Webster Groves water park reports 75% increase in daily check‑ins and sharp revenue gains
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Summary
City staff reported the water park drew roughly 68,000 daily check‑ins in 2025 (versus ~40,000 in 2024), with day‑fee revenue rising to about $409,505 and concession sales doubling to roughly $185,000. Commissioners discussed crowding, nonresident use, membership pricing and contract procurement for management services.
City staff presented a season summary showing strong use of the new water park and marked revenue growth. Staff reported that 2024 daily check‑ins were “right at, like, 40,000” and that 2025 saw “right at 68,000,” which staff characterized as a roughly 30,000 increase — “75% increase.” Day‑fee revenue rose from $166,928 (2024) to $409,505 (2025). Concession sales increased from about $92,000 to roughly $185,000, and water‑park rentals rose materially year‑over‑year.
Staff said approximately $320,000 of the 2025 day‑fee revenue came from nonresidents. Commissioners and attendees discussed whether to cap attendance or offer resident‑only days to reduce crowding and improve user experience. Staff noted capacity limits are determined by St. Louis County and that monitoring precise in‑and‑out counts would require additional staffing or systems: "That’s set by Saint Louis County. We can't alter that whatsoever at all," staff said.
Commissioners also debated membership pricing and use patterns after a resident noted a 16‑visit threshold for value on a multi‑visit pass; staff said the registration system contains many fee tiers and that analyzing member behavior will take time. Staff also reported the pool‑management contract with Midwest Pool Management (MPM) is currently $326,550 and that the city will issue an RFP next month for the management contract.
Staff framed the season as broadly successful while acknowledging operational challenges on high‑attendance days and plans for offseason debriefings to identify improvements in staffing, concessions and guest flow.
