By Diana Lambdin Meyer

The City of Fountains has always been a great place to splash around in the summer.

Although our 200-plus fountains are tempting on a hot day, the fountain at Crown Center is the only place where kicking off your shoes and cooling off is really, well, cool. Nearly 100 water jets and shooters spout up to 60 feet in the air in a whimsical, synchronized show that makes summer in Kansas City so cool.

This summer, water fun has moved out of the city’s fountains and rained down by the bucketfuls, literally, as four waterparks drench Kansas City in good times.

The Newest Baby in the Pool

Schlitterbahn Vacation Village Waterpark - Open and ready for fun.

Now in its third year, Schlitterbahn Waterpark, hardly a baby at all, entering the pool with 24 acres and two million gallons of water. Located in Kansas City, Kansas, Schlitterbahn comes to these parts from Texas, bringing such fun as the Torrent River, a tidal wave of sorts through a canyon 20-feet wide and 10-feet deep.

After washing ashore, don’t bother getting out of the water. Just float through tube shoots to the Storm Blaster Uphill Water Coaster, Rapids River, and Boogie Bahn surfing ride. Bring your own food here, if you like. Life jackets, inner tubes and parking are always free!

The Granddaddy of Them All

Oceans of Fun opened the floodgates to Kansas City’s water park fun in 1982 with 60 acres of splashing good time. Thousands of Kansas City kids have grown up in Captain Kidd’s and Crocodile Isle, Buccaneer Bay and the Caribbean Cooler.

The most popular splash continues to be the Surf City Wave Pool, a million gallon good time where individuals and groups can frolic in the sunshine all day and night. A new catering facility is ready for more memory making in 2011.

Splash Down East of Town

The dancing fountains at The K when the boys in blue hit a homer are just a warm up for the dunking to take place across I-70 at CocoKey Water Resort. Teaming up with other great area attractions takes the planning out of your KC getaway. Come for a game and wrap up the day watching a movie from your innertube in the Dip-In Theatre.

The grand slams continue with the Shark Slam, Gator Gush and a whole collection of twisting, winding waterslides that bring the fun indoors or out, no matter what the weather, long past those lazy days of summer.
 

Howlin’ Away the Day

The good times go four-stories high at The Great Wolf Lodge, where 1,000 gallons of water can dump on your head at a moment’s notice from Fort MacKenzie, the focal point of Bear Track Landing.

With eight waterslides, five pools, and two whirlpools, the fun transitions from indoors to out in the north woods wilderness on the edge of the Kansas prairie.

Shoot some hoops from the deep blue and drift away in a toboggan built for three, before turning in for the night in your cabin-style retreat.
 

Related Links

• www.worldoffun.com
• www.schlitterbahn.com
• www.cocokeywaterresort.com
• www.greatwolflodge.com

What's Your Favorite Waterpark in Kansas City?

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