Aquatic Development Group (ADG), a leading water park and recreational design, construction and manufacturing firm, is celebrating the launch of its newest expansion at Wilderness at the Smokies Resort in Tennessee, US.
ADG has designed and built the expansion, complete with numerous upgrades and additions to the indoor and outdoor waterpark areas. This project nearly doubles the capacity of the park’s indoor waterpark, Wild WaterDome, and opened to the public on 21 December 2023, the park’s 15th anniversary.
Creative expansion
ADG has been working with Wilderness Resorts for several decades. The firm was the original designer/builder of the Wilderness at the Smokies indoor waterpark in 2009, and previously served as a design and equipment provider for the Wilderness Resort in the Wisconsin Dells, also known as the “Waterpark Capital of the World”.
The firm most recently collaborated with Wilderness Development Corp. on the award-winning $90m outdoor waterpark Soaky Mountain. This attraction opened in 2020 and is located opposite the Wilderness at the Smokies resort. It is the only new waterpark construction in North America to be completed and open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jim Dunn, president of ADG, comments: “We were thrilled for the opportunity to once again collaborate with Wilderness Resorts for this exciting and creative waterpark expansion. We love working with longtime clients, who trust our ability to be innovative in design, while still meeting their needs.”
World-first experience
The new 40,000-square-foot expansion includes a rooftop lagoon pool with views of the Smoky Mountains, a bar and grill, cabanas, and an entertainment stage. A new indoor water coaster features the world’s first Reverse Aqua Lucent water slide and is accompanied by the Kaleidoscope Kavern by Moment Factory. This extraordinary immersive lazy river envelopes riders in vibrant light and sound.
ADG has also refurbished the attraction’s spa. Wilderness asked ADG to devise a creative approach to transform a portion of the existing indoor/outdoor pool into a hot spa. This needed to include a 1,055-square-foot activity pool with a three-sided basketball hoop in the middle, and plentiful seating.
The expansion has created a total of more than 500 extra seats for visitors, as well as adding nine cabanas which are available to hire.
Last month, Aquatic Development Group (ADG) shared that its COO, Bruce Quay, has been selected to join the MENALAC Awards Non-Operator Jury Panel. He will also join the nonprofit Middle East and North Africa Leisure & Attractions Council’s (MENALAC) Manufacturer and Supplier Committee.
