Centennial Park Aquatic Center Opens Saturday In Orland Park

ORLAND PARK, IL — Ready to make a splash this summer? Centennial Park Aquatic Center is prepared to open for the season, this Saturday at noon.

The water park, located at 15600 West Ave., Orland Park, will operate as it did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to staff. Centennial can hold around 1,700 people at a time, and concessions will also be available.

Centennial Water Park houses a zero-depth pool surrounded by deck and lawn space for lounging. Attendees can enjoy using two body speed slides, 328-foot tube slide, 200-foot flume slide, platform cliff jump, and drop slide surrounded by the lazy river. Kids 11 and under must be supervised by an adult 18 years of age or older, according to the village.

The park will operate from noon to 8 p.m. Residents will pay an $8 admission fee, but after 5 p.m., the fee reduces to $5. All non-residents attending will have to pay a $20 dollar admission fee. In order to receive the residential discount, a resident ID must be issued to all Orland residents three or older, and the ID will be required as proof of residency.

According to the village, resident ID cards are available free of charge at the Sportsplex and Village Hall cashier's office during regular business hours. To get one, proof of residency is required by showing a valid driver's license or state ID. The resident ID cards need to be renewed annually, and can be by presenting a current driver's license or state ID with same address.

Orland Park isn't the only town preparing to dive into summer. Tinley Park's White Water Canyon is expected to reopen on June 5. The facility did not open in summer 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is slated to operate at 50 percent capacity, which is about 800 people.

Last year, summer looked a lot different for families around the country, as many area pools remained closed for the season to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus — a pandemic that, at the time, was just two months old.

There is no scientific evidence that COVID-19 can spread to others through water in pools, hot tubs, water playgrounds or other treated aquatic venues, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

While no data exists on how COVID-19 responds to chlorine, the chemical has been known to inactivate similar viruses.

But going to a public pool involves more than swimming, and that’s where the risk can be found.

Assessing that out-of-water risk involves looking at several variables, according to MIT Medical, which suggest people should avoid the “three C’s” — closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places with many people nearby, and close-contact settings, such as close-range conversation.

Fortunately, being outdoors and in spaces with good ventilation also reduces the risk of exposure to the coronavirus, according to the CDC.

See more information about Centennial Park Aquatic Center's opening on the village's website, here.

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