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Hattiesburg Zoo Opens Serengeti Springs Waterpark
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A new $10.5 million water park at the Hattiesburg Zoo in Hattiesburg, Miss., has finally opened with a lion's roar of excitement in 2024. Serengeti Springs has been in the works since 2022 and was originally scheduled to open in 2023.

Delays in materials to even build the park were a big part of the delay on the project, with heavy rains further complicating the construction. But now that the waterpark has arrived, Hattiesburg Convention Commission executive director Rick Taylor describes the attraction as expected to bring in approximately $12 million in new spending annually to the community. His prediction seems on target: season passes sold out for the park before it was even open two weeks, and many summer days and evening events have been sell-outs.

Hattiesburg Zoo was first established in 1950. The zoo is primarily focused on providing a fun and educational experience for residents of the Pine Belt area of Southern Mississippi. Run by the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, Serengeti Springs is viewed as a major new asset, especially as there are no other waterparks in the region. A second expansion is already planned for the waterpark, with an expectation of a 2027 opening. The second phase for the park is set to include a four-slide tower.



But the just-opened waterpark is already a big attraction for the region.

“It's going to be the place to bring your kids…it's going to be exciting,” Taylor relates. “The revenue generated here will go back to the Hattiesburg Zoo and allow us to grow, add new exhibits, new animal attractions…new programs.”

The park was constructed on 3.5 acres of Kamper Park, expanding the 12-acre zoo's Africa section which it was themed to fit.

The new park includes the 150,000-gallon Pole-Pole lazy river replete with a swim-up bar, that offers adult beverages as well as drinks for kids. Along the river, guests can also exit to enjoy a small beach area with a wave pool. Another major attraction is the TreeTop Trek, a multi-level Fusion Fortress water play attraction from WhiteWater.

The latter area includes climbing areas, two large dumping buckets, five body slides, including a bowl slide, and a racing slide with three lanes. The largest of the two dump buckets is 62 feet high. It dumps a powerful 800 gallons of water onto the TreeTop Trek area at timed intervals. When the project was first announced, zoo officials noted the sustainability of the project: all the water that's utilized in the waterpark is treated and recycled, so that only a very small amount is lost every day via evaporation.

The climbing structure encompasses some 17,000-square-feet and is covered with Life Floor safety surfacing to prevent slips and falls. The structure is designed to be an immersive one which ties in with its home at the Hattiesburg Zoo. Both 2D and 3D animal elements, including a beautiful, molded tiger, giraffes, and a zebra are dotted through grassy foliage that recalls an African landscape. The concept was designed by Martin Aquatics, which also provided structural and water services.

The park has nine water slides in all. These include the thrilling Peacock Plunge, Blue Rapid Run, and Serengeti Swirl, each of which has a 48-inch height requirement for riders. Other slides have just a 40” requirement, and there are Little Tikes slides for the smallest guests. The lazy river requires a 42” height, but if under that, kids can still enjoy the experience if they don a Coast Guard Approved Life Jacket provided free of charge at the park.



The Yellow Zebra Market is the waterpark's gift shop, where guests can purchase everything from swimsuits, hats, water shoes, and towels to souvenir T-shirts and water bottles, should they have forgotten any items needed for a wet and wild day.

Food and snacks are readily available. Along with the Habari Riverside Sips swim-up bar which offers both food and beverages along the Lazy River, the park offers the Boa Bites food truck and the Chakula snack stand. The Boa Bites menu features chicken tenders, a Smashburger in three different sizes, a grilled chicken sandwich or a “big salad” as well as sides like fries and a fruit cup. A variety of fruity popsicles from Pop Brothers and other sweet treats are served up along with hamburgers and hot dogs at the Chakula snack stand.

Among the draws at the Habari are frozen margaritas. A 21-and-up evening event called Habari Nights was a sell out for the park, featuring “sipping and sliding,” with libations from the swim-up bar.

Guests also have access to loungers and cabanas. There are two Deluxe Plus cabanas which can be rented for larger parties, and include sling loungers, a convertible table, a private safe, charging port, ceiling fan, and personal storage cabinet as well as food and beverage service.



An additional perk in the waterpark: the zoo offers animal presentations at scheduled times, right inside Serengeti Springs.

According to Demetric Kelly, Director of Guest Services and Retail, “We only get one shot to open an attraction…you have to do it the right way... the small details matter.”

During the normal operating season, operating hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are priced at $25 Monday-Thursday at the gate; online purchase prior to 9 a.m. on the day of arrival are priced at $23. On weekends, the price rises to $30 onsite, and $28 when purchased online. Kids under two years old are free of charge. All payments are digital - no cash purchases are allowed.
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