ticket admission. However for a small fee you can purchase reserved seats and get a little closer to the stage. For a complete line-up and calendar of performances you can visit Magic Springs online. Throughout the month of July every Friday night, Magic Springs will end the evening with a spectacular fireworks show. Each fireworks show is accompanied by a summer-themed soundtrack mix by DJ Doug Kramer. The park will stay open until 9 p.m. on these nights.
Magic Springs Dive-In Movies
The big screen comes to the water this year with our new “Dive-In Movies” featuring recently released movies on the big screen at Crystal Cave Wave Pool. Scheduled for the summer:
- June 6- “Despicable Me 2”
- June 20- “ The Muppets”
- June 27- “Frozen”
- August 1- “Catching Fire” (Hunger Games Series)
- August 16 – “The Smurfs 2”
Movies will begin at dusk and are followed by a dance party with games and family activities. We didn’t get a chance to experience this but it sounds like a lot of fun and a great way to end the night.
Food at Magic Springs Theme Park
If you are planning on staying the day at Magic Springs, you will have plenty of food options to choose from. They have things like Burgers, Pizza, Grilled Chicken Corn dogs and even salads. My kids each got the corn dog meal which comes with one foot long corn dog, fries, and a pepsi for less than $10. The corn dogs were GOOD!
Magic Springs is So Much Fun For The Entire Family
Our family had an incredible time at Magic Springs. Being able to combine both a water park and a theme park experience into one was amazing. This is definitely a place that you will want to visit if you are in the Arkansas area.
For more information on Magic Springs Water & Theme Park including ticket prices and hours of operation you can visit them online at http://www.magicsprings.com/.