Wild Waters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wild Waters |
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The old entrance to Wild Waters before it closed.
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| Location | Silver Springs, Florida, United States |
| Coordinates | 29°12′59″N 82°03′25″W / 29.216342°N 82.056898°W |
| Opened | April 28, 1978 |
| Closed | September 5, 2016 |
| Operating season | Summer |
| Status | {{{status}}} |
| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Children's areas | A single children's area |
Wild Waters was a fun Water park located in Silver Springs, Florida. It was like a younger sibling to the nearby Silver Springs Nature Theme Park. Because it was right next to the nature park, Wild Waters had lots of trees and shady spots.
The park offered picnic areas, a snack bar, and a place to grab quick food. You could also play sand volleyball or visit the gift shop. Wild Waters was a popular spot for both visitors and people who lived nearby. It was a smaller park compared to today's huge water parks. But it offered a more relaxed and classic water park experience. It was even one of the first parks to use fiberglass slides, which are now common everywhere!
Wild Waters closed its doors for good on September 5, 2016. It had been open for almost 40 years. The land was cleared to make a new entrance for Silver Springs State Park. The park was empty for over two years. Many people made videos about its ruined state. Demolition of the park and its rides began in December 2018. By April 2019, almost nothing was left of Wild Waters.
Exploring Wild Waters: Rides and Attractions
Wild Waters had several exciting rides and attractions for visitors to enjoy.
The Hurricane: A Giant Tube Ride
The Hurricane was the biggest ride at Wild Waters. It was about 80 feet tall! This ride had two slides shaped like a figure eight. You had to carry your own tube up a long spiral staircase to the top. Riders zoomed down parallel slides. The ride ended with a dark tunnel before splashing into a pool.
Silver River Flumes: Drops and Turns
The Silver River Flumes area had several different slides.
Osceola's Revenge and Bunyan's Bend
These were two slides that started at the same spot. They twisted and turned in different ways, but both ended in the same splash pool. Osceola's Revenge had an extra drop, making it a bit more thrilling than Bunyan's Bend.
Silver Bullet: The Speed Slides
The Silver Bullet was Wild Waters' only speed slide. It had two slides side-by-side that ended in a big splash pool. Unlike many modern speed slides that go straight down, the Silver Bullet had two dips with flat sections in between.
Mini Monster: A Short and Sweet Slide
The Mini Monster was a single, short slide in the Silver River Flumes area. It had a few turns but no big drops. It ended in a splash pool.
Wavepool: Ocean Fun in the Park
The Wavepool was a huge pool that held 450,000 gallons of water! It would switch between calm water and generating waves. The waves could get up to four feet tall at the deepest end. There were lots of lounge chairs around the pool for relaxing.
Cool Kids Cove: Fun for Younger Guests
Cool Kids Cove was a special water play area for younger children. It featured attractions like Henry Flagler's Boat of Bounce, the Caterpillar Tunnel of Fun, and Silver Springs Kiddie Canoe and Kayaks. Each ride in this area cost a small fee.
Alligator Ambush: A Swirling Adventure
Alligator Ambush was a newer slide built in 2008. It started as an enclosed tube slide. Then, riders spun around in a large funnel, sometimes called a "toilet bowl" slide. After the funnel, you went through another short tube before splashing out into an open chute.
Past Rides and Attractions
Over the years, Wild Waters also had other rides that are no longer there.
Earlier Water Slides
In the early 1990s, the park added new slides like the Tornado, the Thunderbolt, and the Twin Twister. These slides had steel frames, unlike the other slides that used wood and concrete. However, by 2006, these rides were removed. This was due to the steel frames starting to rust in Florida's humid weather, causing safety concerns.
Bonanza: The Old Kids' Area
The children's play area used to be called Bonanza. It had towers with water cannons that kids could spray down onto people below. Rope bridges connected the towers. On the ground, there were bunkers with water cannons to shoot at the towers. A fully enclosed slide started from the top of one tower and ended in a pool. The Bonanza area was closed and taken down in the mid-1990s. It was replaced by the new children's area.
