Wet 'n Wild was a 27-acre water amusement park that opened next to the Sahara in May 1985. Although the park was part of the abortive attempt to turn Las Vegas into a family destination, Wet 'n Wild found unexpected success by appealing to the rapidly growing locals market as a great place to take the kids during the long sweltering summer months, and at its peak attracted half a million customers a year. It featured something for everyone, from the gentle Lazy River to the heart-stopping Der Stuka high-rise water slide, famously enjoyed by Shaquille O’Neal, who hosted Playboy parties at the venue. Other famous fans included the Sultan of Brunei, who once paid $50,000 to enjoy the facilities privately for a few hours -- with a few dozen close female friends.
But Wet 'n Wild’s location, occupying a prime piece of Strip real estate, finally proved to be its undoing. Rumors circulated for some time that it would shut down for redevelopment, and on Sept. 28, 2004, at the end of its 20th season, the doors finally closed, following a sale to Las Vegas-based Archon Corp. Archon’s original plan, apparently, was to build a 3,200-room hotel casino in the form of a giant ship, together with an observation wheel like the London Eye.
However, according to the latest rumblings, there may be a new scheme in the works. In May of this year, Las Vegas’ CityLife weekly reported rumors that Archon may be selling the land -- valued at between $10 million and $14 million an acre -- to Turnberry Associates, the Florida-based developers responsible for the opulent condo towers on Paradise Road. Turnberry also owns the vacant parcel just south of the Wet ‘n Wild site, where the old El Rancho formerly stood. Evidently, Turnberry covets the acreage to build more condo towers or a new casino, or both. The new Fountainbleau has been announced for the El Rancho site; it could be expanded if Turnberry picks up the acreage next door.
That’s the latest on the old Wet 'n Wild site, but what of the rumors that it would reopen at a new venue away from the Strip? We hadn’t heard anything for a while, so we contacted Palace Entertainment of Newport Beach, Cal., which owns and operates more than 30 family attractions and water parks in the U.S., including the Wet 'n Wild brand. Here’s the latest official word from the general manager: "I'm sorry to say that we have no news to share at this point. We’re diligently working on plans for a new park, but have nothing to share right now. We know that many people are missing the park due to the response we’ve gotten as well. We miss being there and are trying to make something happen."
So no news is no news right now, but we’ll keep our ear to the ground and pass on any updates as they emerge.
