We track 3 splash pads in Tempe. Every one of them is free. 3 are confirmed against official parks-department listings.
Peak summer highs in Tempe average 108°F. Go before 11am or after 5pm — midday is genuinely unsafe for small children, and the concrete around a pad runs hotter than the air.
| Month | Average high |
|---|---|
| June | 106°F |
| July | 108°F |
| August | 106°F |
The typical Tempe pad runs about 30 weeks a year. Municipal pads often close early for maintenance, so the last few weeks of the season are the least reliable.
The things that decide a trip with small children — a toilet, some shade, somewhere to sit — are exactly what listings usually leave out. Across the 3 pads in Tempe:
Freepublic-parkshaderestrooms
The Cloud is Tempe's largest splash play amenity, built for $1.7 million after 2017 community input sessions and named for the shade canopy that arcs over the water archways, which spray from both above and below. It sits at the north end of Kiwanis Park off Baseline Road with free parking and nearby restrooms.
✓ Last confirmed for the 2026 season · parks dept confirmed
Freepublic-park
One of Tempe's four city splash play areas, tucked into a neighborhood east of Price Road and north of Apache Boulevard with free parking on site. Like all Tempe splash pads it opens for the season in April.
✓ Last confirmed for the 2026 season · parks dept confirmed
Freepublic-park
This small neighborhood park south of Apache Boulevard and east of Rural Road rounds out Tempe's four-site splash play program. Free parking is available where Cedar Street's south and east segments meet.
✓ Last confirmed for the 2026 season · parks dept confirmed
Know a splash pad we're missing in Tempe?Add it to the guide.