NRH2O Family Water Park has been North Texas’s summer staple since 1995, when it opened as the first municipally owned water park in Texas and one of the first city-run water parks in the country. Nearly three decades later, the 17-acre park in North Richland Hills still packs in crowds from across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex every season.
This guide goes beyond the park’s history to cover what visitors actually need to plan a trip: current attractions including the new Nitro Blast dueling coaster, how the seasonal hours and ticket tiers work, parking and cooler rules, and the family amenities that have kept guests coming back since day one.
Quick Answer
NRH2O Family Water Park is a 17-acre municipal water park at 9001 Boulevard 26 in North Richland Hills, Texas, operated by the City of North Richland Hills and funded by ticket and concession revenue rather than property taxes. It’s open seasonally, roughly mid-May through early September, and offers 23 attractions, free parking, and a free-cooler policy that’s been in place since it opened in 1995.
Park History: Texas’s First Municipal Water Park
NRH2O opened in 1995 with a modest lineup of three body slides, a river, and a wading pool, but its significance was in the ownership model: it was the first city-owned water park in Texas and among the first in the country. That municipal structure means the park operates like a self-sustaining city enterprise, covering its costs through admission and concessions instead of tax dollars.
The park has expanded steadily since its debut, growing to its current 17-acre footprint with 23 attractions. Its biggest recent change came in 2023, when the original Green Extreme water coaster closed for good after 25 seasons, making way for its 2026 replacement.
Rides and Attractions at NRH2O
The park’s headline attraction is now Nitro Blast, a ProSlide dueling water coaster that officially opened June 27, 2026. It’s built as a true side-by-side racing coaster, sending riders through parallel launch tracks so they can compete against each other in real time — a format that replaced the uphill-launching Master Blaster-style Green Extreme, which ran roughly 1,161 feet of track with 81 feet of elevation change from 1998 until its 2023 closure.
Beyond the new coaster, NRH2O’s lineup covers most water park ride categories. Body slides include Sidewinder, Riggamaroll, Thunder, and Blue Sky for guests who want a fast, steep drop. Tube rides — Viper, Accelerator, Purplepalooza, and Double Dipper — offer a mix of enclosed and open twists and turns for one or two riders at a time. For a slower pace, NRH2Ocean wave pool and the Endless River lazy river give guests a place to float and cool off, while Beachside Bay adds a sand-volleyball and lounge area for guests who want to stay dry.
Planning Your Visit: Hours and Season
NRH2O runs on a typical Texas water park calendar: it opens for the season around mid-to-late May, often the week before Memorial Day, and closes after Labor Day in early September, with the busiest and most consistently open stretch falling in June and July. Because daily hours can shift for weather, staffing, or special events, the park explicitly asks visitors to check its schedule the morning of their visit rather than relying on a printed calendar.
The park also runs seasonal evening programming branded Splash After Dark, which features discounted admission after a set evening hour, live entertainment, and specialty food and drink offerings on select nights, plus occasional themed events like summer concert nights. For the current day’s operating hours, exact closing time, and any schedule changes, check the official NRH2O hours page before you go.
Tickets, Passes, and Pricing
NRH2O prices admission by height rather than age, splitting guests into an “under 48 inches” tier and an “over 48 inches” tier, with children 2 and younger admitted free. Both tiers carry separate weekday and weekend/holiday rates, and buying online in advance is consistently cheaper than paying at the gate — the gap is largest on weekdays.
On top of standard day tickets, the park offers a City of North Richland Hills resident discount (with proof of residency), a senior discount for ages 55+ available at the ticket booth with ID, and a flat military rate with valid ID for up to four guests. Frequent visitors can also choose from multiple season pass tiers that bundle in perks like early entry and buddy passes, and groups can book discounted group rates separately. Because rates are adjusted each season, check the official NRH2O ticket page for this year’s exact prices, and the season pass page for pass options.
Parking, Coolers, and What to Bring
Parking has been free at NRH2O since it opened in 1995, and that hasn’t changed. Guests may also bring in one cooler, bag, or food container per ticket holder at no charge as long as it stays within the park’s size limit; oversized coolers, wagons, or containers are subject to a cooler fee, and all bags and coolers are searched at the gate.
Restaurant-prepared food, glass containers, and alcohol are not allowed inside, but guests can pack their own snacks and drinks in a compliant cooler, plus empty refillable water bottles. Coast Guard-approved life jackets and standard inner tubes are provided free inside the park, though most outside flotation devices — aside from arm floaties and baby floats used with direct parental contact — aren’t permitted. Full current rules are posted on the official NRH2O park rules page.
Family Amenities and Kids’ Areas
NRH2O has held onto several original guest perks since 1995, including free parking and free coolers, and pairs them with dedicated space for younger visitors. Frogstein’s Splashatory is the park’s children’s play structure, while the Tadpole Swimming Hole gives toddlers and young kids a shallow, low-intensity pool separate from the park’s faster rides.
Together with the wave pool, lazy river, and lounge areas like Beachside Bay, these features make NRH2O workable for multi-generation groups where not everyone wants to ride a launching water coaster.
NRH2O Family Water Park FAQs
When is NRH2O Family Water Park open?
NRH2O operates seasonally, typically opening around mid-to-late May (often the week before Memorial Day) and closing after Labor Day in early September. Daily hours vary by month and can change for weather or events, so check the official NRH2O hours page the morning of your visit.
How much are NRH2O tickets?
NRH2O prices day tickets by height (under vs. over 48 inches), with separate weekday and weekend/holiday rates, and online prices are cheaper than gate prices. Discounts exist for NRH residents, seniors 55+, and military with ID. Because rates change by season, the official NRH2O ticket page has current pricing.
Is parking free at NRH2O?
Yes. Free parking has been a guest perk at NRH2O since the park opened in 1995 and remains free today.
Can you bring a cooler into NRH2O?
Yes, one cooler, bag, or food container per ticket holder is allowed free of charge as long as it meets the park’s size limit; larger coolers, wagons, or containers incur a fee. All bags and coolers are searched at the entrance, and restaurant-prepared food, glass, and alcohol aren’t permitted.
Is the Green Extreme water coaster still at NRH2O?
No. Green Extreme, the park’s original Master Blaster-style water coaster that ran from 1998 through 2023, is no longer part of the lineup. It was replaced by Nitro Blast, a new dueling water coaster that opened June 27, 2026.
How big is NRH2O Family Water Park and how many rides does it have?
The park covers 17 acres and features 23 attractions, including body slides, tube rides, the new Nitro Blast dueling water coaster, a wave pool, a lazy river, and dedicated kids’ areas like Frogstein’s Splashatory and the Tadpole Swimming Hole.
What is Nitro Blast at NRH2O?
Nitro Blast is NRH2O’s new ProSlide dueling water coaster, which opened June 27, 2026, replacing the retired Green Extreme. It’s a true side-by-side racing coaster that lets riders compete against each other through the course.
Is NRH2O a municipal (city-owned) water park?
Yes. NRH2O opened in 1995 as the first city-owned, municipal water park in Texas and one of the first in the country. It’s owned and operated by the City of North Richland Hills and funded through ticket and concession revenue rather than property taxes.
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