FOLEY – The Park at OWA officially has an opening date. The new 21 ride amusement park will open its gates and will begin welcoming its first guests on July 21, at 10am.

You enter The Park through what is known throughout OWA as the Downtown District, where you will be able to purchase tickets at the admissions window.

As for tickets, along with announcing the opening date, OWA has officially released the ticket prices.

For General Admission, the price is $34.99. For a Junior Admission, which is children 42” and below, the cost will be $27.99. The Park will be offering special prices for active military and seniors who are 60 or older, which will be $27.99. Children 3 and under will enter for free. The Park is also offering Annual Passes for $89.99.

“We’ve looked at the market and did a lot of studies, and we wanted to make sure it was an affordable family-friendly experience,” said Kristin Hellmich, Director of Marketing/PR at OWA. “Some of the things that really stood out when we were researching prices was that there was a lack of entertainment in this market, so that was one of the reasons why when we first came up with the concept of OWA, we wanted to really create an experience here. One where families could come and spend the day. So we know that families come to the beach, that they vacation, and they usually get burned after a couple of days and they’re looking for other activities, and this gives them an activity to do. But then we know that there are over a million people who live within a two-hour drive of this property, who are also going to come, who are local. And we can’t do this without our locals, so it’s very important for us to have the support of our locals.”

The Park at OWA will be fully functional come July 21, with every ride running, the in-park restaurants open, and the in-park shopping stocked and ready for the first guests. The Park will offer 21 rides in total, with 6 thrill rides (for adults), 6 family-friendly rides (aimed at tweens and their parents), and 9 kiddie rides. Every kiddie ride is adult accessible, so parents don’t need to worry about not being able to join their children in the fun.

As for the rest of the projects that are coming to OWA, such as the Retail, Dining, and Entertainment Districts located outside of The Park, they are scheduled to begin opening in early September, with more tenants opening throughout the month.

“There will be a small time where there will be continued construction after The Park opens,” Hellmich said. “But we’re really looking to have a year of celebration here at OWA, because we have to remember we’re building a city in essence. This project started where we’re standing with nothing but red dirt in November of 2016, so everything has been constructed in that time on a fast-paced frame.”

Part of the reason for the quick construction has been the workers who have been building The Park, who Hellmich says have been working tirelessly, even through the rain, almost around the clock 7 days a week.

Once The Park opens, OWA isn’t planning on shutting down for an off season.

“We are operating year-round, The Park will be opened year-round,” Hellmich confirmed. “We’ll be open daily, starting on July 21 at 10am. We’ll be closing between 10pm and midnight, depending on guest needs.”

Currently, OWA has hired over 500 seasonal employees, and has a season that goes through October. That is all subject to change depending on the needs of the guests.

“That could change depending on demand,” said Hellmich. “If we have a great demand and it goes past October, then we’re not going to close our season.”

According to an official release from OWA, “Tickets will be available online at VisitOWA.com beginning July 18, 2017 at 10am. Tickets may also be purchased on site opening day at The Park at OWA Admissions Office. Group discounts and packages will be available and more details can be found at VisitOWA.com.”