Ahoy, Mateys! Make a Splash at Pirate’s Bay Water Park

4541 County Rd 147, Leesburg, AL 35983
Open Memorial Day through Labor Day
Approximately two hours from Madison, AL

A pirate skull in front of two cross swords mark the entrance to Pirate's Bay waterpark in Leesburg.

If you’re up for a day trip that includes water slides and sunshine, check out Pirate’s Bay in Leesburg, Alabama. Around two hours from Huntsville, this Pirate-themed water park includes mini-golf, an ice cream parlor, two huge clusters of water slides, splash pads, and a handful of larger water slides.

Our family loves amusement parks and water parks, so we were pretty pumped to see what Pirate’s Bay had to offer!

Arriving & Parking

Parking can be a little tricky as there are actually two lots, with the first one being up slightly higher before reaching the entrance. The parking lots are gravel with little shade but are only a short walk to the park’s entrance. Parking is $5 and cash only, so come prepared!

We arrived when they opened and there was already a long line to get in, but fortunately, management has everyone covered – literally. There’s a nice awning that spans a good portion of the line to keep guests shaded, and there’s a good amount of tree cover too.

The Slides at Pirate’s Bay

Upon entering there’s a huge cluster of water slides and splash pad-type equipment. This is the largest group of water attractions and there’s some covered seating in this area, but it goes quick, so snag a seat early if it’s available. Our kids loved the red and orange slides as those were the fastest and allowed them to race each other. The water felt refreshing and wasn’t super cold.

Best Spot for Littles

Over the bridge from this first attraction is everything else. We found a few chairs by the second cluster of slides and felt comfortable leaving our bag and towels there for the day; however, lockers are available to rent for $10. Like the other area, this one had a dump bucket and several slides and sprinklers, plus it was zero-entry all the way around, which is ideal for small children.

Two kids slide down twin blue and green slides from a pirate ship shaped play area. — *Walk the plank from the pirate ship play area.*

Another area next to the mini-golf is a baby/toddler swim area with a few small slides and a small, slow water slide. Our daughter tried these for us and concluded that her younger friends would enjoy them. This area also had a fair amount of shade.

On to the Bigger Slides!

After getting set up, we headed for the bigger slides, and this is where it can get a little confusing for first-timers.

Kids above 42 inches and adults who love thrills and fast slides will love the Slither and Slither’s Angry Brother slides (the green and orange tube slides). They’re super-fast and tons of fun. But, there’s no notice that a t-shirt is required to be worn for these rides. We found out from a staff member who informed us of this, which required us to go back to our chairs and find the shirts we were going to wear home (we ended up buying a shirt for $15 too). Following this minor inconvenience, we went on these slides and loved them. They truly are fun and all four of us rode them at least eight or more times.

Across from the Slither slides are two green and white slides grouped together. One of these requires an inner tube, while the other does not. Lines went quickly and the staff did a good job of keeping people moving while watching the riders below hop out. These were fun because the pathway from the bottom of the slide back up to the top is short.

Each of the slides are designed for individual riders, but they’re slow enough (but still fun) that small kids can enjoy them. Be aware that only inner tubes from the bottom of these slides can be carried up; the park does not allow guests to take inner tubes from other rides or bring their own.

Food at Pirate’s Bay

After a few hours of water fun we decided to eat an early lunch of hamburgers & chips and a 12-inch pizza. The prices were a little high, but the food tasted good. Each kid ate their entire hamburger without complaint. Our pizza was served very hot, so we had to wait for it to cool off, but I’d rather have a fresh hot pizza than one that’s been in a warmer for a few hours. Tap water is free, and refills on purchased beverages are not.

Also on the menu are nachos, funnel cakes, and slushies.

Outside food and beverages are not permitted, but bring your water bottle to refill from the tap.

Before we left we stopped by the ice cream parlor, which is located on the backside of the red arcade/lunch building. They served Blue Bell ice cream that was reasonably priced. There are a few tables and chairs outside to sit and eat.

Pirate’s Bay Mini Golf

After lunch, we headed to mini-golf and had a good time in the shade. This worked out great because it was starting to get near 100 degrees and the tree cover by the mini-golf was a good break. The course is 9 holes and easy to follow. There are different sizes of clubs available at the entrance to the course along with balls. We saw several families participate in this activity.

Bathrooms & Dressing Rooms

The bathroom’s cleanliness was okay, but there are no hooks to hang anything, so if you bring any kind of bag into the bathroom it will have to sit on the floor or you’ll be holding it.

The bathrooms were also a little cramped with one sink in the corner in front of a stall door, which proved difficult for the person in that stall to get out if someone was washing their hands.

There are plenty of changing rooms available near the entrance to the pool which does have hooks and benches.

Overall Thoughts on Pirate’s Bay

We had a good day at the water park and will consider going back if we happen to be in that area. Between the ticket prices and food, we felt the prices for everything were a little high compared to other water parks closer to home, but it was fun to do something different a little further from Huntsville. This would be a great day trip if your family wants to try a new place and new slides.

*Note: The “toilet slide”, as we affectionately refer to it, did not seem to be operating correctly during our visit. It’s the slide at the top of the park. Individual riders carry a park inner tube up the line, but soon after launching, the inner tube slows down drastically causing the guest to either shimmy their way to the slide or just get up and walk to the slide. We found this to be potentially dangerous for all riders. At the time of publication, Pirate’s Bay is under new ownership and these problems may have been addressed. Our advice is for parents to check this slide out for themselves before turning kids loose on it.

Plan Your Visit to Pirate’s Bay

What to Pack
For kids above 48 inches, bring a t-shirt for them to wear on the two fastest slides – Slither and Slither’s Angry Brother. Guests will not be allowed on without a t-shirt. Also bring towels, water bottles, sunscreen, and sunglasses. If you forget something, most items can be purchased in the gift shop.

Cost: $38.99/person (ages 3+)
For kids 2 and under no ticket is required.
Cabana rentals: $20 for 2-person poolside; $40 family cabana, $55 group size cabana. Make these reservations in advance as they will sell out.
Lockers: available for $10

Hours
Memorial Day Weekend – August: Open daily 10AM – 6PM
August – Labor day: only open weekends 10AM – 6PM

Location: 4541 County Rd 147, Leesburg, AL 35983 (Map)

Phone: 256-613-8442

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If you have a camper, Pirate’s Bay is adjacent to the Great Escapes RV Resort. If you don’t have a camper, it’s also right next to the Chestnut Bay Resort on the banks of Weiss Lake. Stay at Pirate’s Bay

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Laura Barnard

Laura Barnard lives in Madison and is mom to a hilarious set of twins. When she's not sitting in car line or waiting for the bus, she's the owner of Sweet Tea Communications, a public relations, graphic design and website design company. Her family loves exploring, traveling, sports, music, and their family dog.