The Beach Ottumwa

The Beach Ottumwa

Location:

101 Church Street, Ottumwa, IA 52501; Just across the street from Bridge View Center off Highway 34; 641-682-7873

Cost:

$6.00 per person; Season Passes available.  (Price increase for Summer 2016.)

Hours:

Noon - 8:00 pm daily beginning Memorial Day; Inclement weather may close outdoor pool

The yellow tube slide is new for 2011.

Description:

The Beach Ottumwa has a outdoor wave pool, kiddie play area, a speed slide, tube slide, and another body slide. Inside, there is a competitive lap pool and a kiddie pool with slide.


Rules to Know:

1. You must be 48" to go on slides.

2. Children under 40" must have a life jacket and be accompanied by a person over 15 years old while in the wave pool.

3. No Smoking

4. Goggles only--no masks or fins.

5. Only coast guard approved flotation devices allowed in the wave pool and only small flotation devices allowed in the kiddie play area. (Although, arm floaties and other inflatables have been allowed in the wave pool as of late--summer 2012 update.)

6. Enter and exit the wave pool at the zero depth entrance only and no leaning or holding onto the walls of the wave pool. (Again, this isn't being enforced by the lifeguards--2012 update.)

The new Kiddie Play feature for 2011

Food:

Beverages, candy, pretzels, snacks, ice cream treats. Prices range from $.50 to $4.00 (Chicken strips and french fries have now been added to the menu along with other fried foods--update for 2014)

Cleanliness:

Pretty Good. Sometimes the bathrooms need attention and there are rust colored stains on the sides of the kiddie play pool. Debris can be found at the zero depth entry of the wave pool. Bushes around wave pool could use a good trim. (2014 update--the bushes around the wave pool have been removed!)

Friendliness:

Pretty Good, too.

Web-site: http://www.cityofottumwa.org/parks/beach/home




Pros:
Convenient to Ottumwans. Price is right and there are enough activities including renting a tube for $2.00 to keep a family busy for 2-3 hours. Staying open until 8:00 pm allows for trips to The Beach after work.  The bracelets are gone for 2011!  This speeds up the line entering into the Beach.  Guests who want to re-enter after leaving, just need to have their hand stamped before leaving.

Cons:
Now that the price has dropped from previous seasons, the crowds have picked up. Get there early to get a chair, especially during hot days. And, if you are getting a chair for a child who will be swimming most of the time and the chair will only be holding up a towel, don't. Put the towel on your chair and let an adult have the chair. There are three of us in our family and we only get two chairs--sometimes just one chair.

Note for 2016:  With the price increase, not sure what this will do to the crowds.  The City reported record Memorial Day attendance.  Also, the Kiddie Play area is in a sorry state--with pink paint all over marking areas in need of updating/improvement.  The City's engineering department also took a core sample from he concrete in the Kiddie Play area, so watch out for a hole.  The tunnels from the wave pool to Kiddie Play no longer have padding so caution.  Been told that improvements are planned for fall.

Photo taken June 2, 2016

Fun Factor:Now that our boy is tall enough to go on the slides, the fun factor has gone up. When the bell rings to signal the start of the waves, everyone cheers. The waves go for about 10 minutes and then are off for another ten minutes. The waves only have one setting and nice lulling waves until they "crash." Some wave pools have adjustable waves. . . not The Beach.