Kalahari Spotsylvania: 5 Exciting Highlights for Families

Kalahari Spotsylvania has been taking shape before drivers’ eyes along I-95 and U.S. Route 1, with massive buildings, colorful water slides and life-sized animal statues signaling the arrival of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions.

Key Takeaways

• Kalahari Spotsylvania is scheduled to open Nov. 12, 2026, with an indoor water park, accommodations, dining and an indoor adventure park.
• Water attractions include slides, a surf simulator, a lazy river and dedicated spaces for younger children.
• Tom Foolerys will offer activities including a family roller coaster, laser tag, bowling, mini golf and escape rooms.
• Overnight stays include water park access for registered guests and complimentary self-parking.
• Resort restaurants will welcome the public without requiring a day pass or overnight reservation.

The resort is scheduled to open Nov. 12, 2026.

This new resort is the company’s fifth location in the U.S. and is one of its largest at 1.38 million square feet. Backed by more than 20 years of experience in the industry, it brings top-of-the-line rides, attractions and amenities.

Planning more family outings? Explore our guide to holiday lights near Fredericksburg for festive places to visit.

An Indoor Water Park in Spotsylvania

As Virginia’s largest indoor water park, it boasts body slides, raft rides, a surf simulator, multi-rider slides and a lazy river among its many attractions.

Kalahari Resorts & Conventions General Manager Brian Shanle shared, “One of our most iconic slides is called Dawn Breaker, the end of which has a very steep slope. You literally go up a wall, hit zero gravity and come back down. It’s awesome.”

Apart from the indoor water park, there’s also an outdoor water park with attractions and pools of its own. It is scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend in 2027, with seasonal operation from Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting.

Attractions for Younger Children

The indoor and outdoor water parks aren’t just for older children, teens and adults. In fact, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions has intentionally designed many spaces for younger children as well.

Shanle said, “We have two completely different zones in the indoor water park and one in the outdoor water park just for smaller kids. There are nine slides outside just for little kids. So, we are very thoughtful about the approach to different age groups.”

There is even a small version of the Dawn Breaker so that younger children watching a sibling ride the larger slide and feeling envious can have their own fun.

Also built for the convenience of families are the 33 skybox cabanas overlooking the water park, so that visitors can use a private elevator to go up to their cabana with seating, a television, a refrigerator and assigned waitstaff to bring food and drinks throughout the day.

While the water park itself may be what people initially associate with Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, there’s so much more to the property.

“A lot of folks say that we’re building a water park,” said Shanle. “Yes, we’re building a water park, but it’s an amenity, not our identity. It’s just one of the features we have.”

Beyond the Water Park: Tom Foolerys and More

In addition to the 175,000-square-foot indoor water park and 3 acres of seasonal outdoor pools, Virginia’s Kalahari Resorts & Conventions will feature 907 guest rooms and suites, a 150,000-square-foot convention center, a 90,000-square-foot indoor adventure park called Tom Foolerys, four signature full-service restaurants, shops, additional food outlets and more.

Tom Foolerys Adventure Park has just about everything you could think of, including a high-ropes course, a family roller coaster, a laser tag arena, a glow-in-the-dark mini golf course, go-karts, 12 bowling lanes, 250-plus arcade games, a mirror maze and three escape rooms.

Shanle noted that the adventure park and water parks have been built with families in mind, so for those visiting with a child who may be more easily overwhelmed or have specific sensory needs, there is a calming room that can be utilized, and for those traveling with younger children, there are mothers’ rooms available throughout the resort.

As for the convention center, it’s an ideal place to host events and meetings, with experienced event planners and caterers helping to carry out conventions, conferences, exhibitions, trade shows, weddings and other gatherings.

“If you look at the resort, it’s kind of built in a U shape, and we say you stand in the middle, and we separate the suits from the suits,” said Shanle. “Swimsuits on one side, business suits on the other side.”

Staying at Kalahari Virginia

Then, there’s the hotel itself, which isn’t just for out-of-town guests. “Just because you live 10 minutes from Kalahari doesn’t mean you can’t come and stay,” Shanle said. “You get a great vacation. It feels like you’ve traveled a long, long way away from this area, but you just don’t have airfare or a long car drive.”

Staying overnight includes water park access for registered hotel guests, plus complimentary self-parking. Guests can take advantage of the water park beginning at 10 a.m. on check-in day and can continue the fun until the park closes on check-out day, turning one overnight stay into two days at the water park.

Restaurants Open to the Public

Whether staying overnight or not, locals are welcome to dine at one of Kalahari Resorts & Conventions’ restaurants. Dining at the resort is open to the public, with no day pass or overnight reservation required.

Shanle emphasized the quality of the resort’s restaurants, which include Double Cut Steak House, Cinco Niños, Sortino’s Italian Kitchen, B-LUX Grill & Bar and MACS Macaroni and Cheese Shop. “We are passionate about our food,” he said.

The resort also has a coffee shop, proudly serving Starbucks coffee, with fresh pastries made in-house, as well as The Last Bite, a candy and ice cream shop featuring hand-dipped chocolates, caramels and more, all made by the pastry team.

“We’re open 365 days a year,” Shanle said.

Connections With the Local Community

Beyond bringing a new family destination to the region, Shanle sees the resort’s opening as an opportunity to contribute to the community through jobs, tourism and partnerships with local businesses.

The new resort will open up approximately 1,400 new full- and part-time jobs in the area, and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions works closely with Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg and Stafford tourism boards to ensure that visitors coming from out of town will also be informed about other opportunities in the region, creating additional business for local restaurants, museums, shops and attractions outside of the resort.

Local homeschool groups can also reach out for water park and adventure park specials.

Apart from collaborating closely with the community, Shanle most looks forward to helping families connect with one another and create long-lasting memories.

“The memories that are going to be made in the walls of Kalahari Resorts are going to be remembered for a lifetime by both the parents and their children. What a privilege for us to be a part of that, and to be the host resort for that to happen right here in Spotsylvania.”

Kalahari Spotsylvania at a Glance

Virginia’s Kalahari Resorts & Conventions will feature:

• A 175,000-square-foot indoor water park
• Three acres of seasonal outdoor pools
• 907 guest rooms and suites
• A 150,000-square-foot convention center
• A 90,000-square-foot indoor adventure park called Tom Foolerys
• Four signature full-service restaurants
• Shops, additional food outlets and more