Windsor Waterworks

[Goliath513]

Known as the Windsor Waterslides to locals, this was one of the most popular attractions in the area and opened in the early 1980's. It was part of a campground and RV park that was next door. I grew up just a few miles down the road from the place and remember going there several times every year to ride the slides. The park had free admission and you would buy a wristband which would get you on the slides. On the other side of the entrance, you would cross a bridge over the main slides which would get you into the park.

 

The three main slides consisted of a white open innertube slide called "Robin's Foley". a blue enclosed body slide called "Excalibur", and a blue enclosed innertube slide called "King Richard's Run". There was also a small kiddie slide just outside the main slides, but I forget what it was called (it was another medieval name like the big slides). At the end of the bridge, you would get your innertube and head up the hill to the slides. The entrance to the kiddie slide was just a few paces down the hill from the bridge. The entrances split off with King Richard's Run on the right, and Robin's Foley and Excalibur on the left. The lines met up again at the top of the structure where the slides began. Since the lines were right next to each other, people would often go over the fence if they decided to ride one of the other slides. The slides ended up in two splashdown pools next to each other at the bottom of the hill. The path up to the entrance was right next to the exit pool King Richard's Run and always smelled from a kid pissing in the pool of the kiddie slide that paralleled that path.

 

Just above the entrance to the slides was a gift shop and a food store that was always VERY crowded and could take up to half an hour to get your food because of the crowds inside. The park also had a fairly large picnic area in the woods out beyond the slides and pool area. We would always bring burgers and other foods to grill in the barbecue pits since that was cheaper and better than the park's food anyways.

 

Beyond the pool and kiddie area, was an arcade inside a portable and some volleyball courts out in the open from the shade.

 

In the spring, the park was the place to go for all the schools for kids of all ages. I remember being there several years when there was several thousand kids in the park. Always a lot of fun to just hang out then even if the slides got boring pretty quick. However, this is what led to the park's demise. In June 2004, a 12 year old boy who didn't know how to swim drowned in the swimming pool. This did not surprise me that it happened because that pool would get extremely crowded (to the point where there were more people than water and would be easy for someone to go under and not be noticed until it's too late). I was at the park with my middle school group the day prior to this accident, and my brother (who was 12 at the time) was there with his school the day after the drowning. I remember him saying to me after he got back that just because of the attitude at the park the day he was there, that it would not be around much longer. I'm not exactly sure how lawsuits and everything went down after this, but sure enough, by September 2004, the park was closed for good.

 

 

 

Here are the only photos I found while home at my parents house. These are from May 12, 2001.

 

 

If anyone else has photos from the park, they would be appreciated!

Excalibur and Robin's Foley bottom pool. The vegetation around the slides on the hill always made for a nice look, and the water was far warmer than at the nearby Six Flags water parks!

The splashdown for King Richard's Run. This slide had a 42" height requirement instead of the 48" on the other big slides (not sure why since the splashdown pools for them were the same depth), which meant slightly longer lines. This was my favorite of the main slides and was one of the longest innertube slides I have ever ridden - which made for a hell of a ride!

 

You can see the white kiddie slide next to it which had a splashdown strip right next to the pool.

[rcdude]

I remember visiting that place twice when I went to visit my cousins in Marin County (2001 and 2003, I believe). I always thought it was a good little waterpark that was entertaining for a few hours. Both times we got there at opening and left around 1 when the crowds started to arrive.

 

I remember that everyone loved King Richard's Run, because it was a good ride yet tame enough for even my youngest cousin (5 on second visit) to ride. She spent all day on that and Little John's Joust (the kiddie slide) because that was all she was tall enough for (by the way, the height requirement for King Richard's Run is lower because it has its own splash pool. The current is stronger in the other pool due to two slides of different types using it, creating a need for a higher height restriction). Everyone else went for Robin's Folly just as often because it had a couple small but fun drops in it. My aunt, my brother, and I were the only ones brave enough for the Excalibur on our first visit, and that was the first fully enclosed body slide I ever went on. I remember that we always had to push past the line of people for Robin's Folly since they shared a stairway. In the three hours we were there, we could usually do each ride 3-9 times, depending on lines (usually no wait for Excalibur and up to ten minutes for King Richard's Run).

 

I never ate at the park (brought a picnic lunch along both times) and never went swimming in the pool. It was always too crowded and dirty. Besides, my grandparents have a pool in their backyard, so a regular swimming pool doesn't excite me too much at a waterpark. I'm not much for wavepools either, but I'll still go for them occasionally.

 

I didn't find out this park had closed until a couple years ago. When I was planning our trip up there last year, I looked at waterparks and found out that this place was closed. This was a little sad, but it also gave me the chance to go to Waterworld California, which was a fun alternative. When we went river rafting, we drove by the site of the park and I convinced my anut and uncle to stop there so we could see what remained. There wasn't too much left, just the empty holes for the swimming pools and some concrete walkways.

 

Windsor Waterworks probably isn't the best small waterpark I've been to, but it had a good variety of attractions for its size. It was fun for a few hours, and usually not too crowded (at least in my experience). I'll probably miss it more than Wet N' Wild (the other defunct waterpark I've been to) because Windsor Waterworks was more fun, unique, and memorable, while Wet N' Wild was just something to do in Las Vegas and didn't really stand out much.

[rocksthetaco]

Having grown up in Santa Rosa CA (about 10 min south from Windsor) Windsor Waterworks (as I remember it "Gonna Get Wet! You Gonna Get Weehtt!!" was the TV plug) was the closest thing to a water or amusement park in the area besides Marine world Africa USA and Train Town (Now known as Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and Train Town still stands in Sonoma with a coaster credit!). I just remember always wanting to go and my parents never wanting to take me. Finally I got to go and the one thing that really stuck with me was riding Excalibur. It was the only body side out of the 4 and I was thrilled and terrified at the same time. Being a chubby kid I wondered as I slid down whether the side would brake or if I would drown before I hit the bottom from all the water slapping my face. Fun little park all together! All that's left is the grassy knoll that used to host the sides and the crappy trailer park next door.

[Andrewoplis]

I remember driving by there a lot when it was still open, wanting to go there really bad! It was sad to see it go! Its just an empty field with some R.V.'s now

[Tmcdllr]

I remember the commercial jingle....

 

"At Windsor Waterworks you're gonna get.....wet"