The 10 Best Water Parks in Ohio

If you’re wilting under the summer sun, grab your swimming costume, your towels, and your sense of adventure and head for a water park. With slides and rides, splash pools and surf simulators, they promise gallons of fun for the whole family. Whether you’d prefer something small and family-oriented or big and thrilling, you’re guaranteed to find something to suit you on our lineup of the 10 best water parks in Ohio.

10. Clay’s Park Resort, North Lawrence

Named by blogarama.com as one of the best (and biggest) water parks in Ohio, Clay’s Park Resort in North Lawrence is ideal for families looking for some adventure, fun, and a whole lot of water. Expect to be kept well supplied in thrills with an awesome collection of slides, wave and splash pools, rides, and other wet attractions. Once you’ve dried off, you’ll find plenty to enjoy around the resort, including fishing, mini-golf, hiking, and relaxing on the sandy beach.

9. Great Wolf Lodge, Mason

Just adjacent to the Kings Island amusement park in Mason is the Great Wolf Lodge. The attractions cover the full gamut, with 11 water slides, a wave pool, a bowl ride, an uphill water coaster, an interactive play area with a tipping bucket, a family raft ride, and a whole lot more besides. If you’re looking for a tamer experience, hit up one of the two whirlpool spas or take a float along the lazy river for some water-based R&R. As it’s an indoor park, you don’t have to worry about what the weather’s doing to have some fun. The one caveat is that the park is only open to guests of the resort. That said, there’s so much entertainment on offer, it’s worth booking an overnight stay just to experience the park to its fullest (although in fairness, the lodge is said to be very nice too).

8. Kalahari, Sandusky

As onlyinyourstate.com says, Kalahari in Sandusky is truly massive. Not only is there a huge outdoor park to enjoy when the weather’s fine, but there’s also an indoor park for when it gets too cold (or even too hot) to brave the great outdoors. Everything you’d expect from a waterpark is covered, including a lazy river, tube and raft waterslides, body water slides, a wave pool, and outdoor hot tubs. Once you’re ready to dry off, head for the private cabanas or poolside bungalows to relax and soak up the sun.

7. Coney Island, Cincinnati

If you thought Coney Island in Brooklyn knew a thing or two about entertainment, just wait till you check out the attractions on offer at Coney Island in Cincinnati. On top of all the usual water slides, rides, and wet attractions, the park is home to the Sunlite Pool – measuring 200 feet wide, 401 feet long, and holding over three million gallons of water, the world’s largest recirculating pool has been a family favorite in Cincinnati for over 90 years. Once you’re ready to hit land (although before you do that, be sure to take a paddleboat out onto Lake Como), the park has some great land-based activities for you to round out your day with.

6. Water Works Family Aquatic Center, Cuyahoga Falls

If you’re looking for a day of fun-filled entertainment, look no further than Water Works Family Aquatic Center in Cuyahoga Falls. There’s a little something for everyone here, with a lazy river for those looking to relax, plenty of scream-inducing rides for thrill-seekers, sandy areas for soaking up the sun, and an interactive playground for the kids to explore. If all that wasn’t enough, it also hosts various special events and activities throughout the year to inject even more fun into the experience.

5. Troy Aquatic Park, Troy

When temperatures in Troy start to rise, cool off with a refreshing visit to Troy Aquatic Park. For little ones, there’s a heated baby pool, zero-depth pool entrances, and dedicated kids’ areas. For adventure seekers, there’s a diving board to practice your flips on and three mammoth slides to brave. If you’re in the mood to relax and soak up some sun, hit the deck to relax on one of the lounge chairs, or pop over to the concession stand for some traditional fairground fare like hot dogs, pizzas, and funnel cake.

4. Pioneer Waterland, Chardon

Pioneer Waterland isn’t big, but the best things sometimes come in small packages. That’s certainly the case here. With enough variety to keep the whole family in thrills and spills, the park boasts a lazy river to float down, paddleboats to cruise around in, water slides and tube rides to enjoy, and an activity pool for kids. If you get bored of the water, head for dry land to enjoy a ride on the go-karts or some fun in the arcade.

3. Zoombezi Bay, Powell

If you’re planning on taking the family to Columbus Zoo for the day, be sure to pack your swimsuit too. Included in the price of admission to the zoo is entry to Zoombezi Bay, a 22.7-acre water park that ranks as one of the Midwest’s most popular parks. Over 400,000 people visit each year. After just a few minutes there, you’ll understand why. With a funnel ride, body slides, tube slides, a bowl ride, interactive areas for the kids to enjoy, and splash pools for the little ones, there are enough attractions to keep the whole family entertained.

2. Soak City, Sandusky

Ranked as one of the best water parks in Ohio by The Crazy Tourist, Soak City in Sandusky promises a ton of fun for thrill-seekers. Top attractions include the stomach-churning seventy-six-foot tall Zoom Flume, the dark and mysterious Eerie Falls slides, the relaxing Main Stream lazy river, and the thrilling mat racer, Dragster H2O. Smaller kids are spoilt for choice, with plenty of pint-sized slides, giant floating gators, and the Adventure Cove Lily Pad Walk to enjoy. There’s even a special area just for toddlers called Toddler Town, which comes with its own Toddler River. If all the activity gives you an appetite, there’s plenty of dining options scattered around the park, along with a swim-up bar for adults.

1. The Beach, Mason

Named as one of the best places to get wet and wild in Ohio by tripsavvy.com, The Beach in Mason is a huge water park with a vast assortment of attractions, including an interactive water play area, sand volleyball, body and tube slides, a speed slide, a mat racing slide, and an uphill water coaster. For speed freaks, there’s even a zip line to race along.