HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – City officials are continuing discussions about how to involve the community in making decisions regarding ongoing issues at Bluegrass Splash in Hopkinsville. In December, the city council learned that an investment of a few million dollars would be required to tackle all of the repairs needed to reopen the summer family attraction.
“I think a lot of people in the community over the years felt like they didn’t have a say in what was initially done with the water park,” said Councilmember Chuck Crabtree during the Jan. 22 Committee of the Whole meeting. Multiple leaks popped up at the water park at the end of the 2025 season coupled with two decades of mounting issues.
He outlined eight possible options for next steps with the water park during the meeting. This list included dealing with it later, bulldozing it, patching it, repairing it correctly, repurposing the property, selling the property, or forming a committee to study all options.
Crabtree explained that a committee could include both councilmembers and community members in an effort to facilitate an open dialogue and present findings to the city council. He said, “I think the important thing is what do the citizens want, and what are they willing to pay for it?”
Mayor Knight added that 70% of the patrons of the water park are out of town tourists, which brings in additional revenue to the city as they invest in other businesses in the city. Regardless of a future decision, the council confirmed that Bluegrass Splash will not open in the 2026 season.
After a back-and-forth discussion about the efficacy and logistics of forming a committee, it was decided that they would first host a public town hall and relay the history and information about the water park, while hearing feedback direct from the community.
The time and date for the town hall will come at a later date.
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