Point Mallard Park

Point Mallard Park
Type Public Park
Nearest city Decatur, Alabama
Coordinates 34°34′25″N 86°56′17″W / 34.5735°N 86.938°W / 34.5735; -86.938Coordinates: 34°34′25″N 86°56′17″W / 34.5735°N 86.938°W / 34.5735; -86.938
Area 500 acres (200 ha)
Created 1970s
Status Open all year (most open all year, aquatic center is open in summer)
Website www.pointmallardpark.com

Point Mallard Park is a park in Decatur, Alabama, United States that sits on 500 acres (2.0 km2) of the Flint Creek shoreline. The park, which is open all year, borders the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and is operated by the City of Decatur Parks and Recreation Board.

Point Mallard Aquatic Center

Point Mallard Park's J. Gilmer Blackburn Aquatic Center was developed in the early 1970s after Mayor Gilmer Blackburn saw enclosed "wave-making" swimming pools in Germany and thought one could be a tourist attraction in the United States. J. Austin Smith, an Ohio wave pool manufacturer, worked with the city of Decatur to design and install a wave pool in 1970. They, along with Big Surf in Tempe, Arizona, claim to have built the nation's first wave pool.

Between 130,000 and 180,000 people visit between Memorial Day and Labor Day, making it one of the state's most popular seasonal attractions. In 1987, the park was named after Mayor Blackburn.

Activities and recreation centers

A Civil War reenactment is held yearly at Point Mallard Park.

Celebrations/festivals

References

    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/13/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.