Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center attendance 'back' to pre-pandemic levels

Penny Williams, recreations division manager for Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, categorized Cape Splash Family Aquatic Center attendance "back" this past year.

The new report — which tabulated visits based on the past fiscal year rather than this past summer's season — showed nearly 59,000 people through the gates in July, August and September of 2021 and May and June of 2022.

"We really excelled, so, I'm really excited about that," Williams said.

Williams said the number of visitors is actually much higher than the reported 58,961. The department offers after-hours parties, which can be booked four days a week during the season. Williams estimated those were booked at a rate of 90%, giving Cape Splash well more than 60,000 in attendance for the season.

During that time span, Cape Splash brought in $752,201.13 in revenue.

The report shows a marketed increase over previous, pandemic-stricken, fiscal years. From July 2020 to June 2021, the park saw just 33,933 attendees and a little more than $400,000 in revenue.

Williams compared the waterpark — in terms of tourism attraction and economic development — to the Cape Girardeau SportsPlex and the Shawnee Park Sports Complex.

"Those are three facilities that are really big draws for this community and from outside this community," Williams.

Cape Splash pulls visitors from Southern Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky and even parts of Mississippi, regularly, the recreations manager said.