The opinions in this article are strictly our own, based on our personal experiences. Any factual statements made about a particular location, company, or product were taken directly from their respective websites.
Did you know that New York has several amazing indoor water parks that your family can enjoy? These are great, fun family options on a rainy day, a winter day, or pretty much any other day! Whether you want to go down thrilling slides, have a leisurely float down the lazy river, or play with your little ones in the splash and play area, these water parks have something to offer for the whole family.
The Best Indoor Water Parks in New York
New York and the surrounding areas have plenty of indoor water parks to choose from. Our family loves to visit indoor water parks during the off-season or on a rainy days so that the kids can still play in the water and burn off some energy without having to worry about the weather. I’ll share some of my favorites and their most popular attractions and features.
The Kartrite Resort & Water Park
Location: Monticello, NY
The Kartrite Resort & Water Park is our top pick for a fun indoor waterpark in New York! In fact, my kids love it even more than and outdoor water parks that they have been to. Their waterpark has fun attractions and activities for kids of all ages. It is also the largest indoor waterpark in the state. It is located in Monticello, New York.
The Krakken Water Slide
This slide is a fun choice for your older kids. It has a 42” height requirement. It is a high-speed water slide that can be taken alone or with two passengers. It is definitely one for your thrill seekers!
Nor’Easter Tube Water Slide
This is a fun slide to do as a family. This slide has a height restriction of 48”, so your little ones may need to sit this one out. You will go down this slide in a float that holds 4 people.
Jiggerty Jaggerty Racing Water Slide
Another fun option for older children, this water slide lets you race the person on the slide next to you. The minimum height for this water slide is 42”.
Endless Summer Flowrider
This attraction with a 42” height restriction lets you ride a wave! You and your kids will feel like you’ve been transported to Hawaii.
Empire Bay Lazy River
This lazy river will put just about any other lazy river to shame! It is so relaxing to float down this river as a family, little ones included. There is no height restriction for the lazy river.
Later Gator Crossing Rope Course
This course designed for little ones is an exciting little indoor adventure. Your kids will be cracking up while they are trying to make it through this ropes course across the water.
Kartrite Island Splash Area
This fun splash play area is perfect for kids of all ages, little ones included. It has over 100 interactive water features, including our favorite, the dump buckets.
Puddle Ducks Toddler Area
This area is designed especially for your youngest children. It has activities geared towards their age that they can enjoy, such as slides and a shallow lagoon for splashing around.
Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Water Park
Location: Queensbury, NY
Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Water Park is another fun indoor water park in New York. It is located in Queensbury. They have several attractions that will appeal to all ages. Many of these attractions are similar to those that you would find at an outdoor water park, but you don’t have to worry about the weather.
Tall Timbers Treehouse Playground
This fun playground has over 160 features for your kids to enjoy. A popular favorite is the giant dump bucket!
Tak-It-Eesi Creek Lazy River
This lazy river is a great way to relax in the water as a family. Take a tube and have a relaxing float through this indoor water park.
Avalanche White Water Raft
This is an experience for your older thrill-seekers. In a tube, they can experience an exciting white water rafting-type adventure. This is a great family raft ride.
Glacier Run & Snowshoe Falls Water Slides
These slides are another fun option for your older kids. They have twists and turns and are each 41 feet long.
Boogie Bear Surf
If your kids have ever wanted to experience surfing but are afraid of the ocean and waves, this is the perfect option. You can either boogie board on the continuous waves, or even sign up for a stand-up surfing lesson.
Tip-A-Kanu Toddler Beach
This is the perfect spot for your little ones and toddlers. Everything in this area was designed specifically for their age group. There are small water slides, swings, and spray fountains for them to enjoy.
Great Wolf Lodge and Indoor Water Park
Location: Pocono Mountains, PA
While Great Wolf Lodge is not technically in New York, it is only minutes away in the Pocono Mountains and often draws a crowd from New York City. They have several attractions for your whole family to enjoy. This is a good option if you want to feel like you are far from home without really having to travel very far.
Fort Mackenzie Water Playground
Kids of all ages will enjoy playing on this interactive playground. They can climb to the top of the 4 story treehouse and play with all of the interactive toys along the way.
Slap Tail Pond Wave Pool
This wave pool is a good space to spend time together as a family. Your older kids will love swimming through the waves, while your little ones will love sitting with you and splashing in the shallows.
Crooked Creek Lazy River
This is a good spot to relax with your family. Everyone can grab a tube and have a leisurely float down the lazy river. There is no height restriction for the Crooked Creek Lazy River.
Alberta Falls
This is an exciting attraction for your older children. They can slide down this four-story slide in a tube.
Whooping Hollow Toddler Area
This area was designed especially for your little ones. They will love splashing around and using the slides and attractions that are just their size. It is basically the water playground of their little dreams!
Water Slides
Great Wolf Lodge does have several water slides for older children. These are all the high thrill and have a minimum height requirement of 48”. Keep this in mind when planning your visit to Great Wolf Lodge.
Cub Paw Pool
This is another fun space for your little ones. They can run around and play in this interactive splash pad area and this shallow, kid-friendly swimming pool. It is a great area for your toddlers to burn off some energy while having a great time.
Kalahari Resorts
Location: Poconos Mountains, PA
This resort with an indoor water park is also in the Poconos but is only minutes away from New York, where most of its visitors come from. This resort also offers an outdoor water park, an escape room, and many other fun activities for your family to enjoy.
Anaconda Raft Ride
This thrilling slide is great for your excitement-seeking older kids. You can ride in a tube as a family through this rapids ride.
Barrelling Baboon Slide
This is a large, swirling water slide. It has a lot of twists and turns, so this slide is not for your little ones.
Coral Cove
This is the ideal space for your toddlers and little ones at Kalahari. They will love playing in the zero-entry splash area and kiddie pools with all of the water features.
Lazy River
It wouldn’t be a water park if it didn’t have a lazy river. Enjoy floating through this indoor water park down the lazy river with your family.
Big Splash Indoor Water Park at Rocking Horse Ranch Resort
Location: Highland, NY
Big Splash Indoor Water Park at Rocking Horse Ranch Resort is a year-round indoor water park in Highland, New York. This is a good choice if you want more to do than the water park, as they have a lot of outdoor activities that you can choose from.
They also have a bowling alley and mini-golf. The water park only has a few attractions and is not very big, so you will want to keep that in mind when booking your trip and plan accordingly.
Water Walk
The Water Walk at Big Splash is a giant lazy river. Your family can enjoy floating around and relaxing in a tube. When your kids want to burn off some energy, they can hop out and enjoy the water slides. It is important to note that in this park, kids under 48” are required to wear a life vest. There is also a pool area.
Gold Rush Flume
There are four water slides to choose from at this indoor water park. There is a 36” height requirement. You can use a tube to slide down these twisty water slides.
Staying at Indoor Water Parks in New York with Hotels
The Kartrite Resort & Water Park
At The Kartrite Resort & Water Park, you can choose from a junior suite, a two-bedroom suite, or a three-bedroom suite. Each suite comes with 4 passes for their indoor water park that can be used on the day of check-in and the day of check out. Some of their suites even have their own private balconies. The different sizes of suites make it a perfect choice for small families or large groups.
Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Water Park
At Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Water Park, you can choose from either a traditional suite or a themed suite. Every room has wifi, a TV with cable, a fridge, and a microwave. Your kids will love the themed suites which include a kids-size log cabin in the middle of the room! In this private fort space, they have bunk beds and their own TV.
Great Wolf Lodge and Indoor Water Park
At Great Wolf Lodge, you can choose from a standard suite, a themed suite, or a premium suite. Water park passes are included with a stay in any suite. A standard suite will sleep 4-6 people. The themed suites are cabin-themed and there are several different sizes to choose from. A premium suite will sleep 6-8 people and there are several different layouts to choose from.
Kalahari Resorts
At Kalahari Resort, you can stay in anything from a 1 bedroom suite all the way up to a 5 bedroom suite. Free water park admission is included in your stay from the time you check in until 3:00 pm on the day that you check out.
Big Splash Indoor Water Park at Rocking Horse Ranch Resort
This large resort has several buildings with lodging and accommodations. If you want to be closest to the water park, the best choice is the Main Lodge. This resort is all-inclusive, so your stay will include access to the indoor water park. Main Lodge A can accommodate up to 4 people and Main Lodge AA can accommodate up to 6. If you want to be a little further from the action, opt for the Oklahoma Building.
Dining at Indoor Water Parks in New York
The Kartrite Resort & Water Park
No matter what your taste preferences are, The Kartrite has something for everyone. Bixby’s is a restaurant and bar that is a popular choice for visitors. Reservations for this restaurant can be made online.
For a sports bar-type atmosphere, pop into Harvey’s Wallbanger.
Do you have a family full of hungry kids (and parents)? Eat. Eat. Eat. is the perfect choice for you. It’s a buffet where you can eat all that you can hold!
For a poolside snack or a quick meal, Surfside Grille is a tasty choice. Don’t worry, The Kartrite didn’t forget about breakfast. For coffee and pastries, The Highline is the perfect breakfast spot. The Kartrite also has a sweets shop and a walk-up waterpark bar that you can enjoy during your stay.
Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Water Park
Six Flags Great Escape Lodge & Indoor Water Park has several tasty dining options for you and your family. Johnny Rockets is always a hit with families with kids. Everyone enjoys their burgers and milkshakes.
If you want to take a break and have a grown-up drink, there is also a Johnny Rockets Sports Lounge and Tall Tales Tavern. For snacks and quick eats, stop by Birch Bark Grill. This is a great choice when you are on the go. For breakfast and coffee, you can go to Bear Claw Cafe.
Great Wolf Lodge and Indoor Water Park
Great Wolf Lodge has multiple dining options to choose from, and you can even have food delivered to your cabana. If you need a caffeine boost or a donut, stop by Dunkin Donuts. For a quick meal (think chicken tenders, burgers, etc), you can go to Buckets Incredible Craveables.
For a grown-up drink, stop by Grizzly Rob’s Bar. Craving tacos? Great Wolf Lodge also has Timbers Tacos to satisfy your craving. For a buffet-style dining option, they have Loose Moose Family Kitchen. There is something for your whole family to enjoy. They also have a quick pizza spot and a grab-and-go market.
Kalahari Resorts
There are plenty of dining options to choose from at Kalahari Resort and Indoor Waterpark. They have fine dining as well as quick dining at the indoor waterpark. Whether you want a burger, pizza, Mexican food, or even ice cream, they have so many restaurants to choose from.
There is something for everyone. For a signature dining experience, try Double Cut Steak House. Reviewers rave about their dinner. Your kids will love to stop by The Last Bite. They can get pretty much any kind of sweet treat that they can imagine! When you need a boost, Java Manjaro serves Starbucks coffee.
Big Splash Indoor Water Park at Rocking Horse Ranch Resort
At this all-inclusive resort, dining is included with your stay. They have a buffet available for breakfast and a rotating menu for lunch and dinner that has options that even your pickiest eaters will enjoy. They have a dessert bar (and a fruit bar for healthy eaters) that is open throughout the day. For appetizers and finger foods, stop by the Chef’s Tasting. There is also a coffee and pastry station that is open 24/7.
Whether you want a laid-back experience or a thrilling, exciting day in a water park, there are several indoor water parks in New York to choose from that have attractions, dining, and accommodations that your whole family will enjoy.