Texas opens indoor waterpark amidst pandemic

The day after Texas became the first state to count one million confirmed coronavirus infections, the largest indoor waterpark in the United States opened to the general public outside of Austin.

Kalahari Resorts Texas held its grand opening on November 12, 2020, in Round Rock, Texas after over two years of construction.

According to hotel owners, under normal circumstances the resort is designed to accommodate as many as 8,000 guests, but with Covid-19 safety protocols, the resort will limit itself to about 3,000, with social distancing and other limits in place for the water park and other attractions.

“We have 1.5 million square feet of space to play and room to roam. It’s been a challenging year, and what better way to get away from the worry and enjoy time having fun together as a family and community,' said Kalahari owner Todd Nelson.

Co-owner Natasha Lucke said that Kalahari is doing everything it can to keep families safe.

'We follow every state and local regulation,' explained Lucke. 'We have a mask mandate, social distancing, sanitizing stations, and we've removed high touch-points from the rooms.'

Specifically, per Texas’ statewide mandate, all guests older than age 10 are required to wear masks while on the property. Guests are asked to wear masks throughout the resort. This includes wearing masks to and from the waterparks, lounging within the waterpark and while not actively using an attraction. Masks are not required while dining in a restaurant or the bar, or when in the water or in a guest room.

The African-themed resort features a 223,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, three acres of outdoor pools, a hotel with 975 guest rooms, four restaurants, a spa, an adventure park, retail space and a convention center.