water mine family swimmin' hole

Yesterday, using a groupon, my Dad and I took my 8 and 3 year old kids to the Watermine. Because it is late summer, they open at 2:00pm. We go there at 1:40 and there was a long line to get in. Though they opened promptly at 2, we did not get in until 2:30.But once inside we had a great time. The park is not very big. Don't expect Splashdown in Manassas. My 8 year old (not a great swimmer) could do everything and once we put one of the complimentary life jackets on my son he was unstoppable too. We set up a base camp on one of the many chairs and returned at break time to rest and have a snack (you can bring in your own food and drink). There are also lockers if you are not comfortable leaving your stuff out.I saw a sign that they are adding more slides and a splash pad for 2015. We will definitely go back. Hopefully with a group on because it was on the expensive side.

We went here for a morning with two families with a total of two one-year olds and two three-year olds. All of the kids had a blast! We got there before the water park opened but still had to wait in line for about thirty minutes, so I suggest getting there early. Once we got in, there weren't many chairs left under umbrellas, but we found two all the way at the back of the park, so we set up camp there. There was a nice shallow place for the babies to enjoy and many of the other slides/activities were perfect for the toddlers. Except for the first and last hour of the day, everyone has to get out for the last ten minutes of every hour (I guess for the lifeguards to take a break?) so plan lunch accordingly if you plan on buying from the park. There was a pizza truck and also a burger/nacho/smoothie and such stand open while we were there, and we got in line at around 11:40 and didn't have to wait at all, but as soon as that whistle blew and everyone had to get out, the lines were much longer. You can bring your own food/drink in, too. Overall, the kids had a blast and the adults did too! Would definitely go back.

My first time and I brought my 22 month old, 4 year old, and 6 year old. My 6 year old was able to access all areas of the waterpark. My 4 year old (who is still learning to swim) was able to access 80 to 85% of the park. Regardless, there was something to do for all my kids and they had a blast! We stayed for a whopping 6 hours!There are a ton of lifeguards and they are very attentive....always moving around and looking within the pool. The pool grounds are very clean...which is impressive especially with so many people.My two recommendations are go when the pool opens so you are guaranteed to get in, and bring your own food...snacks...drinks. There was only one food truck (pizza the day we went) for the entire park.

I took my 3.5 year old son here today and we had a good time. We arrived around 10:15am, and despite it opening at 10am, there was already a huge line to get in. If you want to go on a weekend, I recommend getting there around 9:30 or 9:45am so that you can make sure you are one of the first in line. It took us about 15 minutes to get into the park, and once we got in, most of the lawn chairs were taken, but we were able to snag one to throw our stuff on and with plenty of grassy area, it was easy enough to just sit on the grass when we wanted a break. They only had one family restroom/changing room, but we never had any issues getting in and using it. In between the locker rooms are also small lockers and for .25 you can lock up your valuables. One of the perks of this park is that you can take in a cooler as long as it doesn't contain glass or alcohol, so we packed a cooler with lunch and snacks which was briefly checked before we entered the park. I'm not sure how food prices are at their small stand since we packed our own lunch, but it looked like many people were grabbing snacks from there. As for the pool area, there are a ton of lifeguards on duty and they are very attentive. Every hour they clear the pool for 10 minutes, which is a good time to go to the bathroom or grab a snack. I also like that they have life vests available for children from 30-50 lbs outside of the locker rooms and you can grab one for free and put it on your little ones if they aren't quite a good swimmer. The lazy river was nice and though you often had to wait for a tube, it was never terribly long. They had a separate area for very little ones, then the main area with slides (some my son was comfortable with on his own, others he went on with dad), and then the lazy river. They also had signs up showing that they are expanding the park by summer 2015 to include a bigger splash pad for younger kids, as well as several big slides for bigger kids and grownups. Overall it was well worth the $40 we paid for 2 adults and one child (under 2 are free, and coupons are available to use during week days only), and we will gladly go back next year!

I took my 3 1/2 year old grandson here on a day when the thermometer was supposed to hit 95 degrees. We got there just after opening and easily found a lounge chair that was under some large umbrellas. We brought a large cooler of snacks and drinks which was checked before we were allowed to enter. Glass and liquor is forbidden. There is food available for purchase, but my grandson is more comfortable with the food he knows. One large family that I saw brought their own tent to set up out of the way. They were obviously going to make a full day of it. I brought a flotation device along for my grandson, but the park has them available after you walk out of the changing area. I thought that was a nice touch. We started off in the baby pool area which had a small slide, but soon ventured into the other areas where there were a variety of slides to fit all age groups. There were also some floating plastic animals/toys for a different kind of amusement. All of them were chained to the pool bottom so they could move around, but not far. Circling around the area is a "river" that doesn't get deeper than 4 feet. You can feel the "current" move you along, and they have flotation donuts if you just want to gently paddle along. Every hour there is a 10 minute break signaled by the gushing water stopping. It was prime time for bathroom and snack breaks, as well as a good time to slather on more sunscreen. I didn't see any kids complaining about the break. The lifeguards are excellent and have their jobs down pat. They each have specific areas that they are assigned to and are very vigilant about their patrols. One of them jumped in while I was there to help one of the adults. I was impressed. The only thing that I would do differently in the future would be to bring along some swim shoes. It got awfully hot on the concrete walkways, but yet you couldn't run. My grandson really enjoyed and exhausted himself. It was just about the easiest time I've had with him and he rewarded me with a long afternoon nap. Anytime the weather is hot, we'll be there again.

I don't know how they bob their heads up and down all day but it's pretty funny! They are the best lifeguards! Kids are safe for sure!! They break every hour for 10 min but it's not that bad because it gets your kids out without a fight and then you can have them use the bathroom or eat. You can pack a lunch and bring it in the park and there is plenty of places to sit and eat. Get there early so you don't have to stand in line to get in. Once inside there's no lines for the slides. Very clean as well!

Used a Groupon to spend the day at the Water Mine. Wasn't crowded. The kids, 5 and 3, had a great time in the lazy river, on the slides and on the objects (snake, beaver, horse, log, raft etc.) in the pool. The changing rooms are clean, but lockers would be nice for secure storage. You can take food into the park or purchase onsite. They have a mandatory 10 minute break every hour. However, it seemed that the staff was able to use the lazy river during this time, which made it hard to explain every hour why there were still people in the lazy river when my kids had to get out.

We took our grandchildren here (ages three and five) and they had great fun in a very safe, clean and friendly environment.They greatly enjoyed the lazy river, the slide Big Pete, and all the water creatures to climb on.From our point of view, the fact that there were so many vigilant life guards meant that we could relax and enjoy our time there too.The facilities were clean and well cared for, and the snack bar was adequate.Definitely a good family day out.

We have been to the Water Mine a couple of times and the kids love it! It is best for younger kids, probably 4-10 is the best age range. The water is gradually deep, starting at a few inches for the toddlers, and goes to about 3 1/2 feet deep. There are no lap pools, etc. as the entire area is set up with slides, creatures to climb on, and water sprayers. One terrific aspect of this park is that there are lifeguards about every 10 feet surrounding the play areas. They are not sitting up in chairs, half-paying attention, but they constantly walk back and forth. There are lockers, changing rooms, and of course a snack bar. They also can host parties in a reserved area. The only reason this isn't given 5 stars is partly due to price (about $15) and partly due to lack of abundant shade for those that want it (the parents). Otherwise, this place is great for kids!

This pool is like a small amusement or water park. My kids couldn't get enough of this place when they were younger; they loved the water slides and the buckets. Now that they're teenagers, they can spend endless hours in the lazy river. There is food on the premises, however you can bring your own food and eat in the designated area. It can get a bit pricey if you go often enough, so season passes are a good investment.

It can get a bit crowded, but it is a great place to take the kids during the summer.It is fun for most ages of young kids. Try to get there early on busy days to get a good spot at the side of the pool.

This place is really for kids. There is no place for adults to swim. There is a tubing river, slides, ropes, jumping on objects in the water, kiddie pool, essentially for all levels of kids - young and old! There is food (pizza, hot dogs, fries, ice cream) available for purchase. It is more fun to bring your own picnic!

Can become very crowded in summer. Lots of fun slides and over water rope challenges. Good slides and a lazy river for chillin. High school age kids can become bored or find there are too many little ones "in the way".

This was a fun place to play with friends. Probably for a younger crowd. My kids are 7 and 10. The slides weren't as big as they would have liked but they had fun for a couple of hours. The spent a lot of time on the lazy river which was quite long. The slides weren't positioned well in that the water almost stopped the slide into it so you never really got wet. But it was a great way to spend a few hours in the afternoon. Absolutely hated the "break" times. The lifeguards worked hard though. They were always moving. I hope that is why, to give them a break.

Wonderful place for kids to have fun in the water - lots of slides, a great lazy river, and a few different pools. Probably good for kids up to the tween years. There are lots of attendants to keep everyone safe and the place in order which was great. It's not really cheap though (on the weekends, it's almost $15 for adults). There is food for purchase as well but we didn't eat there. Overall it's a lot of fun and I'd definitely go back.