Texas opens largest indoor water park in U.S. during pandemic

ROUND ROCK, Texas (KTVT) — It’s been five years in the making and despite breaking Covid-19 records, the largest indoor water park resort in the U.S. has opened in Texas.

The first guests arrived at the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Round Rock on Nov. 12.

Currently the resort will only fill 50-percent of their 900 rooms. Some resort retail and dining has also been scaled back due to the pandemic.

“We have limited capacity because we want families to feel safe and comfortable throughout the resort,” said Kalahari spokesman Travis Nelson.

Beyond the 223,000 square foot indoor water park, the resort has a convention center and amusement park – all open to the public.

Nelson said, “This is going to be a tourism attraction its going to bring people from around the region, but we think there’s going to be national draw.”

Guests over the age of 10 are required to wear masks, but the face coverings don’t have to be worn while in the water or dining. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the state has averaged more than 7,200 new cases a day in the last seven days.

The Round Rock Chamber of Commerce says the water park has brought hundreds of jobs to the area.

Officials say they are completely booked on weekends, but do have availability in the coming weeks.