All aboard! Next stop, Minneapolis! Back in the late 1800s, the downtown train station in this burgeoning Midwestern city was bustling. But as time went on, little by little, activity at the Depot tapered off until finally, in 1971, the last train left the station. Idle for years, the site was saved when the Minnesota Historical Society placed it in the National Register of Historic Places.
Now the Depot is revitalized, home to two hotels, an ice rink and a charming indoor waterpark.
CSM Corp. of St. Paul, Minn., a franchisee of Marriott Hotels, completed the four structures in July 2001. Located adjacent to the Mississippi River, it’s now a thriving, year-round spot.
The centerpiece of the 8,000-square-foot aquatic area is the splash pool, which features a whimsical, interactive train.
Children can climb into the engine and play with pulleys and buttons, triggering lights, fountains, bells, whistles. But instead of steam, water comes splashing out of this train’s smokestack, splashing down on happy kids. To complete the theme, train tracks lead into the pool.
Every 20 minutes, there’s also a sound and light show. And even though the train doesn’t move inside the small enclosure, a very heavy bass sound is piped in. The reverberations create the feeling of a moving train.
There’s more: Youngsters can take a rope bridge to the top of the atrium, where a 185-foot, three-story water slide awaits. Riders then loop outside the building before returning inside to land in one of the four pools. In between, on the second floor, there are concessions, with areas for birthday parties and private events.
Guests at the hotels (a Residence Inn and a Courtyard) are mostly “corporate” during the week, according to the hotel. But on the weekend, it’s more of a mix, including families. Interestingly, 90 percent of the hotels’ waterpark guests live within 20 miles of the Depot.
That certainly is a good sign for the nation’s growing number of waterpark resorts or, as hotel personnel like to call the Depot, “an urban resort for families.”
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