Need to beat the heat? Or looking for an indoor place to swim no matter the weather?
If you’ve been following my blog for sometime, you will remember that my daughter is skittish around the water. We’ve tried swim lessons at Swim Lessons at Optimist Pool, and they really succeeded in helping my daughter try new water related activities. We decided to venture out to Buffaloe Road Aquatic Center and she had a BLAST!
She even took a nap afterward, albeit a short one. 🙌
Buffaloe Road Aquatic Center
The aquatic center is completely indoors and is open year round. It has a tot area with zero depth entry that is a combination of a kiddie pool and a splash pad.
Kiddie Pool and Splash Pad
The kiddie pool depth goes from 0 to 1 ft 6 inches. I love the zero depth entry! My little boy (almost 2) can enter on his own and go to whatever depth his is comfortable with. He loved splashing around in ankle deep water and sliding down the little blue slide. The slide doesn’t dump you out in the deepest part, as it appears in the picture, and he was able to manage it pretty much on his own.
The splash pad contains an interactive wall of water that you can turn off or on by turning a wheel. It also has the dumping buckets, which are my least favorite water feature. Make sure your toddlers don’t accidentally wander underneath this thing and get washed out by the water! My kids have learned first hand and now avoid it like the plague!
Speaking of pictures, I normally take my own. However, it was WAY to busy for that when I visited, so these pics are from WRAL.
Lazy River and Water Vortex
The lazy river and vortex are in 3 to 3 1/2 foot deep water. My 3.5 year old daughter loved the lazy river! It helped her “swim” with her puddle jumper on and we just rode it in laps! We held my little boy and walked the river with him and he loved it too, or maybe he just enjoyed people-watching as we went around the pool!
The vortex is also lots of fun and keeps the kids contained and spinning in one area. Mommy can’t stay in there too long without getting dizzy though!
Water Slide
The 3 story slide is really fun – yes, I tried it :). But it has a 48 inch height requirement, so it’s not an option for most tots. But if you have older children I am sure they will love it.
Admission Price
The prices for this center are higher than other Raleigh pools: $8 for adults and $4 for children, so it was $24 for my family of 4. (These are Raleigh resident prices, it’s more otherwise.)
The best bang for your buck is a punch pass, which is $24 for children 1-12 that includes 15 visits that are good for a year. An adult pass is $48 for 15 visits. The punch pass is good at any Raleigh pool. These prices are for Raleigh residents. Another benefit of punch pass is that is it not person-specific. I can buy 1 child punch pass and my kids can share it.
Snack Area and Locker Rooms
They have a snack area with vending machines, you can also bring in your own snacks. The bathrooms/changing areas are very nice and have a changing table. Lockers are available if you need one. Bring your own lock.
Tuesday and Thursday the pool opens at 10 but the water slide, vortex and current channel don’t open until noon. See more info on hours here.
Pro’s:
- It’s indoors, so it is available year round. One of the lifeguards told us crowds are very low in the off season.
- It’s indoors so you don’t have to worry with sunscreen or kids being overheated
- Zero depth entry is AWESOME for younger toddlers learning to manage in water
- Lazy River and vortex are really fun, unique aspects of this pool
- Price is reasonable
Con’s:
- CROWDED. Like, really crowded. The aquatic center does summer camps and it is wall to wall kids.
- It is not big and gets filled to capacity. When we left around noon there were people in the waiting area
- Summer camp kids are not restricted from the tot area, which is unfortunate.
Bottom line: if you love water fun, it’s worth driving a bit to get here. I plan on checking it out in the off season to assess crowds first hand. Just know that it will be crowded and I recommend going early to avoid waiting when pool is at full capacity. Per the lifeguard, weekend crowds are even worse.