The best indoor water parks in the USA for splashing and sliding

Though there are a few Kalahari Resorts and Convention Centers around the country, the Round Rock location’s indoor space is America's biggest at a whopping 223,000 square feet. Whether in town for a corporate retreat or simply looking to spend a fun day in the area, you’ll love the African motif throughout the premise. When you’re not sliding down the Cheetah Race, rafting on the Rippling Rhino, or tubing on the Wild Wildebeest, consider renting an indoor cabana including chaise lounges and a big flat-screen TV for a moment of tranquility.

Adore the water? Then there is no better place than the biggest water park resort in the U.S. Located in Wisconsin Dells—the water park capital of the world—this resort has four vast indoor water parks for year-round frolics and another four outdoor parks available in the summer, included in the price of your room. The possibilities are seemingly endless. Seeking thrills? Stop by the 65,000-square-foot Klondike Kavern for tube rides, slides, and a lazy river. Craving some R&R? The 70,000 square foot Wild WaterDome allows for year-round tanning surrounded by tropical plants under the glass roof and offers an adults-only (21 years and older) swim-up Margarita Bar. Looking to tire out the rambunctious kids? The Wild West’s 70,000 square feet include thrill slides, a family raft ride, and the much-trumpeted Ransack Ridge play area. Last but certainly not least is Cubby’s Cove. The smallest (35,000 square feet) of the indoor facilities has an activities pool for water basketball, a zero-depth spray feature for itty-bitty visitors, and an indoor-outdoor hot spa overlooking Lake Dalton. Bonus activities include water bumper boats, mini-golf, pottery painting, and three arcades. Good luck convincing your family to leave.

Always heated to a comfortable 84 degrees Fahrenheit, this 44,500-square-foot indoor water park boasts an 88,000-square-foot outdoor counterpart come summer is a fun choice for folks with younger kids. The body slides, inflatable adventure rides, and water cannons provide hours of high-energy fun for older children, too. If the wave pool isn’t the only thing rumbling, grab some food at one of the park’s eateries—be sure to wait 30 minutes before diving back in, lest the cramp makes itself known!

Parents, beware; bring your kids here, and they might be begging you to come back every chance they get. With the largest wave pool in the Eastern United States (featuring 6-foot waves), a giant tiki treehouse, and a pool for younger children, this spot is 80,000 square feet of pure family fun. After checking out the various rides and slides, including one that plunges you through total darkness until you come out into the pool, rise high toward the roof with the ropes course, or try your luck at laser tag and arcade games.

You'll spend most of your days frolicking outdoors when visiting upstate New York’s gorgeous finger lakes. But, if inclement weather rolls through, Hope Lake Lodge’s 41,000-square-foot Cascades Indoor Water Park will lead you to guaranteed fun times. Speed down three-story-tall tube slides, yell “whee!” (or whatever your excited noise of choice might be) on the water slides, and splash the day away in the indoor/outdoor hot tub and heated pool. Guests of the lodge should also take advantage of the readily available mountain bike rentals in the warmer months or kick sleds during the snowy season. 

Epic Waters Indoor Water Park is 80,000 square feet of splishing, splashing, and, yes, sploshing. The fully enclosed park has 11 water slides, including one of the tallest in the country: the Locura, which is seven stories tall and features a 40-foot drop and 360-degree horizontal loop—reaching 35 MPH. A lazy river, mat racer slides, a water playground with spouting geysers, and a massive dump bucket round out the fun. Despite being indoors, the park is just as pleasant as its outdoor counterparts in nice weather when they pull back the retractable roof and let the sunshine in.

With 20 locations across America and Canada, Great Wolf Lodge is a favorite among splash-loving families across the continent. While every park has its virtues, one of the newest is the 95,000-square-foot beauty in Manteca, California, about an hour drive from San Francisco. Kids will love the massive intricate treehouse with interactive water features and a 1,000-gallon tipping bucket. For the more adventurous, look to the high-thrill rides—including a trip down a massive funnel in a raft with you and your friends, along with twisting tube slides. When you need to dry off, a 45,000-square-foot indoor adventure park offers a ropes course, mini golf, and arcade games. Large broods, rejoice: The multi-bedroom family suites can accommodate up to 13 people at once! 

The state’s biggest indoor water park lies outside Philadelphia's New Jersey suburbs. The recently expanded facilities include 70,000 square feet of tube and body racing slides, family-style raft rides, a lazy river, and a children’s obstacle course. While your family’s youngest members hang out with a grown-up in the toddler-friendly lizard lagoon, the older kids can shoot hoops in the water basketball area or go body-surfing on the Flow Rider. During summer, Sahara Sam boasts a two-acre outdoor beach club, which should be enough to convince nearby residents to invest in an annual pass.

The largest indoor waterpark in the North East is nestled in the Poconos, just 90 minutes away from New York City. Seven pools and 13 slides are just the start of your adventure in the 125,000-square-foot facility. Are you brave enough to ride the Storm Chaser, the U.S.'s longest indoor uphill water coaster? Or the new Mountain Mayhem, a fully enclosed tube slide that features flashing neon lights? Parents with kids of all ages will appreciate Kartrite’s Quest, a massive aquatic play structure with over 1,000 different interactive gadgets and five different play zones designated for various age groups. The fun continues in the Camelbeach Mountain Waterpark, Pennsylvania's biggest waterpark during the summer. During the winter, your stay includes four passes to the massive snow-tubing Park or the ski lift. 

While most people staying at the Boyne Mountain Resort are probably hoping to hit the slopes, Avalanche Bay is the perfect place to warm up and cool down again. This Alpine-themed water park has 88,0000 square feet dedicated to pools, slides, and water activities. Looking for extreme sliders (over 48 inches tall)? Check out The Big Couloir, which shoots visitors down an incline at a 10-degree angle. Looking to unleash some extra energy? Hit up the activity pool for a game of water basketball, or try to keep your balance as you cross floating icebergs under a rope ladder. Of course, that is if you can pull the kids away from the Splashehorn, a multi-level play structure that becomes the hitting zone for an avalanche of 800 gallons of water.

After exploring the great outdoors in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, relax and play all year round at this resort. The 66,000-square-foot WaterDome indoor facilities feature a five-story raft ride, tube slides, and even a body surfing wave simulator. If rides aren’t your thing, then relax and work on that tan—the glass roof lets those UV rays in no matter how cold it is outside—and forget your worries in the 1,000-square-foot hot tub. During the warmer months, the outdoor water park's additional rides and slides take centerstage.