Wild Rivers (water park) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wild Rivers |
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Wild Rivers Water Park in 2010
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| Location | Irvine, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 33°38′35″N 117°44′54″W / 33.6431889°N 117.748411°W |
| Opened | July 1986 TBD (reopening) |
| Closed | September 25, 2011 |
| Previous names | Lion Country Safari |
| Status | {{{status}}} |
| Website | Official Website: http://www.wildrivers.com/ |
Wild Rivers was a popular water park located in Irvine, California. It first opened its gates in July 1986. The park was built on the same land where a drive-through zoo, called Lion Country Safari, used to be.
Wild Rivers was a favorite spot for many years. However, its land lease with The Irvine Company came to an end. Because of this, the park closed permanently on September 25, 2011. Since then, there have been many plans to build a new Wild Rivers water park in Irvine. These plans are still being worked on.
Park History
Before Wild Rivers, the land was home to a unique zoo. It was called Lion Country Safari. Visitors could drive their cars through the zoo to see animals. This zoo closed down in 1984.
The owner of the land still had a long lease. They decided to rent parts of the land to new businesses. This included the Wild Rivers water park. It also included a summer camp called Camp James. The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre was also built there.
Construction on Wild Rivers started in 1985. The water park officially opened in 1986. It quickly became a fun place for families and friends. Wild Rivers was even shown on TV. It appeared in the final episode of the first season of the show Malcolm in the Middle. The episode was called "Water Park."
Why the Park Closed
In early 2011, Wild Rivers announced some sad news. The park had lost its lease with The Irvine Company. This meant the park had to close. The nearby Camp James also had to close at the end of the 2011 season.
The land where the park stood was planned for new buildings. There were plans to build 1,750 apartments there. But the story of Wild Rivers was not over. A new water park was planned. It would be built on public land near the Orange County Great Park. The new park was expected to open in May 2014.
Plans for a New Wild Rivers
Since 2012, people have been trying to bring Wild Rivers back. The new park was first planned to open in May 2014. Then, the opening was delayed to May 2015. After that, the plans were stopped for a while. This was due to money and land approval problems.
In March 2016, the plans for a new Wild Rivers started again. A few months later, in June 2016, two possible locations were suggested. One was 35 acres, and the other was 60 acres.
In April 2017, Wild Rivers made a deal. They signed a contract with the Irvine City Council. This was a big step toward bringing the park back to Irvine. The new park was then expected to open in summer 2019.
However, in August 2018, Wild Rivers shared an update. They posted on their Facebook page that the opening would be delayed again. The new target was 2020. This was because they were still working on the lease and environmental studies. In January 2019, the Orange County Register newspaper reported more news. They said the park might sign a lease with the city very soon.
In April 2019, the Orange County Register reported another update. Mike Reidel, the CEO of Wild Rivers, said plans for the new park were moving forward. A lease for land in the southwest part of the Orange County Great Park was close to being approved. The new park was still planned to open in May 2020.
