CANTON, Ohio — Who's ready for a swim?
Construction has officially begun on a new football-themed waterpark that's coming to the Hall of Fame Village in Canton.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday morning on the project, which officials estimate will take two years to build.
So what can you expect? Once it's complete, the 147,000 square foot attraction will feature a water slide tower, lazy river, wave pool, zero-entry fun zone, swim-up bar and outdoor entertainment area.
"They (guests) should expect to walk in and have that 'wow moment," says Hall of Fame Village Entertainment Co. President and CEO Michael Crawford. "That's what we want."
Officials say it will be the only football-themed waterpark in America.
"I can't really name any other sports-entertainment destinations that have a combination of indoor domes, sports, sports betting, and water parks," Crawford adds.
You can explore multiple image renderings of the new Hall of Fame Village waterpark in the gallery below:
We also streamed the entire groundbreaking ceremony live as it happened around 10 a.m. Monday, which you can watch in full below:
This new waterpark is part of Phase II in the Hall of Fame Village plan, which also includes the following:
Hilton Tapestry Hotel
A seven-story, 154,000 square foot premium Hilton Tapestry Hotel featuring 180 guestrooms, 10 suites, a 5,000 square foot ballroom, 2,100 square feet of meeting rooms, an indoor pool and fitness center, as well as a full service 106 seat restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating.
Constellation Center for Excellence
Located in the west end zone of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, the 75,000 square foot retail, research and office building serves as the anchor for a one-of-a kind media mesh video wall attached to the side of the structure.
Center for Performance
An entertainment and performance area with endless possibilities, containing 85,000 square feet of exhibition halls and athletic performance space.
Fan Engagement Zone
Unique retail offerings for guests with rooftop views of campus and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Play-Action Plaza
3.5 acre green space located adjacent to the Retail Promenade is a fun, football-themed green space for recreation, events and informal gatherings.
Hall of Fame Village Sports Complex
Three additional synthetic turf multi-purpose fields with tournament quality lighting as well as on-site food and beverage.
Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on Nov. 3, 2022.