Best Water Parks in the USA
13 water parks • Updated August 2026
The best water parks in the USA for a family day out. We have rounded up 13 water parks, from Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park to family favorites across Illinois, ranked by what actually matters with kids: age suitability, ticket value and how easy they are to get to. Compare the top five below, then browse every water park by state. Need a different angle? Try our other things to do in the USA.
Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
Water Parks in the USA: what to expect
the USA has 13 water parks we would happily take our own kids to. Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park is the one most families start with. A friendly community water park with a lazy river and lifeguards rated tops for safety, ideal for an easy summer afternoon. Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark is the other name that comes up again and again. Surf the FlowRider, brave the Lasso Loop, and drift North Texas's longest indoor lazy river, rain or shine. Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine rounds out the pick of the bunch. Splash in an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park kept at 84 degrees no matter the weather. Also worth your time: Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Round Rock, Knight's Action Park, Knott's Soak City Water Park and Santa's Village Amusement & Water Park.
Published prices run from $13 at Splash Country Water Park up to $39.99 at Raging Waves Waterpark. 2 of the 13 listed here quote a starting price. The others vary by season or by what you add on, so check before you travel.
The water parks on this page are spread across Illinois (6), Texas (6) and California (1), so it is easy to pair two into one trip.
All water parks
13 water parks across the USA
Water Parks
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Round Rock
Round Rock, Texas
Cannonball into a 350,000-square-foot indoor water park that's open in any season.
Water Parks
Knight's Action Park
Springfield, Illinois
A water park, amusement rides, and a Route 66 drive-in that grew from a 1930s driving range.
Water Parks
Knott's Soak City Water Park
Buena Park, California
Ride 23 slides and float a third-mile river at a 15-acre water park next to Knott's Berry Farm.
Water Parks
Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park
Woodridge, Illinois
A friendly community water park with a lazy river and lifeguards rated tops for safety, ideal for an easy summer afternoon.
Water Parks
Santa's Village Amusement & Water Park
East Dundee, Illinois
A holiday-themed park pairing amusement rides, a water park, and barnyard animals.
Water Parks
Typhoon Texas Waterpark Austin
Pflugerville, Texas
Austin's summer waterpark balancing high-energy slides with a winding lazy river.
Water Parks
Splash Country Water Park
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora's summer cool-off spot with tube slides, a lazy river, and zero-depth play.
Water Parks
Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels
New Braunfels, Texas
Texas hill country waterpark sprawling across four sections with 45 rivers, rides, and chutes.
Water Parks
Raging Waves Waterpark
Yorkville, Illinois
Illinois's largest waterpark, with an Aussie theme from wave pool to mat racers.
Water Parks
Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark
Grand Prairie, Texas
Surf the FlowRider, brave the Lasso Loop, and drift North Texas's longest indoor lazy river, rain or shine.
Water Parks
Hurricane Harbor Chicago
Gurnee, Illinois
A Six Flags water park near Chicago with seasonal opening, best confirmed directly with the park before you go.
Water Parks
Typhoon Texas Waterpark Houston
Katy, Texas
Houston's waterpark mixing thrill slides, a lazy river, and a dedicated kids' zone.
Water Parks
Great Wolf Lodge Grapevine
Grapevine, Texas
Splash in an 80,000-square-foot indoor water park kept at 84 degrees no matter the weather.