Carowinds’ Paul Metto’s Boathouse adult-only swim-up bar: Is it worth it?
While typically confined to the indoor office space, work took a different route for me last week when I spent the afternoon cooling off in the Carolina Harbor water park at Carowinds.
I braced for ridiculous wait times when I first entered the park at 3 p.m. on a Friday. There was little to no wait to get on a roller coaster and sizzle on the plastic chairs. However, it was a completely different story when it came to the water park area of Carowinds.
Is a swim-up bar in the middle of a theme park genius, madness or both?
Brand new to Carowinds after making its debut in May, the bar is smack dab in the middle of a 3,577 square foot pool surrounded by 58 lounge chairs and six cabanas. On the outskirts of the pool is a lawn area that has games for visitors to play.
My take: The Carowinds Paul Metto’s swim-up bar is what’s been missing during those long and hot park days. And after a few sips, you might agree.
When you are feeling every beam of sun on your skin after the fourth ride on Copperhead Strike, the smell of melting dip and dots and the growing migraine from the kid crying near the prize game stands, the short walk over to the Carolina Harbor can answer many prayers.
It was the place to be during North Carolina’s heat wave week.
As kids got dropped off at the Tidal Wave Bay and Blackbeard’s Revenge, adults made their way to the Paul Metto’s Boathouse swim-up bar.
I was not spending the $100 for a day’s use of the cabana on my own, but the idea was tempting because they come with towels and water bottles and give off island vibes.
A poolside chair right under an umbrella is the way to go — and much more cost-effective.
Carowinds bar prices
A day trip to a theme park is expected to be costly, and there is always the underlying question of “is it worth it?”
An immediate tip for saving money on ticket prices is to buy them online. Although ticket prices vary daily, you can save up to around $20-40 compared to gate prices.
I paid $67 for a basic day pass and a $35 parking fee after arriving.
While there was no additional cost to enter the swim-up bar, drinks were a hefty $20 and change each after gratuity. I was on the clock and went with non-alcoholic options, but I talked with a fellow customer who said the price didn’t match the quality of the drink — it was on the weaker side.
Non-alcoholic drinks were around $15, which is comparable to the average cost of a regular bar drink elsewhere.
I could have made that non-alcoholic beverage in the comfort of my apartment, but buying one was part of the “experience.”
A visit to the bar, while fun and unique, can quickly add up to a $200 affair.
Is the “adult oasis” relaxing?
The swim-up bar hit a few marks on the relaxing scale because it was secluded from the rest of the water park and visitors were not disturbed by outside activities.
To enter the bar, visitors must provide a valid ID. Then, staff give a yellow wristband to wear as you enter the bar. If visitors want to order a drink, they must show their ID at the bar again.
While they accept Apple Pay, credit or debit cards and Google wallet, they do not accept cash.
For fellow women, most bikini bottoms do not have built-in pockets, so you will have to hold your card and ID with you, unless you feel comfortable leaving your wallet and phone on one of the lounge chairs.
Lockers are available near the entrance of the Carolina Harbor, but they are $20 each.
There are four high-top tables in the water. There is also a strip of counter top directly at the bar, where most people were gathered while they drank and talked.
Everyone stayed to themselves, and there were groups of friends and couples enjoying the high UV with some music and drinks.
Many also had the wise idea to use the perimeter of the pool to store their belongings or to use as seats to rest their legs in the water while sipping on a fresh bar beverage.
At the bar, the scent of sunscreen wafting through the air was also met with grenadine from bar drinks. While crystal clear, the pool did not reek of chlorine.
The bar served customer needs with a variety of drinks that included different types of liquor. It also had canned alcoholic beverages and fountain drinks, which can be held while staying afloat.
A specialty drink menu sat above the bar. It included five signature cocktails and six frozen cocktails. What seemed to be most popular at the bar on Friday was the frozen margaritas and the signature “Myrtle Breeze.”
As a first-time visitor to Carowinds, my time was overall entertaining. Will I return to the lukewarm pool to hang out in the swim-up bar again? That is to be determined.
However, Carowinds and Carolina Harbor is a good place to make cheerful summer memories.
This story was originally published July 2, 2025 at 6:53 AM.
