Note: Will be closed for the 2021 season.
Location map
Eau Claire Plaza 3 St. & Riverfront Ave. S.W. (by Eau Claire market – 200 Barclay Parade S.W.)
Parking: At and around Eau Claire market (Eau Claire parkade has cheap parking on the weekends) or in the parking lot off Memorial Drive just East of 3rd St. NW.
Eau Claire Wading Pool and Toddler Playground
The wading pool is typically open mid-June until Labor Day. Open 9am-9pm. Will be closed for the 2021 season.
Features: 2 Wading pool areas. Pool A has a small sprayer in the centre. Pool B has shallower and deeper areas, a small water sprays and 3 water sprayers that can spin. The toddler playground has a toddler climber with 3 slides, 4 seater bouncer, 2 dinosaur climbers and 2 mushroom seats. Washrooms, water fountains and treat concessions are open seasonally.
Surrounding Park Area: The surrounding area is more of a plaza than a park. It has has outdoor festival area, amphitheatre, eau claire market (great indoor playground). It is just a short walk across the bridge to get to Prince’s Island Park.
Seating: there are a number of benches as well as concrete walls you can sit on.
Shade: There are a number of large mature trees that provide good shade.
Overall assessment:
We’ve now been here many times. This past year, the area has gotten a brand new playground and the spray features were replaced. Although I’m sure there are busy times, it seems to be one of the quieter water parks in Calgary.
The flooring in the wading pools isn’t slippery and only gets to be about knee height. The playground is right next to the pools so the little kids can easily switch from one to the other. The area is fairly compact so unless your kids are really little you can probably comfortably supervise them from one spot.
If you are thinking of going here, I’d highly recommend planning on taking the short walk across to Prince’s Island Park too
Those look like fun ones! My kids would love the “train”!
We / I visit here a lot (with twins) We love it BUT the park gravel in PPI is so dusty, the gravel always ruins all our clothes and I imagine if wet it would be mega yuck. The wading pool is fun but hard with twins (use a rucksack and swap kids round).
ps I am really impressed with this blog and I am using it a lot now. What I would like is a twins angle! Being a mum who has to take toddler twins around I do get a good idea from your reviews on if the parks are ‘safe’ for twins.
We really enjoy Eau Claire wading pool for our 10 months old daughter: the water isn’t too deep and she loved crawling through it! We went on a Saturday and it wasn’t too busy which we enjoyed!