Showboat Atlantic City Announces Opening Date for $100M Waterpark

Posted on: June 23, 2023, 04:33h. 

Last updated on: June 26, 2023, 11:57h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The Showboat Resort in Atlantic City is ready to welcome its first guests for the Boardwalk property’s newest amenity, a $100 million waterpark.

Showboat Atlantic City waterpark New Jersey
The Island Waterpark at The Showboat Resort in Atlantic City. The Boardwalk attraction is set to open to the public on June 30. (Image: The Showboat Resort)

Officials with Tower Investments, Bart Blatstein’s Philadelphia-based real estate firm, say the Showboat waterpark has finished construction, and the family-friendly attraction is ready for its debut. Dubbed the Island Waterpark at The Showboat Resort, the amusement park is billed as the largest indoor beachfront waterpark in the world.

The Island Waterpark spans 120,000 square feet and holds more than 317K gallons of water. The park features 11 slides, a wave and surf simulator, a waterfall, a lazy river, and an adventure pool where guests can play various water sports.

Guests can also rent out the 30-foot-tall Tree House for private parties, and for younger guests, the Island Waterpark offers the Kids Cove, a play area with interactive water activities.

The Showboat Island Waterpark will officially open to the public on June 30. Daytime admission rates start at $89, with twilight rates set at $69 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. All-access VIP tickets, which include admission to the Paradise Adult Island, Bliss Pool, and a swim-up bar, begin at $119.

Showboat overnight guests can visit the Island Waterpark for free for an hour each morning before the park opens to the public at 10 a.m. The property is also currently running a promotion where customers who purchase three tickets get a fourth ticket for free.

Diversifying Atlantic City

Blatstein acquired the shuttered Showboat in early 2016 from Stockton University for $23 million. He reopened the resort as a nongaming hotel that July.

Blatstein believes Atlantic City doesn’t need more casinos, but does need more to do outside of the gambling halls.

Atlantic City has long been one of the most iconic destinations for entertainment geared for adults, but now the Island Waterpark at The Showboat Resort will open up a whole new world of family entertainment on the Boardwalk,” Blatstein told Casino.org. “When people see this, they will be blown away. It is truly like entering a tropical paradise and the best part is that people — both kids and adults — will be able to enjoy it all year round.”

Caesars Entertainment placed a deed restriction on the Boardwalk resort when it closed the Showboat casino and hotel in 2014. Though the casino was profitable at the time, Caesars decided to permanently terminate gambling at the property to reduce market saturation for the company’s other casinos in town, which at the time included Caesars, Harrah’s, and Bally’s.

Stockton purchased the former casino with plans to transform the resort into student housing. Adjacent casinos voiced concerns about college students living next to their gambling establishments, and those legal issues eventually derailed the university’s plans.

Showboat Showoff

If water isn’t your family’s thing, Blatstein might still have you covered.

Before the Island Waterpark, the real estate developer spent about $7 million reimagining the Showboat’s casino floor into the largest indoor arcade in America, with more than 600 games. Called the Lucky Snake, the 200,000-square-foot facility includes the Raceway Go Kart Indoor Track, a 40-foot climbing wall, a virtual reality area, and a miniature golf course.

As for the Showboat accommodations, the hotel currently features 441 guestrooms and 36 balcony suites. The complex also offers extended stays and long-term leased apartments.