Waterville USA, one of the major tourist attractions in Gulf Shores, has gotten a late start this year. But it’s opening with some new attractions including golf and bowling simulators … and adult beverages.

In a typical year, Waterville would have opened some of its outdoor attractions for spring break crowds and its water park would have been open by now, at least on weekends. But fans have had to be patient as work on some new attractions progressed.

The wait is over. The park will open May 19-21 coinciding with the Hangout Fest. Then after a brief pause it’ll open on Saturday, Feb. 27, for daily operation through the summer season. (Both Hangout weekend and Memorial Day weekend, it’ll be amusement park-only on Friday, with the water park following on Saturday.)

For repeat visitors, the familiar main attractions of the 20-acre site are all there. The amusement park includes mini golf, an arcade, go-cart racing, a “Fun Depot” area for smaller kids, escape rooms and more. The water park features a lazy river, water slides, a Flowrider surf simulator, a wave pool and the Shrimp Boat Village playground.

John Turberville, the park’s longtime operations manager, recently took time to show off the two Topgolf Swing Suites it’s had installed in recent months. Each one can entertain a group of up to eight golfers with a high-quality golf experience that offers simulated courses and computerized analysis of their swings.

“It’s about as realistic as you can get on a simulator,” said Turberville. They’re used as home trainers by some pros, he said, and one of their attractive features is that they allow amateurs to virtually play some of the most famous courses in the world. “There’s like 30, I believe, of the nation’s top courses,” he said.

But the simulators aren’t all about golf: The Swing Suites offer a variety of other games, from straightforward sports such as soccer to fanciful options such as “zombie dodgeball.”

Near the golf suites are two 36-foot bowling lanes, which will add another physical, adult-friendly activity to the roster of attractions. And on the deck outside the arcade, the new Lagoon Bar will offer frozen drinks and other attractions.

Turberville said that Waterville USA’s operators have no intention on turning their clubhouse into a bar, or of losing the park’s family-friendly vibe. But the Lagoon and the new attractions do offer adults some fresh options while their children play outdoors. And they do raise the possibility of catering to an older clientele in the evenings – or of holding some drawing power outside the summer season.

“We’ve still got all the things for the kids but now we’re looking for some nighttime business and a little older demographic,” said Turberville. “We have high hopes. What we really hope is, it extends our season.”

For current information on Waterville USA hours, visit watervilleusa.com.