8 waterparks within driving distance for Milwaukee families
Your kids love swimming. But sometimes they want to do something waterrelated that's a bit more exciting than just swimming.
Lucky for them, there are plenty of swimming destinations with slides, playgrounds, splash pads and features to spray them and dump water on them to their hearts' content.
Lucky for you, quite a few of them are in driving distance.
Check out our guide to water parks within driving distance for Milwaukee families.
Schultz Aquatic Park
This water park is in Milwaukee's Lincoln Park, 1301 W. Hampton Ave. It has a bucket dump and spray jets, spray posts and water troughs for kids to play in the water. There's even a lazy river.
The waterpark's season will be June 11-Aug. 20. Check the Milwaukee County Parks website for hours and admission prices.
TOSA Pool at Hoyt Park
The Hoyt Park pool, 1800 N. Swan Blvd. in Wauwatosa, has a storied past. Popular for years as a neighborhood pool, it was eventually closed as a result of Milwaukee County budget cuts. Neighbors didn't take that lightly and banded together to open a completely revitalized water park.
There are slides, a zero-depth-entrance pool and a water playground. Plus, there are concessions, movies on summer nights and even a beer garden.
Opening day is May 28. Open swim is available 1:30-4:30 p.m. MondaysThursdays, 1:30-6 p.m. Fridays, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and holidays and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. Evening swim is 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Parent/tot swim (ages 6 and under) is 9-11 a.m. Mondays-Fridays. There are also extra hours throughout the week for season pass holders.
Admission is $9 per session. Children 2 and under are free. Season passes are also available for purchase.
Wiberg Aquatic Center
If you want to stay in the Waukesha County area but are more interested in being outside than in, the Wiberg Aquatic Center at Wirth Park, 2585 N. Pilgrim Road, Brookfield, is a good choice.
There are diving boards, flume slides and water playground features for your kids to enjoy.
Opening day is June 4, but there are only evening hours the week of June 610. Normally, the center is open weekdays 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. for the zerodepth pool, 1-4:30 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. for the full facility; and 1-8 p.m. on weekends and the 4th of July.
The Springs Water Park at The Ingleside Hotel
Even though The Springs Water Park is in Pewaukee's The Ingleside Hotel, 2810 Golf Road, you don't have to stay overnight to enjoy the water attractions, as day passes (and birthday party packages) are available.
The water park has three slides (two tube slides and a body slide); the Waukesha WaterWorks water playground, which has its own children's slides and a dump bucket; and Night Fall Springs, an indoor/outdoor whirlpool.
Great Wolf Lodge
If you're willing to go all out and spend the night, Great Wolf Lodge is right across the street from Six Flags Great America and Gurnee Mills, at 1700 Nations Drive, Gurnee, Ill. Day passes are also available for purchase.
The indoor waterpark is massive, with family and individual water slides, a lazy river, a water playground, a wave pool and a wading pool and splash pad with spray features for little ones. There's also an outdoor swimming pool for when the weather's nice.
Timber Ridge Lodge
Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark is a hotel on the grounds of Grand Geneva Resort and Spa in Lake Geneva, at 7020 Grand Geneva Way.
The waterpark has both indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, a lazy river and an area for young children with swings, slides, spouts and a water table. Overnight stays include passes to the waterpark, and day passes are also available, including a Toddling at Timber Ridge day program available to young children and their caregivers.
Hurricane Harbor
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is adjacent to Great America, at 1 Great America Parkway. Your admission fee includes a day packed with water fun, including the Buccaneer Bay water playground with plenty of lounging space for Mom and Dad. There's also the Dive Bomber, a water ride where you fall through a trap door; a surf simulator and plenty of water slides, including the Mega Wedgie (enough said).
Raging Waves Waterpark
This outdoor waterpark in Yorkville, Il., 4000 N. Bridge St., is about 2 hours south of Milwaukee. It has several water slides, a lazy river, children's areas, a water playground and a sandy beach area. The park opens for the season on June 4.