OdySea in the Desert changes name to Arizona Boardwalk, announces hotel and more attractions

Seven years after an ocean-themed entertainment destination debuted in the desert, a name change is underway.

OdySea in the Desert will now be called Arizona Boardwalk. 

The 35-acre entertainment complex along Loop 101 near Scottsdale opened in 2013 with Butterfly Wonderland and now is home to numerous attractions, restaurants and shops. OdySea Aquarium is among them, and part of what prompted the name change. 

Visitors were confused between OdySea in the Desert, the name for the entire complex, and OdySea Aquarium, just one of its tenants, according to Ran Knishinsky, the complex's chief marketing officer.

"Changing the name focuses more on changing people's understanding," Knishinsky said.

He said the name change did not have anything to do with Dolphinaris, a swim with the dolphins venue that closed in early 2019, three years after opening at OdySea in the Desert.  

Dolphinaris came under heavy scrutiny after four dolphins died there. The remaining dolphins were transferred a year ago to a sea sanctuary in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The vacant Dolphinaris building is still owned by Ventura Entertainment, a separate company that is a tenant of OdySea in the Desert. There's no word yet on what the vacant Dolphinaris venue will become.

The rebranding initiative included an announcement that a Hyatt hotel will open there, as well as a Ripley's Believe It or Not, a virtual reality attraction called VR Xtreme and a massive inflatable attraction for kids. 

"It’s really simple in our minds," Knishinsky said of the name change. "Boardwalks are fun, there's lots of things to do. That’s what we wanted to connote for this area."

What's at and around Arizona Boardwalk?

The $175 million entertainment complex is situated along a key stretch of the Salt River Reservation, known as the Talking Stick Entertainment District.

The area is a visitor hot spot in metro Phoenix. Crowds pour into the area each year as the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies spring training complex is on nearby tribal land. The area also is home to Talking Stick Resort and Casino, Topgolf, iFly and Great Wolf Lodge, which opened last year. 

The complex now called Arizona Boardwalk, among the area's destinations, opened along Via de Ventura and Loop 101 with Butterfly Wonderland in 2013. A laser-maze and mirror-maze followed later that year and OdySea Aquarium opened in 2016. Dolphinaris opened that same year. 

Other attractions followed: Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs in 2017, Polar Play Ice Bar in 2018, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition and Surprise Your Eyes in 2019. 

A dozen other shops and restaurants are located there.

What's coming to Arizona Boardwalk?

Karin Gallo, a spokeswoman for Arizona Boardwalk, said a hotel will soon open there to make it easier for families to explore the complex's amenities over multiple days.

"They don’t have to feel rushed, or feel like they missed anything," she said. 

The 155-room Hyatt Place Hotel is scheduled to break ground in May.

And the number of attractions continue to grow.

Arizona Boardwalk will introduce VR Xtreme, with 24 immersive virtual reality experiences, in March. 

The complex also is installing a 10,000-square-foot inflatable with obstacle courses, pop-ups and mazes.

An interactive exhibit called "The Science of Ripley's Believe It or Not" is scheduled to open later this year.

The company also is updating the complex's entryway and adding activities to its courtyard, such as rock climbing walls, play structures and ziplines, and adding more seating and shade.

Arizona Boardwalk has purchased 50 acres of land just north of the current property where they plan to build office space and more family-friendly attractions, Adi Knishinsky, chief strategy officer, said.

Arizona Boardwalk will celebrate its rebranding with Slide n’ Ride, billed as a family-friendly event with carnival rides and inflatables in the courtyard from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Feb. 15-17. Entry is $5 each.

Have a tip out of Scottsdale? Reach the reporter Lorraine Longhi at llonghi@gannett.com or 480-243-4086. Follow her on Twitter @lolonghi.

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