Water parks have made quite a splash with the American public over the past few summers, and with good reason. Whether they take the form of a smaller park district facility or a major theme park with acres of water-based adventure, these aquatic amusement areas give families a fun and refreshing way to beat the heat on a scorching summer afternoon.
According to Dan Gundrum, general manager of Magic Waters Water Park in Rockford, the first water parks were introduced in the late 1970s. Since then, hundreds have sprung up around the country. In Illinois alone, there are now almost three dozen water parks included among the membership ranks of the World Waterpark Association, based in Lenexa, Kan.
The attraction that comes to most people’s minds when they think of a water park is the water slide. Most often incorporating serpentine twists and turns, water slides send riders down steep drops and sometimes through tunnels before depositing them in a “splash pool.”
But at major water parks, the slides are only the beginning of the fun. Many larger parks feature wave pools that simulate the motion of an ocean, and river rides that send riders in inflatable tubes down lazy waterways filled with waterfalls and sprays. Some water parks also feature playgrounds designed specifically for younger kids, with showering umbrellas, waterfalls, water sprays, water cannons and fountains.
Experts at water parks around the Chicago area agree that several qualities make for an above-average experience. They begin with attractions for the whole family. That means kiddie slides and shallow pools for the younger set, and thrilling slides for teenagers and adults.
Good supervision is another key attribute of better parks. At many water parks, lifeguards are stationed at the top and middle of water slides and in the splash pools at the base of the slides. Lifeguards and other personnel should be plentiful, to help minimize running and horseplay.
And because few people want to broil in the sun for hours at a time, a good water park should also offer ample shaded areas where visitors can stay cool even out of the water.
Also check into the level of security in the locker area, the cost and nature of concessions and the availability of passes that allow a visitor to come back many times for a one-time charge.
Magic Waters Water Park in Rockford is a 14-year-old, 35-acre park located at the northwest corner of the Northwest Tollway and Route 20 in Rockford.
The water park features three 480-foot-long serpentine body slides, two 550-foot-long tube slides and a 28,000-square-foot wave pool that can accommodate 1,000 people at a time. Its newest attraction is Splash Magic Island, a 50-foot-high multilevel water playground featuring waterfalls and sprays, a 12,000-square-foot pool and hundreds of lounge chairs. Splash Magic River, varying in width from 25 to 58 feet, extends around the island and allows visitors to take an inflatable tube ride down a tributary filled with waterfalls and sprays, said Gundrum.
General admission is $13; children 48 inches and under are charged $11.
Racing Rapids Action Water Park, located next to Santa’s Village at the corner of Routes 25 and 72 in East Dundee, is a 15-year-old park that covers 10 acres. On two giant Slidewinder water slides, measuring 50 feet tall and 400 feet long, riders can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. And on the Twister Tube Slide, riders are twisted and turned in a serpentine fashion by 4,000 gallons of water per minute, said Grant Dahlke, director of marketing and communications.
Visitors will also find, among other attractions, a smaller children’s slide, bumper boats and a Lazy River tube ride that travels 400 feet. Admission is $12.95; children two and under are free.
Hidden Creek AquaPark, at 1220 Fredrickson Place in Highland Park, opened last July. Among its attractions are two body slides, one serpentine and one straight, that drop off from a 30-foot high platform. A pool that extends from zero depth to 12 feet deep, a small children’s slide, a water playground for younger children and a sand play area also add to the family fun, said Doug Coutts, the assistant ice rink and aquatics manager.
Admission is $6 for Highland Park residents and $12 for non-residents. Kids three and under get in free.
Thunder Mountain Rapids at 4700 Cal-Sag Rd. in Crestwood has been entertaining summer visitors for six years. The park features two cement water slides lined with rubber mats. Propelled by 5,000 gallons of water per minute, riders slalom along a twisting course for a full 635 feet, splashing down in three feet of water.
Admission is $9, with children five and under free with an adult.
Ozzi Waterpark, an 11-year-old park at 20263 Rand Rd. in Palatine, features three slides. One is three stories high, incorporates a tunnel and extends 450 feet in length. The other two are each two stories tall and 100 feet long. Also offered is an activity pool with fountains, basketball nets and inner tubes, said lifeguard and cashier Kira Pathmann and general manager Beth Potempa. Admission is $11.95 to the water park; $14.95 gets visitors admission to both the water park and the adjacent Rand Raceway Go Kart track.
Budget-minded families can find water slides at many suburban park district pools. In Franklin Park, for instance, a shallow pool awaits children five and under, while a larger one features a twisting water slide 150 feet long. Admission to the pools, located at 9715 Pacific Ave., is $5 per person. Children under three are free, said pool manager Linda Hurt.
