Theme & Amusement Parks in Mission Bend

Once you enter the Tropical Storm, everything goes dark. You blindly whip around inside the watery tunnel before being unexpectedly plunged into a pool of water—and you probably want to do it again. The Tropical Storm is one of eight water slides at Splashway Waterpark, a seasonal outdoor playground that boasts water-fueled attractions for toddlers, older kids, and adults. Sometimes the rides relax, as when visitors drift down the lazy river on waterproof water beds, but sometimes they raise pulses instead, as on the nearly straight drop of Pirate's Plunge.

From May to September visitors can enjoy the park's attractions, which were designed to entertain families with kids of any age. When energy wanes, an onsite café piles plates with all-American fare such as burgers and hot dogs. The truly exhausted can turn in for the night at the park's RV and tent camp.

Slot Cars of Katy owner P.A. Watson knows his way around an electrified car track. For more than 30 years, he’s raced motorized slot cars against countless challengers on his own raceway, filled with tracks, electronics, and other gear. His passion for speed on a small scale has taken him to competitions near and far, where he’s earned four national championships and three world championships.

Though no longer an active competitor, he still hosts races each day at Slot Cars of Katy, where hobby veterans, corporate groups, and kids alike can take a spin on one of the shop’s twisting tracks. The Hillclimb keeps racers on their toes with three large ascents, whereas The King’s 155-foot-long track offers racers plenty of fast turns and a handful of scenic make-out spots.

With more than 10,000 square feet of training space and 6,000 items available in its pro shop, Bases Loaded supplies baseball and softball enthusiasts with all the practice and gear they need for success on the diamond. Players 6 to adult can hone their swats within air-conditioned batting cages fortified with pitching machines by ATEC, Beta, and Iron Mike, each a high-grade mechanical hurler that never misses a throw or sets a bad example by chewing motor oil. Elsewhere in the facility, 2,000 square feet of free weights and conditioning equipment help athletes optimize their bodies’ performance, and a snack bar replenishes burnt calories. Surrounded by flat-screen televisions, a sitting area offers a place to rest.

The retail shop at Bases Loaded stocks a huge inventory of gear by top-name brands. Full sets of catcher's gear come with free pairs of knee protectors, and adult bats by Louisville Slugger, Rawlings, DeMarini and Easton help batters better point out airplanes flying over the outfield wall.

With the sound of fast-approaching engines roaring in your ear, you jam your foot down even harder on the gas pedal and narrow your eyes at the upcoming left-hand turn, determined not to let up even for an instant. If you do, there’s a good chance that your new view will consist of your competition gloating triumphantly while they zip past you on the track. You may only be driving a GT-5 Sodikart, and not a tricked-out racecar, but you absolutely refuse to let any of the other adult or—gulp—junior drivers beat you.

Track 21 lets speed-demons careen around one of three indoor go-kart tracks at speeds of up to 40 mph as they try to edge past other karts, competing with fellow birthday partiers or coworkers to reach the finish line before it decides to become a finish wall. In case competition gets too fierce, the karts are surrounded by heavy nylon bumpers and rubber blocks designed to absorb impact from all sides.

Friendly rivalries continue on foot inside Area 21, a two-story laser-tag battleground beset with fog, obstacles, and space-age scenery. Sharpshooters zap each other's targets in pursuit of a grander mission, such as capturing the opposing base or stealing the enemy's supply of light, before matches end and scores are tallied on a stats sheet. Glowing decor also illuminates a jungle-themed nine-hole mini-golf course, where gorilla and lion statues bask in the black lights. Track 21’s arcade demands timing and button-smashing dexterity from gamers, and a track-side casino sets up rounds of blackjack, poker, and craps.