First Look: Paint Is Already Drying on Country's Largest Indoor Water Park in Grand Prairie

The two tallest and scariest-looking water slides have a "chicken out" slide that's not as steep or fast for guests who get to the top but lose the will to go through with it, says Steve Brinkel, the general manager of parks and recreation for Whitewater West Industries. Danny Gallagher

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A few months ago, we told you about Epic Waters, an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park opening in Grand Prairie. Construction on the $100 million project is progressing, and earlier this week, the Observer got a sneak peek at the park, which is scheduled to open before the end of the year.

Epic Waters will offer nine slides, among other attractions, and be the largest indoor water park with a retractable roof in the country when it's completed. President Richard Coleman of American Resort Management, which is overseeing Epic Waters' construction, has called it "close to a legacy project."

Here are some of the attractions:

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The Lasso Loop aqualoop slide sends passengers down a 70-foot drop before spinning them through a translucent 45-degree angled loop. Michael Hays, the general manager of American Resort Management, says the aqualoop slide will be the tallest indoor loop slide in the world.

Danny Gallagher

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Epic Waters' signature attractions are the nine slides that sit on a massive series of stairs and platforms toward the rear of the indoor park facility. The slides feature a variety of straight drops, racing opportunities and twisting tubes that snake in and out of the 80,000-square-foot facility. Hays says crews will start testing the slides in mid-November and expect to open the park to the public sometime between late November and early December.

Danny Gallagher

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Up to four guests can race each other down this series of slide tubes that start at the top of the stairwell and twist around the entire structure before dropping toward the finish line.

Danny Gallagher

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Richard Coleman, senior vice president and principal of Epic Waters, says the team will break in the slides by letting nine guests be the first to ride all of them at once on opening day. Guests can submit their video entries for Epic Waters' "First to Slide" contest on the water park's website.

Danny Gallagher

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The Prairie Plunge drops guests down a straight, 50-foot-long slide that's completely enclosed to the water runout at the bottom. The park will also feature a Flowrider surfing simulator, a 10,000-square-foot wave pool, an area for smaller swimmers and their families called the Rascal's Roundup, and a 650-foot-long lazy river that takes guests around the indoor park.

Danny Gallagher

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How does one enjoy a water park in the middle of winter? Epic Waters has a retractable roof to keep rain and the occasional small snowfall from ruining guests' fun and help control the temperature so the park can remain open year-round.

Danny Gallagher

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"We're trying to make sure we have something for everybody," Brinkel says. "That includes different age groups and people who have low and high thrill tolerances. So it's a challenge to meet all of that."

Danny Gallagher