Carolina Harbor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carolina Harbor |
|
|---|---|
| Location | Carowinds, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°06′16″N 80°56′23″W / 35.104339°N 80.93968°W |
| Owner | Cedar Fair |
| Opened | 1982 |
| Previous names | Ocean Island (1982–1988) Riptide Reef (1989–1996) WaterWorks (1997–2005) Boomerang Bay (2006–2015) |
| Operating season | May through September |
| Status | {{{status}}} |
| Area | 27 acres (11 ha) |
| Pools | 6 pools |
| Water slides | 31 water slides |
| Children's areas | 6 children's areas |
Carolina Harbor is a fun water park located inside the Carowinds amusement park. Carowinds is in Charlotte, North Carolina. This water park is owned and run by Cedar Fair. You can visit Carolina Harbor with your regular ticket to Carowinds. It's a great place to cool off and have a blast!
Contents
History of Carolina Harbor
The water park first opened in 1982. Back then, it was called Ocean Island. In 1989, its name changed to Riptide Reef.
Big Changes Over the Years
In 1997, the park got a huge upgrade. It added 12 acres of new attractions and was renamed WaterWorks. Later, in 2006, it got an Australian theme and became Boomerang Bay. This name was also used for other water parks owned by Cedar Fair.
In 2008, a large wave pool called Bondi Beach was added. This made the water park even bigger. By 2014, two new slides, Surfer's Swell and Dorsal Fin Drop, joined the fun.
Becoming Carolina Harbor
On August 27, 2015, Carowinds announced big plans for the water park. It would get a major expansion in 2016 and be renamed Carolina Harbor. This expansion added:
- A new wave pool called Surf Club Harbor.
- Two splash areas for younger kids: Myrtle Turtle Beach and Kitty Hawk Cove.
- Blackbeard's Revenge, a tall slide complex with six different slides.
- Seaside Splashworks, a new play area.
In 2019, Carowinds announced Boogie Board Racer. This is a six-lane mat racing slide. It's the longest of its kind in the southeastern United States.
Attractions at Carolina Harbor
Carolina Harbor has many exciting rides and play areas. They are rated by how thrilling they are.
| Thrill level (out of 5) |
|---|
| 1 (low) 2 (mild) 3 (moderate) 4 (high) 5 (aggressive) |
| Name | Opened | Description | Thrill level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barracuda Blasters | 1989 | Ride an inner-tube through a dark, enclosed slide. | 4 |
| Blackbeard's Revenge | 2016 | A tall slide complex with both capsule slides and inner-tube slides. | 5 |
| Boogie Board Racer | 2021 | Race your friends on this six-lane mat slide. It's the longest in the Southeast! | 4 |
| Coastal Currents | 1997 | Relax as you float along a Lazy river. | 2 |
| Dorsal Fin Drop | 2014 | A 351-foot-long enclosed slide that drops you into a large bowl. | 4 |
| Hurricane Falls | 1997 | A four-person raft ride with exciting dips and turns. | 4 |
| Kiddy Hawk Cove | 2016 | A fun play area for children with water jets and splash zones. | 2 |
| Myrtle Turtle Beach | 2016 | Another interactive play area for kids with water jets and splashes. | 1 |
| Pelican Plunge | 2006 | A gentle inner-tube water slide for two people. | 3 |
| Pirate's Landing | 1997 | A multi-level water fort with slides, bridges, and rope ladders. | 1 |
| Seaside Splashworks | 2016 | A huge play structure with over 80 water features. It has slides and a giant 423-gallon tipping bucket! | 2 |
| Storm Surge | 2001 | A complex of two body slides and two inner-tube slides, all enclosed. | 5 |
| Surf Club Harbor | 2016 | A large 27,000-square-foot wave pool with waves up to 6 feet high. | 3 |
| Surfer's Swell | 2014 | An enclosed slide that makes you feel like you're riding ocean waves. | 4 |
| Tidal Wave Bay | 2008 | A big wave pool that holds 600,000 gallons of water. | 3 |
Past Attractions
Some attractions at Carolina Harbor have been removed over the years to make way for new ones.
| Name | Opened | Description | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Sidewinder | 1997 | A tube slide for one or two people with twists and turns. | 2016 |
| Sand Dune Lagoon | 2006 | A relaxing area with pools, water jets, and mushroom-shaped water features. | 2017 |
| Great Barrier Reef | 1982 | A small wave pool that was one of the first attractions at the park. | 2015 |
