Find Nostalgic Family Fun at OWA in Foley, Alabama

OWA was kind enough to host my family during our time at the park, but as always our opinions are our own. 

.My family and I have had an extremely full Fall, that getting out of town even for a few days was a welcomed respite. Our first stop on our Fall Break Trip was at OWA in Foley Alabama.

Located just 15 minutes from Gulf Shores, OWA is the perfect addition to your crew’s beach getaway or is a fantastic standalone trip.

OWA’s website boasts having the feel of a traditional southern town, and once you step into the area aptly named Downtown OWA you will understand why. The area truly feels like you have stepped back in time to a slower paced town, lined with fun shops and delicious restaurants. I commented to my husband several times that OWA really pulled this off quite well. In fact, he at one point assured me that I didn’t have to keep bringing it up.

During our visit, it was evident that Downtown OWA is still adding new shops and places to eat. Given this fact, there are still plenty of choices when it comes to eating and shopping.

Where to eat in Downton OWA (so far)

Crazy Donuts – 

If you haven’t had a donut that is outside of the traditional donut scheme, you are missing out. Crazy Donuts at OWA can fix this for you! Our family tried a wide range of the donuts and each one was extremely unique.

My oldest has a love for jelly filled donuts, so he was able to start with a blank canvas creating his dream donut. My husband opted for the pizza donut, my youngest opted for sugar on sugar with the smores donut and I had the ‘what came first.’

You all, I wasn’t sure what to expect, I had eaten a burger donut at the State Fair before, but never ventured further than that creation. I loved the donut that I picked, it was some of the best fried chicken I have tasted, on top of a egg cooked your way, candied bacon.

Wahlburgers –

Owned by the Walhburg brothers this popular burger chain has gained a following and for good reason! The OWA location in peak season can see waits for upwards of 2 hours.

Let me tell you, with all there is to do in Downtown OWA, I feel like it would be worth it to wait for the table. If you order nothing else, please get the sweet potato tots. My extremely picky, barely eating kiddo, straight up STOLE my order of sweet tots and devoured them. He has been talking about them since we left and has been begging us to figure out how to make them.

In addition to the aforementioned sweet tots, my family had a wide variety of very delicious meals, I had the Thanksgiving Turkey Burger, my husband had the OFD burger. I need to make sure I add that the onion straws were a big hit with my husband.

Make sure you save some time (and money) for the gift shop, they really have some pretty fantastic items and my kids got totally spoiled by the amazing staff!

Groovy Goat – 

Groovy Goat is what you think of when you think about your favorite sports bar, just with better food. With table-side nachos and burgers that you will dream about. It is a great place to catch a game after a long day riding rides and exploring downtown OWA.

With TVs lining every possible square in of the walls, there is no way that you will miss any of the games that are on. In fact, while we were there, my youngest watched his favorite team as well as my oldest. There was no fighting over which game took priority because everyone got a chance to watch what they wanted!

My kids also loved Groovy Goat for their arcade that is connected, they are major arcade junkies. With classics (at least the games that we are used to at our local arcade) and new to us games we had never seen before.

Trattoria Pizza & Italian –

While time didn’t allow for us to try this restaurant we smelled it as we walked to and from our hotel.

This restaurant features pizza and traditional Italian fare that you would expect.

Auntie Anne’s – 

Auntie Anne’s has everything that you’ve come to know and love about their pretzels. In my family, when we go to the mall it is an unspoken rule that we are going to make a pit stop for a pretzel before our mall time is over. This location is better because you can enjoy your pretzel before going on one of the rides!

Cinnabon – 

You know the iconic cinnamon roll? The one that you grab when you are sprinting through the airport? You can get one while you are at OWA!

Where to stay when visiting OWA

The Marriott TownePlace Suites is located adjacent to OWA, and when I say adjacent I mean, you can walk right through downtown OWA from the property.

When we arrived, I wondered (0ut loud) to my family, if we could in fact walk to the park. The first night that we headed over for dinner we drove because it appeared that it was a long walk. Once my family and I got settled and checked it out in the daytime, it was evident that out the back of the hotel and across the patio lead to a sidewalk to the downtown area.

TownePlace Suites is very well appointed the highlight of the boy’s time was the game room just off the lobby with a foosball table, for some reason they were downright enamored. With a complimentary full breakfast each morning it was the perfect way to start the day appropriately fueled.

There is also, a fairly good sized indoor pool and a very nice patio area that has a fire-pit and lots of comfortable chairs.

What you need to know about the Park at OWA

The Park at OWA was the sweet spot for the boys (ages 7 and 9) they are both old enough and tall enough (although I guess tall is all that really matters) to ride all of the big rides and the set up of the smaller kid rides made my husband and I comfortable enough to let them go from ride to ride without us having to go on them ourselves.

Letting them have independence in that way was actually our favorite part of visiting. As brothers they bonded and and they didn’t fight, they might not admit it to you, but they really just enjoyed being in each other’s company.

In addition to the wide variety of rides OWA has, they also had what I refer to as a ‘midway’ with old timey games. These are the kind that you expect from a carnival. Like ring toss and the water race, you know with the stream of water that shoots and the person’s horse who crosses the finish line first wins?

Our Takeaway from our time at OWA

OWA is a fantastic option for those beach goers who are tired of being in the sand and need a change of scenery. However, on the flip side, OWA is great for a totally independent stop, perhaps on the way to the beach or on the way home.
OWA provides everything that is needed for a fun filled vacation with multiple restaurants, shopping and of course the rides.

Here are a few answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about OWA:

How much is admission to OWA?

General admission is $34.99

Kiddos 48″ and under are $27.99 (kids 3 and under are free)

Seniors are $27.99

Military tickets are $27.99

What are OWA’s Hours?

You can check out their calendar to find out hours of operation during the various times of year. Take a look at the calendar here.

Does it cost to visit Downtown OWA?

No it doesn’t! Stroll along the streets and stop in to find your new favorite restaurant to your hearts content!

Do you think that you and your family will visit OWA in the near future?