Silvestre Park: Drone Footage Reveals Abandoned Goiás Water Park

Stark images of a once-bustling water park have surfaced online, capturing the quiet aftermath of a local landmark's closure. The footage, captured via drone, offers a bird's-eye view of the Silvestre Park in Rio Verde, located in the southern region of Goiás.

Empty pools and silent playgrounds now dominate the landscape where families once gathered. The visual contrast between the park's vibrant past and its current dormant state has resonated deeply with the community, evoking a wave of collective memory.

Consultant Pedro Antônio utilized a drone to document the site in January, providing a comprehensive look at the park's abandoned features. The visual evidence highlights the scale of the facility's disuse.

The footage reveals several specific areas now left to silence:

• Dry wave pools and empty swimming areas
• Abandoned children's play zones
• Deserted water slides (toboáguas)
• Unused sports courts
• A stagnant lake

Antônio noted that the primary motivation behind the recording was to activate the memórias afetivas (affective memories) of the population. He emphasized the deep connection locals have with the site, stating, “Muita gente passou a infância naquele lugar” (Many people spent their childhood in that place).

The Silvestre Park officially announced the cessation of operations on December 31, 2023, marking the end of a 28-year run. The decision was driven by severe economic challenges faced by the leisure sector.

According to a representative for the park, the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a devastating blow to the business model. The facility relied on maintenance fees paid by users, and the prolonged closures mandated by government decrees proved unsustainable.

“A pandemia atingiu drasticamente esse setor, os usuários pararam de frequentar o clube e pararam de pagar suas taxas de manutenção.”

The representative explained that without these fees, maintaining the facility was impossible. Unlike social clubs that operate on membership models, Silvestre Park was a 100% private business that commercialized access rights through ticket sales.

Despite its private status, Silvestre Park functioned as a vital public asset. Located on Avenida Thermas Park, it offered facilitated public access—a feature that distinguished it from other local clubs.

While other venues in Rio Verde required membership or connections to shareholders, Silvestre Park allowed entry via ticket purchase. This accessibility made it a strong tourist attraction, drawing visitors from outside the city.

Pedro Antônio highlighted the park's diverse offerings, which included:

• Wave pools
• A small zoo
• Designated social areas

He viewed the park as a significant potential driver for local tourism, noting that its closure leaves a gap in the city's recreational offerings. The facility is currently not for sale, and there are no immediate plans for the area's redevelopment.

The release of the drone footage has served as a digital memorial for the residents of Rio Verde. Social media users and locals have reacted to the images, expressing sadness at seeing the familiar structures in a state of disrepair.

Antônio captured this sentiment perfectly, describing the emotional weight of the visuals: “A gente fica triste em ver aquelas cenas daquele jeito, com as piscinas vazias e tudo parado daquela forma.”

The park's management confirmed that the closure was widely publicized at the time. Refunds were issued to customers who had pre-paid for the 2024 season, ensuring a transparent end to the business operations.

The story of Silvestre Park highlights the fragility of the leisure industry in the face of global crises. While the physical structures remain, the vibrant community hub that defined them has vanished.

Currently, the land sits idle, holding the echoes of decades of summer memories. For the people of Rio Verde, the park remains a symbol of a bygone era—a place where the community once gathered, now preserved only in digital archives and collective recollection.