I had plans to drive down to see one of my sisters for months in Albany, Oregon, but every time the time would roll around, something would always come up. One of the kids were sick, I was sick, kids were away with their dad, etc. So we finally decided to make a day of it last Sunday and stick to it, which ended up being one of the hottest days of the year so far at a whopping 100 degrees! We made sure that we found a place where we could get wet and cool off in the blistering sun and Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis, Oregon was the place.
It was a 2 hour and 8 min drive from here to there, which wasn’t too bad since it was straight freeway pretty much. I made sure to have snacks, the swim/sun essentials, a tablet for movie watching and all that good stuff for the two tots in the back seat since my other sister and niece were tagging along. We did end up forgetting the life jackets we just bought, but that was okay because they have plenty at Osborn Aquatic Center to be used.
We arrived there around 2. They seem to only be open from 1-4 pm on Sundays which kind of stinks, but I get it, people want to go home to be with their families too. But I feel like a place like this should at least stay open until 5 or 6 pm in the summer when people are looking for fun ways to cool off.
Their hours are something like this:
Closed now
| Saturday | 10:30AM–4PM |
| Sunday | 1–4PM |
| Monday | 5:30AM–7:30PM |
| Tuesday
(4th of July) |
5:30AM–7:30PM
Hours might differ |
| Wednesday | 5:30AM–9PM |
| Thursday | 5:30AM–7:30PM |
| Friday | 5:30AM–9PM |
The price to get in was actually decent. It only cost me around $9 for both me and my 2-year-old.
They have a lazy river, a little tot play area with movable water spouts and squirt gun sprayers, water slides for little kids, a slightly bigger one for bigger kids and then an adult water slide as well as a couple of pools. We stayed around the little kid area since the water level was just about right for them. They couldn’t touch in some spots but that’s okay, they had life jackets and were right by us the whole time.
I was kind of surprised to find that the water was warm though. It was like playing in warm bath water so you didn’t really feel “cooled” off just wet. But the kids enjoyed it since they weren’t cold.
I’d visit again in the summertime if we make it back down to Albany.
PIN IT:
What a fun water park especially for the little ones. Hard to find something like this around where I am at. We would spend all day there have fun.
That looks like a fun little water park! 4pm does seem a little early to close. How late are they open during the week?
Author
Some days 7:30pm, and some 9pm. The weekends are until 4pm, but Saturdays it opens at 10:30am.
Still seems silly to close early on the weekends.
This seems like a great family vacation spot. The water slides would do it for me. I love that type of place. How awesome.
I am not a big fan of water parks because I don’t like being around so many people in my swimsuit. It is hard enough to walk to our apartment pool!
Author
I don’t feel comfortable in a swimsuit either, but I bought this one off torrid that has a swim skirt bottom so my behind is covered, and then the top comes down far enough that my belly isn’t showing too much. They’re sizes 10 and up.
It looks like it is such a fun place! We go to oregon all the time on trips, I will add this to our to visit list!
Looks like a wonderful time was had, brings back memories when my children were younger.
I wish we lived closer as I would love to take my 2 grandchildren there with my husband. I love water parks and the lazy river sounds wonderful. It also sounds like a very reasonably priced fun water park to visit! The kids looked like they were having a great time!
Such a great place to bring your child. I know how children love to swim and stay cool throughout the summer.
It sounds like you all had a blast at the Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis in Oregon. This would be a perfect fun day for the whole family. I love how they even have movable water spouts and squirt gun sprayers. Thanks for sharing the information and your fantastic fun family time on a hot summer afternoon.
That’s a cool place to visit. We visit a water park every summer. Made sure the kids enjoy it so much. So with us too, it’s fun playing in the water with them.
Going for swimming sounds good especially for kids. Have nearby water parks here. But since classes have started here in the Philippines, so maybe next summer I will bring my kids.
This looks like so much fun! We love going to things like this with my kids, anything to cool off in summer!
Sounds like a perfect summer spot to go to! Looks like you guys had lots of fun!
Eileen | yesmissy.com recently posted…Best Places to Shop for Summer Dresses
What a great spot to plan a summertime family fun day. My kids go crazy for anything water related!
That place is pretty awesome! I love all of the different ways that they can experience the water. 9 bucks is a good deal.
Echo recently posted…Effective Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy Snack Foods
My kids love the aquatic center near us. It’s so much fun for them to splash around – they always have a fabulous time there.
This has me wanting to visit our local water world. I love a good lazy river!
Wow, this looks like so much fun! I love that aquatic centers like this that are perfect for little ones!
Jaime Nicole recently posted…Preparing Your Family for Grandparents Moving In
I just read your post about taking your family to the Osborn Aquatic Center in Corvallis and it made me nostalgic for my college days at Oregon State. I spent many afternoons at that pool during school!
It sounds like your kids really enjoyed all the different pools and slides. I’m glad the facility was clean and not too crowded when you went – it can get packed in the summertime. The lazy river is always a hit!
Thanks for the tip about the viewing area above the indoor pool. I don’t remember that from my time there, so it’s great to know they added a spectator balcony. And I appreciate the heads up about parking and admission costs too.
Most of all, I love that you highlighted Corvallis as a fun weekend trip for families. It really is a hidden gem of a town, with so much great outdoor recreation nearby. You picked a perfect pitstop during your Oregon road trip!
This was a fun read and made me want to plan my own trip back to Corvallis soon. Thanks for sharing your experience at the aquatic center and all the other family-friendly options in town.