133 W Owen Ave, Wake Forest, NC
Holding Park in Wake Forest contains a great outdoor playground, but the main attraction by far is the aquatic center, complete with kiddie pool and splash pad, 4-12 foot depth pool with diving boards, and 2 giant water slides.
Main Pool – 4 to 12 foot depth
The main pool is unique in that it goes from a depth of 4 to 12 feet. I was surprised to see a diving board at the deep end. You don’t see those much anymore! The kids loved jumping off and there was a lifeguard right there to monitor them safely.
The 4 foot depth was a little too deep for my young kids to be able to stand up on their own, so make sure you bring those flotation devices! Around the outer edge of the pool you will find a swim deck which is handy to sit and watch the kids.
The best part about the Holding Park pool was the numerous picnic tables and umbrellas spread throughout the space. I’m pretty sure they had less out than usual due to the pandemic, but we were able to claim a table with an umbrella with no problem.
Kiddie Wading Pool and Spray ground for 10 and Under
My favorite was the kiddie area for kids 10 and under. There was a small playground located in a 1 foot depth kiddie pool. The kids enjoyed playing on the slides and swimming in the shallow depth. There were numerous spray features and jets that the kids loved running through.
Heads up – there is a giant bucket that slowly fills with water and dumps a large amount of water. It fills slower than most buckets I’ve seen like at Buffaloe Road Aquatic Center and Knightdale Station Splash Pad, so it’s a little more surprising when it finally releases! It caught lots of kids off guard, so you might want to keep your little ones away from that part of the pool!
2021 Season
Holding Park Aquatic Center is currently open with some modifications.
Open Swim times are scheduled in three-hour blocks, with one hour in between to allow staff to clean and sanitize the facility, including deck chairs, door handles, hand rails and other high-touch areas.
A maximum of 120 patrons will be allowed inside the facility during each session. Patrons must register and pay online in advance.
Face masks are encouraged when walking through the facility, but not when swimming.
See more pandemic policies here.
Playground
Once you’ve had your fill of water fun, you can head over to the playground right outside of the pool. It’s a mulch surface with a few swings nearby. There’s also a few picnic tables and even grills if you feel like having a picnic!
