|
A water park is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds (water playgrounds), lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing environments. Water parks in more current states of development may also be equipped with some type of artificial surfing or bodyboarding environment such as a wave pool or a FlowRider.
Evolution of waterparks from spas
Some waterparks are more spa-oriented, e.g. Schwaben Quellen, a member of European Waterparks Association (EWA) has no water slides, but instead has lots of saunas, steam rooms, "adventure showers", and relaxation-oriented waterplay areas.
In fact, the very idea for a water park may have been inspired by a Hungarian spa.
List of waterparks
Notable water parks include:
- Russia
- Transvaal Park in Moscow - in 2004 27 people were killed when a roof collapsed
- United States
- Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin (the largest in the United States)
- Raging Waters in San Dimas, California and San Jose, California
- Water World in Federal Heights, Colorado (in the Denver metropolitan area)
- Water Mania in Kissimmee, Florida
- Schlitterbahns, one in New Braunfels, Texas and one in South Padre Island, Texas
- Wet 'n Wild, located in Orlando, Las Vegas and Greensboro. Owned by Universal Studios
- Blizzard Beach
- Typhoon Lagoon
- Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota - not wholly a waterpark, but includes a waterpark (Whitewater Country) and several of its most prominent rides are water rides, including a log flume ride.
- Canada
- Wild Water Kingdom
- Ontario Place (not wholly a waterpark, but has a waterpark as part of the space).
Waterparklike spaces
Spaces that are similar to waterparks include spas (a continuum from the original evolution of waterparks from spas), urban beaches, and splash pads, as well as smaller waterplay areas such as waterslides in many hotels and public pools. For example, the Delta Chelsea hotel in Toronto features a four storey waterslide called the "corkscrew".
|
