Preview Post: AmericInn Waterpark

The AmericInn in Ashland has an indoor waterpark.  It doesn't look like it's huge, but it might be a fun way to spend an afternoon.  From pictures I can find, it looks like there are two decent water slides and a splash area.  They do have day passes available.

AmericInn SplAshland
3009 Lake Shore Drive E ~ Ashland, WI
Admission: $10

Preview Post: Arcadia Aquatic Center

The Arcadia Aquatic Center looks like a great family pool.  It is an outdoor pool with zero entry.  It looks like there are a few kiddie slides and one big water slide.  I also see diving boards.  Looks like fun!

One downfall is everyone has to pay to get in, even adults who are supervising & not swimming.

Aquatic Center
415 Gavney Road ~ Arcadia, WI ~ (608) 323-2472
Admission: $4/person, Free/under 2 & seniors

Preview Post: Mead Park

Mead Park is a park in Appleton.  The playground looks pretty small.  There are picnic tables but not a shelter.  There is also a sand volleyball court.  No bathrooms though!

EXCEPT: at the pool!  This park is also home to an outdoor pool, complete with diving boards, water slide, and splash pad.

The park itself is free, but there is a fee for the pool.

Mead Park
1430 East John Street ~ Appleton, WI
Pool Admission: $1/non-swimmer, $3/child over 3, $4/adult, $3/seniors, Under 4 free

River Bend RV Resort

River Bend RV Resort just outside of Watertown is more than just a campground.  It is actually a great place to hang out for a day!  To be honest, we were really only interested in their water park.

Now, if you're looking for a Wisconsin-Dells-caliber water park, this is not it.  But if you are looking for a swimming hole with some fun extras, River Bend is a great place to try.

First off, there IS an old-fashioned swimming hole.  Well, maybe not exactly traditional.

They have a shallow, sandy beach on one side.  Across the buoy line is much deeper with inflatable water equipment, like jumping pads and slides.  We did not venture that far with two little ones, but we did enjoy the floating lounges the resort puts out.  They are pretty sturdy and fun to float around on.

 The main attraction, though, is the pool area.  River Bend has a nice splash pad/kiddie pool.  We had to hold both of our kids (ages 5 & 2) back from racing in as soon as they saw it.  There are fountains, a spray arch, and a slide with a nice pad at the bottom, as well as plenty of open water for playing.

And then we ventured to the big pool!  I would say the main draw to River Bend is probably the big green water slides.  However, both of ours were still too small for those ones.  It is also worth noting that they do not run the entire time the pool is open.

Although the kiddo was a little disappointed she couldn't go on the big slides, they BOTH had a blast flying down the little slides.  There is a smaller frog slide (above, at the right) as well as a pretty decent-sized eagle slide (below, at the left).  We did lots of swimming practice and sliding.  The eagle slide was the definite favorite, but they are both good and fast.

We visited as soon as the pool opened in the morning, so we worked up quite an appetite by the time we dragged the kids out a few hours later.  We opted to order some lunch to-go from their restaurant.  It was reasonably priced and gone before we got home!

One thing I really appreciated about River Bend was that they allowed us to use our own floaties.  For some reason some places don't, but I always feel more comfortable when the kids have them on.

River Bend has nice bathrooms with coin-operated showers.

River Bend RV Resort
 W6940 Rubidell Rd ~ Watertown, WI ~ (920) 261-7505
Admission: 3&under free, Monday-Thursday $5/person, Friday-Sunday $10/person

Preview Post: Clara R. McKenna Aquatic Center

The Clara R. McKenna Aquatic Center is the community pool in Antigo.  It is an indoor facility with a zero-depth entry pool and a water slide.  It looks like there are splash features as well.  I would definitely try this place out, rain or shine!

Clara R. McKenna Aquatic Center
111 Western Avenue ~ Antigo, WI ~ 715-627-0497
Admission: $3/student, $5/adult, $11/family

Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark is the ultimate water park - America's largest in fact:)  They have wave pools, lazy rivers, and water coasters and water slides for a wide range of adventure levels.  My kiddo and I had a blast!  There is really more than you can do in a day, so if you're going to be in town and water parks are your thing, I would recommend getting their second day deal before you leave the park.  It gives you drastically reduced prices for a whole additional day of fun!

There are the old classics like the Bermuda Triangle slides and the Adventure Rivers, as well as some new thrillers.  The Point of No Return is a see-through, big-drop individual slide.  The Scorpion's Tail flips you upside down!  Those are two of the more unique slides.

The best part about Noah's Ark is that there really is something for everyone.  They range from the tame to the insane.

Noah's Ark is one of the most well-known Wisconsin attractions, but it is definitely worth a visit at least once as a family.

Noah's Ark Water Park
1410 Wisconsin Dells Parkway ~ Wisconsin Dells, WI ~ (608) 254-6351

Admission: Prices range from $20-$40, but I would highly recommend checking around for deals.  You can almost always find discounted tickets at a local grocery store or through the local recreation department.  Also check their website for specials.

Dodge County YMCA

The Dodge County YMCA has plenty to keep your family busy!  There are a couple of playgrounds, athletic facilities...and pools!  Our family has spent our time in the family adventure pool.

This is a great place for little ones.  It has a zero-depth entry with a kiddie slide and some water fountains and features.  There is a lazy river and a tube waterslide as well.


Be sure to check the schedules online because you can only play during designated "open swim" times.

YMCA of Dodge County
220 Corporate Drive ~ Beaver Dam, WI ~ 920-887-8811
Admission: lots of options!  Day passes start at $6/child, $12/adult, $20/family; memberships available

Wirth Park

Brookfield's Wirth Park has so much to offer!

 

We spent most of our time in the Tot Place (playground)...

 ...but we did also meander down this interactive path to get to the bathrooms.  On the way, we encountered a little league baseball game as well.

From what I can gather, we only saw a small portion of this fantastic park.  There are various trails, volleyball & tennis courts, soccer fields, ball diamonds, an ice rink in the winter, and a pool in the summer.  Wow!  We sure enjoyed ourselves when we were there!

Wirth Park does have bathrooms.

Wirth Park 
2585 Pilgrim Road ~ Brookfield, WI

Country Springs Hotel & Water Park

We had so much fun at Country Springs!  It is on the smaller scale as far as indoor water parks go, but it had plenty to keep us occupied for the morning.  I think young children could make a full open-to-close day of Country Springs, but older kids would probably get bored after a few hours.

There is an "interactive" water play area: small water slides, water guns, dump bucket, and the like.

This picture is a little bit of a broader shot of the back end of the water park.  The blue tunnel carries tubes to the top of the staircase.  The large slides start & end inside, but the structures themselves are all outside the building.

There is also an activity pool with basketball and balancing lily pads, plus there's a hot tub.

One of my favorite things about Country Springs were that my kiddo could wear her own floatie!  Wouldn't have seemed like a big deal except that I discovered this summer our nearest community pool didn't allow them.

My other favorite part was that there was no height or age requirement for the tube slides!  This really surprised me, but we were thrilled because my kiddo LOVES water slides.  Daddy may or may not have accidentally taken her on an unsupervised one this summer for which (we later discovered) she was technically too little, thus spurring her love of them.  Whoops!  Anyhow, at Country Springs it was no problem; as long as she was with an adult, she was good to go!

Country Springs Water Park
2810 Golf Rd ~ Pewaukee, WI ~ 262-547-0201
Admission: $15/weekday pass, $25/weekend day pass, but check for specials, especially during certain days/hours; under 2 is free

Watertown Aquatic Center

This is a great community pool!  The best part is that there is something for every age group.  There is a zero-depth entry with fountains, waterslides for tots, and a mushroom fountain.  For the older set, they have a large twisty waterslide and a quick drop one into the deep end.  There is also a diving board.  During rest times (or when you just need a break from the water), the kids can play in the sanded playground.  It holds a climber and some sand features.  Word of warning: it does get hot in the sun!

My very favorite part of the Watertown Aquatic Center is the colored lines along the bottom of the pool.  I'm assuming they are some sort of lifeguard watch sectioning tool, but they are so effective for, "you can only go up to the ________ line!"  Even my kiddo, who didn't venture too far out on her own, seemed relieved when I suggested she only lobster-walked to the green line (after multiple mouthfuls of water at points beyond that).

There are a couple of downfalls to the pool.  They don't allow carry-ins - they have a snack bar or will give you a stamp to return if you want to leave the pool to eat your own food.  We walked to a picnic bench at the adjoining park.

My biggest complaint is that there are no floatation devices allowed.  I'm sure that is not unique to this facility, but I cannot quite figure out the intention.  My kiddo is fresh off of swimming lessons and is so proud of herself being able to "swim" with her floatie on.  They even provided them for practice at the indoor pool lessons, which are also overseen by the Parks Department!  Oh well.  Officially the rules state that no pool toys are allowed.  However, I did see many people playing with toys, and I have seen plenty of buckets and such there before, but the family who tried to put floatation devices on their kids were stopped.  Glad they tried it before I did! :)

Watertown Aquatic Center
1009 Perry St ~ Watertown, WI ~ 920-262-8085
Admission: $3 per person older than one year