Wildwater Kingdom (Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wildwater Kingdom |
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| Slogan | "Let the good times flow" |
| Location | Aurora and Bainbridge Township, Ohio, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°20′54″N 81°22′09″W / 41.34839°N 81.36919°W |
| Owner | Cedar Fair Entertainment Company |
| General Manager | Bill Spehn |
| Opened | June 17, 2005 |
| Closed | September 5, 2016 |
| Previous names | Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom (2008–2011) |
| Operating season | May–September |
| Status | {{{status}}} |
| Pools | 3 pools |
| Water slides | 15 water slides |
| Children's areas | 2 children's areas |
Wildwater Kingdom was a fun water park in Ohio, United States. It was owned by a company called Cedar Fair. The park first opened in 2005. It was part of a bigger place called Geauga Lake and Wildwater Kingdom.
Before Wildwater Kingdom, this spot was home to SeaWorld Ohio from 1970 to 2000. Later, it became the animal part of Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. Cedar Fair bought Worlds of Adventure in 2004. They turned the animal area into a water park for the 2005 summer season.
Cedar Fair closed the Geauga Lake amusement park after 2007. But they kept the water park open. At first, it was called Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom. Later, its name was shortened to just Wildwater Kingdom. The park usually opened from late May until Labor Day every year. It had 15 exciting water slides. One of them was Thunder Falls, the tallest water slide complex in Ohio. In August 2016, Cedar Fair announced that Wildwater Kingdom would close for good. Its last day open was September 5, 2016.
Contents
Park History
How the Park Started
Wildwater Kingdom was built where SeaWorld Ohio used to be. In 2001, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment sold SeaWorld to Six Flags. Six Flags then combined SeaWorld with Six Flags Ohio. This created a huge 750-acre park called Six Flags Worlds of Adventure. It had amusement rides, marine animals, and a water park.
In March 2004, Six Flags sold Worlds of Adventure to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company.
Building Wildwater Kingdom
Workers started tearing down the old SeaWorld site in late 2004. This was to make way for a new water park at Geauga Lake. On November 11, 2004, Geauga Lake announced Wildwater Kingdom. It was planned to open in 2005. The park was built in two parts. The first part cost $16 million, and the second part cost $8 million.
The first part included a ProSlide Tornado slide. It also had an activity pool and a lazy river. A new kids' area with a big play structure was also built. Hurricane Mountain, Ohio's tallest water slide, was moved. It came from the old water park and was renamed Thunder Falls. These new attractions formed Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom. A floating bridge connected the two parks across the lake.
The second part of the park was supposed to be built after the 2005 season. It was planned to be ready for 2006. However, not all of the second part was finished. Plans included a 38,000-square-foot wave pool. There was also an adult pool with hot tubs and a swim-up bar. Two more water slide towers were planned too. But only the wave pool was built.
If both parts were finished, the park would have been 20 acres big. It would have been one of the largest water parks in the United States. But since most of the second part wasn't built, the park ended up being 17 acres.
Before Wildwater Kingdom, Geauga Lake had another water park. It was on the ride side of the park and had been open for over 20 years. When Six Flags owned it, it was called Hurricane Harbor. Cedar Fair renamed it Hurricane Hannah's in 2004. Hurricane Hannah's closed at the end of the 2005 season. It stayed empty for the 2006 and 2007 seasons.
Park Closure
On September 21, 2007, Cedar Fair announced a big change. They decided to close the ride side of Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom. The park would reopen in 2008 as just a water park. It was called Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom. On July 11, 2011, Cedar Fair dropped "Geauga Lake" from the name. From then on, it was simply called Wildwater Kingdom. Even though the land around Geauga Lake was for sale, Cedar Fair said Wildwater Kingdom itself was not.
On August 19, 2016, Cedar Fair announced that Wildwater Kingdom would not open after the 2016 season. They said they were working with the local towns to plan new uses for the land. Wildwater Kingdom's last day of fun was September 5, 2016. The last remaining rides were taken down in November 2017. In August 2020, work began on a new project. This new plan includes homes, shops, and park land where Wildwater Kingdom used to be.
Water Slides and Pools
Wildwater Kingdom had many fun attractions. Here are some of the main ones:
| Area | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description | Thrill Rating |
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| Coral Cove | 2005 | Aquatic Development Group, Inc. | A pool with basketball hoops, water sprays, and floating toys to climb on. | Mild |
| Liquid Lightning | 2005 | ProSlide Technology | A Tornado slide that dropped riders 60 feet into a giant funnel. | Max |
| Riptide Run | 2005 | Aquatic Development Group, Inc. | A long, 1,100-foot lazy river where you could float along. | Mild |
| Splash Landing | 2005 | WhiteWater West | A four-story play area for kids. It had 7 water slides, sprayers, water cannons, and a huge bucket that dumped 1,000 gallons of water! | Mild |
| Thunder Falls | 2005 | WhiteWater West | A tall, 100-foot tower with 4 inner tube slides and 3 body slides. It was the tallest water slide complex in Ohio. It was moved from the old Hurricane Hannah's water park. | Moderate |
| Tidal Wave Bay | 2006 | Neuman Group | A huge 38,000-square-foot wave pool with 390,000 gallons of water. It was one of the biggest outdoor wave pools in Ohio. | Mild |
Other Fun Spots
Besides the slides and pools, the park had other family-friendly areas. In 2010, they added a beach area. It had a giant chessboard with big pieces like knights and pawns. There was also a sandy beach looking out over Geauga Lake. Little Tikes Town was another kids' area. It had playhouses and toys, located behind Thunder Falls.
