Given their cold climates, it comes as little surprise places like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin would have entries on a list of the nation’s best indoor water parks.
But mixed in with those cold weather climate areas is Tropic Falls -- the indoor water park at the OWA entertainment complex in Foley, Alabama, a location most decidedly not known for its frigid temperatures.
USA Today released its list of the nation’s 10Best Indoor Water Parks this week, with Tropic Falls coming in ninth on the list.
“Tropic Falls at OWA, open year-round, offers a vibrant oasis of relaxation with its lush tropical surroundings and cascading water features, all under a convertible glass roof,” USA Today’s 10Best editors wrote. “Thrill-seekers can find adventure too, as this indoor water park features 75-foot-tall waterslides. A lazy river and kid-friendly play structure round out the ways to play.”
OWA Parks & Resort is a 520-acre entertainment, shopping and dining resort owned and operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (PCI). In addition to the indoor water park, Tropic Falls includes 23 theme park-style rides and an outdoor wave pool with surf simulator.
Nominees for USA Today’s 10Best lists are submitted by a panel of experts, with editors then culling those entries down to the final set of nominees, which are voted on by readers to arrive at the final ranking. Readers are allowed to vote once per day, per category.
Taking first place on the list was Kalahari Resorts, which seems like cheating since readers weren’t asked to differentiate between Kalahari’s four resorts in Ohio, Wisconsin, Texas and Pennsylvania. Same for 5th-place Great Wolf Lodge Resorts, which operates indoor water parks in 18 locations across the U.S. (plus another coming to Florida this September).
Here’s the complete list of the 10Best Indoor Water Parks:
- Kalahari Resorts -- multiple locations
- Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark -- Grand Prairie, Texas
- DreamWorks Water Park -- East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark -- Tannersville, Pennsylvania
- Great Wolf Lodge Resorts -- multiple locations
- Massanutten Indoor WaterPark -- Massanutten, Virginia
- Splash Lagoon -- Erie, Pennsylvania
- Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark -- Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
- Tropic Falls at OWA -- Foley, Alabama
- Island Waterpark at Showboat -- Atlantic City, New Jersey
Seven of this year’s 10Best were repeats from the 2023 list, with Kalahari Resorts repeating as the top indoor water park. Tropic Falls was not included last year.