MORGANTOWN — If you’re knee deep in snow, but your mind is poolside, set a reminder for Feb. 10.
That’s the first day you can take advantage of a 35% early bird discount to purchase passes for BOPARC’s 2025 pool season.
During its most recent meeting, the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners got a look at gate prices for the upcoming summer, including the cost to access BOPARC’s brand new aquatic complex in upper Marilla Park.
Daily admission to the $14.2 million complex, which includes a wrap-around lazy river, a deep well with lane options, an activity area for aquatic programming, water slides, a spray ground/splash pad and shaded seating, will be $8 for youth/seniors and $10 for adults. Season passes will be $120 for youth/seniors and $150 for adults. A four-person family pass will be $360.
BOPARC Executive Director Melissa Wiles said BOPARC set its rates after researching comparable offerings elsewhere in the region, primarily Greene County, Pa. and Clarksburg.
“If you look at these numbers, we’re coming out actually equal to Greene County [and Clarksburg] at Marilla if you look at daily admission numbers,” she said. “If you look at your season pass numbers, we’re coming out lower than both of the comp facilities we looked at.”
The cost to access a more traditional city pool experience at Krepps Park will be $6 for youth/senior daily admission and $8 for adults. Season passes for Krepps will be $100 youth/seniors, $120 adult and $250 for a family of four.
Season passes to access both pool facilities will be $150 youth/seniors, $180 adult and $375 for a family of four.
Previously, the experience at the pools was largely the same, as was the pricing – $5 youth and $6 adult daily admission (plus a $2 slide band at Marilla, if desired); $90/$110 for season passes and $240 for a four-person pass.
Wiles said BOPARC recognizes that it is now offering two distinct experiences.
“We wanted to offer a robust package of options so that our patrons can build their own aquatic experience based on their unique needs and preferences, hence the multiple options and combinations of offerings,” she said.
Private and public session party pricing will also be available.
Of course, all the numbers listed above are before any discounts are applied, and there are significant changes on that front as well.
In the past, getting a discount meant being part of a group – the larger the group, the bigger the discount.
Now, everyone is entitled to the same reduced rate, group or not, depending on when passes are purchased.
If you get in between Feb. 10 and March 16, the prices are discounted 35%. Between March 17 and April 18, the cost will be reduced 20%. Any passes purchased after April 19 will be full price.
“I’m pleased with it as well because it seems to me that it’s more in the spirit of what we want to do when we’re offering discounts, because we’re offering the discount to everyone at the same time for the same amount of discounted cost,” Wiles said.
Further, the pass process will be online and customer driven, allowing the purchaser to create their own pass, pay for it and download it onto their phone.
“If anyone needs assistance, we can certainly assist them. They can email or call if they’re having a problem walking through the process of creating that pass,” Wiles said. “Most people are used to processes like that now, and we’re kind of behind the game in terms of the new technology.”
