Margaret BauerDuring the summer it is difficult to find the motivation to do anything outdoors, save for walking from an air-conditioned car to a similarly air-conditioned building. A number of St. Louis area water parks, however, provide a chance for a rare cool-down and a little fun. Whether you love the thrill of the giant water slide, the relaxation of floating on an inner tube down a river, or a swim in a giant pool, the following five water parks can offer a much-need break from the heat.
Aquaport
Though much of Aquaport is dedicated to the younger child (the “family fun pool” is only 4.5 feet deep) there is still plenty to engage the youthful college student. For those waterslide fans out there, you can choose from a tube slide, racing slide and a pairs slide. Of course, waiting in line for a water slide won’t allow for an optimal tan; luckily, Aquaport boasts a 740-foot Lazy River, perfect for relaxing and catching some rays. For the serious swimmer a lap pool is available for its implied purpose. One suggestion: take advantage of the later park hours to avoid the masses of children enjoying the “family fun pool.” Aquaport is open until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and 7:00 p.m. the other days of the week. Admission to the park costs $15.00. Aquaport is located at 2344 McKelvey Road in St. Louis.
Hurricane Harbor
The problem with Hurricane Harbor is that in order to enjoy it you have to purchase admission to Six Flags St. Louis, which is $39.99 for one day (though $29.99 tickets are available online at www.sixflags.com). If you make a full day’s commitment, however, this water park can give you your money’s worth. Since an ocean is yet to be discovered near St. Louis, Hurricane Harbor provides the next-best thing: a 560,000-gallon “wave tank,” in which four-foot waves crash against the shore in an attempt to simulate Hawaiian surfs.
Hook’s Lagoon is an interactive water tree house. This may sound childish, but it’s an impressive 5-stories tall and suggestive of St. Louis’ City Museum in its excess of slides and gadgets. It regularly dumps thousands of gallons of water below. Hurricane Harbor is big on slides, and though not all can be discussed, one is especially deserving of comment. The Big Kahuna is a six-story multiple-person raft ride. Its intent is to accelerate to speeds around 40 miles per hour in order to provide visitors with the sensation of being airborne. Six Flags is approximately 25 miles from campus in Eureka, Mo.
Raging Rivers
A smaller, cheaper version of Hurricane Harbor, Raging Rivers is located across the Mississippi River in Grafton, Ill., a little under an hour from the Wash. U. campus. It, too, has a wave pool and an attraction called “Tree House Harbor,” which is comparable to Hook’s Lagoon.
The park’s main attraction, however, is called Runaway Rafts. This 600-foot slide is a miniature whitewater rafting experience and helps to justify the park’s namesake. However, this ‘river’ is also a slide, making for a unique partnership of gravity and water.
Riverchase at Fenton
The town of Fenton, Missouri has succeeded in wisely investing city money in this outdoor/indoor water park, which is convenient not only due to its proximity to campus, but because its use is not restricted to nice weather. The wise people who designed Riverchase envisioned both an indoor and outdoor park, meaning that this park is the only one mentioned here that is rain-safe. ÿÿÿ
Both the indoor and outdoor sections of the park have slides, lazy rivers, and lap pools. Another benefit is that the fairly inexpensive admission price of $6.00 also gains access to the facility’s other areas; two gyms, a weight room, and an outdoor track, meaning that those who are tired of the AC now have another option.
Splash City
Like Riverchase, Splash City is the product of city funding, this time by the city of Collinsville, Ill. Out of the parks mentioned, this one is the most kid-oriented, though there are a few features that are attractive even to those above four feet. There are two major water slides and a lazy river (what college student doesn’t live to be lazy??). There is also a sand volleyball court and large area for lounging and sunning. Thus, at $8.50, it is cheaper than going tanning and to another pool. Similarly to Aquaport, reserve your time at Splash City for the later times of the day in hopes of avoiding being trampled by 7-year-olds celebrating their birthdays in the tent pavilions. One option is to spend the day at Gateway Fun Park, the amusement park next-door with go-carts, bumper boats, an indoor arcade and miniature golf.