Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Indoor water parks are still relatively uncommon in Pennsylvania. Though quite a few outdoor, summer-only water parks are located around Pittsburgh, families need to travel a minimum of 32 miles--and usually considerably further--to find indoor water parks. At least one proposed new indoor water park in the neighboring state of West Virginia, could bring this form of entertainment closer to Pittsburgh in the future.
Pirates Cove Waterpark in Butler, Pennsylvania, is Pittsburgh's closest indoor water park, at only 32 miles away. Part of a family golf resort, the water park is open to day guests as well as those staying overnight in resort accommodations. The water park includes two slides, a sauna, a hot tub, a pirate ship with a water cannon and a party room where children's parties can be arranged on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. During the cooler months, from September to May, Pirates Cove is open from mid-afternoon until 9 or 10 p.m. Admission for day guests varies with the day of the week.
Pirates Cove Waterpark at Conley Resort
740 Pittsburgh Road
Butler, PA 16002
800-344-7303
piratescovewp.com
Splash Lagoon in Erie, Pennsylvania, is 122 miles or about two hours away from Pittsburgh on I-79. But, as the biggest indoor water park in western Pennsylvania, it is a destination attraction for Pittsburgh families. An unusual feature of this water park is that it is connected to seven different hotels, at different price ranges, all of which include water park passes in their room rates. The associated hotels are Holiday Inn Express, Residence Inn, Comfort Inn, Econo Lodge, Courtyard Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn and Days Inn. Day passes are only available when the hotels are not at capacity and must be booked in advance. Among the water park's several slides is a water drop in the dark. Other attractions include pools, whirlpools and hot tubs, waterfalls and spinning bowls.
Splash Lagoon
8091 Peach Street
Erie, PA 16509
866-377-5274
splashlagoon.com
Ground has not yet been broken for Volcano Island, a proposed multi-million dollar, 50,000 square foot water park with a convention center, hotel, marina and RV park, planned in Fairmont, West Virginia, about 85 miles from Pittsburgh. The site of the former Sharon Steel Coke Works, now owned by Exxon Mobile, is contaminated land and a superfund site on the U.S. National Priorities list. Development, of the water park can't begin until the clean-up, begun in 2003, is completed. Reporting on a downturn in the development of water parks in 2009/2010, "Hotel Online", a hospitality industry trade newsletter, reported that no date for construction had been set.