Frigid winters make Minnesota seem like an unlikely state to find water parks. However, there are several hotel resorts that have indoor water parks with admission included in the price of the room. Outdoor water slides at family fun centers are only open in the summer.
Located in Taylors Falls, the Wild Mountain Taylors Falls Recreation Center has an outdoor water park area known as Wild Adventure Island. The giant Coca Cola bucket that dumps 350 gallons of water every few minutes is the highlight of the water play area. This area also features hydro fountains, water cannons, bubblers and a cargo climbing net. Guests can also enjoy water slides like the Big Country innertube slide, the Black Hole speed slide that sends riders hurtling underground, the fully enclosed Hydrotube slide, the open flume Super Chute and an 800-foot lazy river. Toddlers can also join in the fun at the Wild Mt. Kiddie Park area with its giant frog slide and plenty of shallow pools they can splash around in.
Wild Mountain Taylors Falls Recreation Center
37200 Wild Mountain Rd.
Taylors Falls, MN 55084
651-465-6315?
wildmountain.com
The 38,000-square-foot Big Splash Water Park is located in the Arrowwood Resort in Alexandria. The family-friendly facility features a lily pad waterwalk, a children’s play fort with water blasters, a lazy river, geysers and the 500 gallon “Calypso Cabana” splash bucket. More adventurous guests might enjoy the three four-story, enclosed waterslides that zoom guests in and out of the water park. Area residents can purchase day passes while hotel guests receive free admission passes as part of the room rate. Parents must accompany their children into the park area, but low-rate spectator passes are available.
The Big Splash Indoor Water Park
Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center
2100 Arrowwood Ln.
Alexandria, MN 56308
320-762-1124?
arrowwoodresort.com
Visitors in the Minneapolis area can enjoy the year-round, indoor Wild Woods Water Park within the Holiday Inn Hotel in Elk River. One of the largest indoor water parks in Minnesota, Wild Woods features three waterslides, a child’s splash pad, a water basketball court and a lazy river. Nearby residents can obtain passes for the park at a daily rate, while guests of the hotel get four wristbands per room rental. While the park is open year-round, winter hours are limited as the facility remains closed during the week.
Wild Woods Water Park
Holiday Inn Hotel Minneapolis Nw-Elk River
9200 Quaday Ave. NE
Elk River, MN 55330
763-656-4400?
holidayinn.com
