Recreation, aquatic center opens this weekend in Queen Creek

Saturday is the day when the highly anticipated Queen Creek Recreation & Aquatic Center opens to the public.

Opening celebrations start with a ribbon cutting at 7:30 a.m., followed by festivities and tours from 8 to 10 a.m. within Frontier Family Park.

The park is located at 20039 S 220th St. and the center is at 22343 E. Ryan Road. The facility will remain open for tours and membership purchases until 6 p.m.

Parking will be available at the facility and within Frontier Family Park, Constance Halonen Wilson, Queen Creek’s communications and marketing manager, stated in an email.

While the recreation center will open for use with a membership or pass beginning Sunday, the aquatic center will not be available to residents until May.

Construction on the $67.9 million center began in May 2023 as part of an overall project that included the creation of the 85-acre Frontier Family Park and the 13-acre expansion of Carter Mansel Oasis Park.

“A recreation and aquatic center in Queen Creek brings a wide array of benefits to a community, impacting residents’ well-being, social connections, economic opportunities and overall quality of life,” said Adam Robinson, Queen Creek’s parks and recreation director.

The 69,000-square-foot building includes:

• A 5,600-square-foot fitness floor with two fitness rooms.
• A 6,400-square-foot walking track.
• A 2,300-square-foot upstairs open fitness area.
• An 18,701-square-foot gymnasium primarily designed for sports such as basketball, pickleball, volleyball and badminton.

Another 5,800 square feet of space is set for a ballroom and classrooms that can be used for events, dinners and classes — both sporting and non-sporting.

Administration offices, restrooms, hallways, utilities and more take up 26,550 square feet.
Queen Creek-based groups can reserve spaces such as the ballroom, classrooms, gymnasium and more. The town will offer a variety of programs and classes in the facility.

The aquatic center includes:

• A 500-foot lazy river for swimmers of all ages and abilities.
• A play pool area with a splash playground, shallow water with a beach entry and lots of places to sit.
• An eight-lane, 25-yard competition pool with diving boards for more experienced swimmers.
• Four water slides, including a slide tower with two racing slides.

It also has ramadas, a picnic patio and a spray pad for the little ones.

The recreation center can hold more than 1,500 people, while the aquatic center can accommodate 800 at opening with potentially room for more in the future, Robinson said.

Memberships for residents will be available for purchase on Saturday, with passes available starting Sunday.

“(B)oth memberships and passes include individual and household options. Residents must have an active CivicRec account to purchase a membership and proof of residency (photo ID and utility bill, lease agreement, or tax document),” according to a town press release. “Non-residents may purchase a day pass if accompanied by a town of Queen Creek resident (who also has a membership or day pass) at the time of purchase.”

Membership and day passes will not include access to registration-based programs, which will have resident and non-resident rates.

The town broke ground on the 85-acre Frontier Family Park in August 2022 and it opened in June 2024.

The park’s name was suggested by late Council Member Emilena Turley.

In December 2021, the Queen Creek Town Council voted to approve funding for the park, the center and the expansion of Mansel Carter Oasis Park.

A 2023 citizen survey showed that 81% of Queen Creek residents reported visiting a town park during the past year, with 32% visiting a park more than 10 times. A separate survey, also conducted in 2023, found that 75% of residents reported wanting a town aquatic center and/or multigenerational center, according to the town press release.

No new parks are planned for fiscal year 2026 and the town will be updating its Parks and Recreation Master Plan for 2028.

With the center open, traffic volume is expected to increase at the intersection of Queen Creek Road and 220th Street.

On March 19, the town council approved a $543,000 contract to install a new traffic signal and make other intersection improvements.

The Recreation & Aquatic Center was designed by DWL Architects and constructed by Haydon.

For information about memberships, passes and rates, visit QueenCreekAZ.gov/Recreation.

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