They not only pay for themselves, but they also make a profit for the entire county park system. A 40-acre water theme park under construction at North Charleston Wannamaker County Park, set to open this year, is expected to be the commission's single biggest moneymaker. During the last nine years, the commission opened a county park in North Charleston and on the Isle of Palms, a fishing pier on Folly Beach and a cultural, historical and environmental center in Ravenel. It also built its water parks and turned an old military dock into a public marina at the former Charleston Naval Shipyard. Each time, the commission put in some feature to generate money.
Most parks have a snack bar.
The biggest income producers have been the two water parks. When Palmetto Islands had only a sand-bottom pool, it attracted about 15,000 visitors a year. About 107,000 people attend Splash Zone each year. Also, the agency's annual Holiday Festival of Lights at the James Island park has proven popular, drawing about 129,500 people last year. James Island's campgrounds attracted about 65,000 visitors.