The Hattiesburg Zoo has announced plans to expand and introduce a new water park called the Serengeti Springs for all ages to enjoy at the zoo’s campus.
The entire project is anticipated to cost the city $10.5 million and will be funded through Hattiesburg’s two percent tax on restaurants.
One of the water park’s largest attractions, the Fusion Fortress, will have nine slides at varying heights. There will be both straight and spiral slides, with one slide specifically named the “Serengeti Swirl.”
Additional features at the Fusion Fortress will include the following:
- A Lazy River
- Multiple water-play areas
- Two water bucket dump stations
- 19 spray toys on the Life Floor
- Restrooms with changing rooms, showers, and lockers
- A swim-up pool and bar
- Food trucks and concession stations
“Expanding the Hattiesburg Zoo to include the Serengeti Springs water park is a natural fit,” said Rick Taylor, Executive Director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, which will build and manage the park. “This expansion will carry through the same look and feel of Africa that exists in our Zoo, and will combine the slides and sprays with rest and relaxation.”
Construction will be done in two phases, with the Fusion Fortress, lazy river, swim-up bar and lounging accommodations, expected to be complete by summer 2023. The second phase, which will include a slide tower, may take up to four years after the opening of the first phase.
