Lily Pad Springs— the largest splash pad in Michigan!— finally opened to the public on June 1. With over 5,500 square feet of water fun, West Bloomfield Parks Superintendent Joe Ketchum said Lily Pad Springs is definitely not a regular, everyday splash pad.
“Besides its large size, it is universally accessible and really does lend itself to every user group,” Ketchum said. “It’s a great place for parents and even grandparents to take their children and grandchildren and not have to worry as much as they would at a pool since they have the option of either getting in the water with them or sitting on the sidelines and watching.”
The splash pad sits at 6200 Farmington Road in West Bloomfield, which was where the former Family Aquatic Center was. In addition to being a run-down and outdated facility, Ketchum said the decision to close the aquatic center also stemmed from the fact that many communities— especially those with four-season climates like us— are doing away with pools and instead introducing spray parks.
“The pool was once used for swim lessons, but with so many school districts and private sectors like Goldfish and Aqua Tots doing this, and doing this even better than us, we didn’t see a purpose in duplicating services,” he explained. “Additionally, we will have staff at Lily Pad Springs, but with a spray park, you don’t have to have trained lifeguards, and the overall cost is just much less than a pool.”
Since West Bloomfield is an aging community, Ketchum said he hopes the splash pad will attract younger families to the area and looks forward to the second summer where they plan to offer after-hour private rentals for birthday parties, as well as special events.
Lily Pad Springs is open seven days a week with session hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for West Bloomfield residents, and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for anyone. A limited number of 150 guests will be allowed in at a time in order to make it a more enjoyable experience.
For more information or to reserve your spot, visit wbparks.org/lilypadsprings.
After holding a splash pad naming contest, the winning pick was Splash Landing; however, since there’s another Splash Landing out of state and the name is under copyright, the runner-up name, Lily Pad Springs, became the official winner. Shoutout to Annalise Suzuki’s and Patti Birk’s creativity!