Opryland Plans $90M Water Park, But Only For Hotel Guests

The same company that owns the Opryland Convention Center announced Wednesday its plan to build a $90 million water park next door.

And while it’ll likely bring a tidal wave of tax revenue, it’s not primarily for Nashville residents.

The park, named SoundWaves, is “America’s first indoor, outdoor luxury water experience,” says Colin Reed, chairman and chief executive of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Opryland’s owner.

Renderings show more than 200,000 square feet of inside and outside water park, complete with slides, rivers, a wave pool, a rock climbing wall and bars. Not sandbars. Alcohol bars.

And attaching it to the convention center means Nashville can start competing with cities like Orlando, where people go for work, but often take their family, too. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry says it’s a lucrative crowd.

“Because when they extend their stay, and they extend their time, they also spend more money,” Barry says.

But Nashville residents should probably put away their swimsuits. The park will be restricted to hotel guests only.

“This is about generating new customers that come from outside of Nashville,” Reed says. He adds that if Nashvillians want to visit, they can book a room at the hotel. 

The park is slated to open in 2018. And it’s expected to generate about 700 full-time jobs and pull in $4.6 million dollars a year in state and local tax revenue. As far as incentives, Ryman is asking for a freeze on its property tax bill for the next eight years.

In 2012, Ryman announced plans to build a water park with Dolly Patron,
but it never came to be.