Water Park of America facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Water Park of America |
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North side of the park. Water slide tubes exit the slide tower and re-enter the building.
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| Location | Bloomington, Minnesota, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°51′40″N 93°15′04″W / 44.861116°N 93.251020°W |
| Owner | Great Wolf Resorts |
| Opened | May 2006 |
| Closed | End of January 2017 |
| Status | {{{status}}} |
The Water Park of America was a huge indoor water park in Bloomington, Minnesota. It opened in May 2006 and was famous for having the tallest indoor water slide in the U.S.. The park was about 70,000 square feet, which is like having a giant playground of water fun! Its main slide tower was almost ten stories tall. It was located near the Mall of America and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.
This water park was connected to a Radisson Hotel. In January 2017, Great Wolf Resorts bought the property. The park and hotel then closed for a big makeover. They reopened in December 2017 as a Great Wolf Resort.
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Exciting Water Rides
The Water Park of America had many fun water rides. There was a tall slide tower with several water slides. Down on the ground level, you could find even more water attractions.
Thrilling Slide Tower
The slide tower was home to many exciting slides. It had three body slides, where you slid right on your body. There were also two tube slides, where you rode in an inner tube. The tallest slide was a family slide. It started way up on the tenth floor of the building and took you all the way down to the bottom!
Fun Ground Level Rides
Below the big slide tower, there was a lot more to explore. This area had a wave pool, a lazy river, and a large swimming pool. There was also a small pool with floating "logs" for kids to jump across. You could also try a flow rider, relax in two hot-tubs, and enjoy a special area for younger children.
The wave pool created fun waves for ten minutes at a time. Then, it would pause for five minutes to let the wave machine cool down. This pool started with a gentle "beach" entry and got about five and a half feet deep. It was also connected to the lazy river.
The lazy river was three feet deep and circled the outside of the park. You could float along in a one-person or two-person inner tube. The river took you through cool "caves," under bridges and waterfalls, and past other pools. The ride always ended back in the wave pool.
The swimming pool was also called the "activity pool." It was four feet deep. One end had four basketball hoops for water games. The other end was open for general swimming and splashing.
Next to the swimming pool, there was a smaller pool with floating "logs." These logs were attached to the bottom of the pool. Above the pool, a cargo net hung down. Kids could hold onto the net as they jumped from log to log, like lily pads!
The flow rider was a shallow area with fast-moving water. The water moved at about 30 to 35 miles per hour! Here, riders could try to surf or "boogie-board" on the moving water. The water was only about three inches deep.
The park also had two hot tubs that looked like cozy caves.
The children's playground area was perfect for little ones. It had stairs leading to towers, cargo netting, and slides. All of this sat in just a few inches of warm water. At the top of the playground, a big wooden bucket would fill with water. Once it was full, it would tip over, dumping water on everyone below! This always made kids laugh and cheer. The children's playground also had three water slides for small children. Older kids and adults could use them too. Plus, there were many other fun water toys and devices in this area.
Life Vests for Safety
The water park offered free life-vests for children. You could also bring your own life vest as long as it was approved by the Coast Guard.
Northern Lights Arcade
The Northern Lights Arcade was located between the water park entrance and the hotel lobby. It was filled with many fun games, especially redemption games where you could win tickets for prizes. You could find classic games like Pac-Man and Pinball. There were also newer games like Initial D, Maximum Tune, and Pump It Up.
Park Characters
Before it became a Great Wolf Lodge, the Water Park of America had its own special characters. These characters were created just for kids and were known as Hobey and Friends.
Hobey the Bear
Hobey the Bear was the main mascot of the Water Park of America. He was named after the Hobey Baker award, which is a famous hockey award. This is perfect because Hobey's favorite sport was hockey! Hobey came from Eveleth, Minnesota. He loved fishing, picking berries, and exploring the North Woods. Even though he was from a cold state, Hobey loved warm and humid weather. This love for warmth is what brought him to the Water Park of America! When he wasn't surfing the FlowRider or sliding down the Eagles Nest slide, Hobey made sure everyone had a great time at the park.
Garry the Groundhog
Garry the Groundhog was a distant cousin of Goldy Gopher. Goldy Gopher is the famous mascot for the University of Minnesota sports teams. At the Water Park of America, Garry liked to relax. He loved to float in the warm waters of the St. Croix Lazy River. He also enjoyed snacking on berries and nuts. Garry was always looking for cozy spots to burrow and take a nap. He also loved helping water park guests have a great time, so people often looked out for him during their visit.
Ollie the Otter
Ollie the Otter joined the team at Water Park of America after Hobey saw him fishing by the Minnesota River. Ollie showed Hobey some cool fishing tricks. After that, Hobey invited Ollie to join the helpful team at the water park. Ollie loved eating seafood and swimming when he wasn't having fun with guests at the park.
Roxi the Raccoon
Roxi the Raccoon was known as the happiest raccoon in Minnesota! She loved eating yummy food at the Water Park of America. She also enjoyed napping near the FlowRider. If anyone needed help during their trip to the park, they could always ask Roxi the Raccoon for advice.
