Indoor waterparks continue to make waves across the recreation landscape. Recreation Management’s latest feature, “Sliding, Surfing & Splashing Indoors,” explores how these year-round destinations are evolving with innovative design, diverse attractions, and smarter operations. Thanks to Recreation Management for including insights from H&LA’s research on new indoor waterpark development in 2025.

Published by: Joe Bush/Recreation Management
Published date: October 2025

Tropic Falls Indoor Water Park in Foley, Ala., is the epitome of the modern indoor waterpark.

As the indoor part of an indoor-outdoor waterpark and theme park complex, Tropic Falls includes 75-foot tall slides in a tropical atmosphere with more than 300 palm trees. With over 1 million gallons of water, it includes both a 105,000-square-foot indoor waterpark with 11 waterslides, including Tangerine Scream, Serpentine Swirl and Piranha Plunge, Castaway Creek lazy river as well as Tuki’s Tower, with kid-friendly fun including five slides and a dump bucket tower.

Additional features include private party rooms and private cabanas, quick service restaurants such as Baha Grill at Tropic Falls, Breakers Bar & Grill, Grub, and Tiki Treats, as well as retail outlets.

Unique elements include a retractable roof and wall opening onto the outdoor waterpark, which features a 30,000-square-foot wave pool, Big Water Bay, and surf simulator, Coastal Curl.

“The tropical, colorful theme and landscape allows our guests to escape to the tropics for year-round fun, regardless of the weather,” said Mike Neace, general manager of the theme park and waterparks.

Tropic Falls checks every box of today’s explosion of new indoor waterparks: an overall theme and creative ride names; areas for thrills as well as chills, like a lazy river; a section for smaller kids; premium options such as rentable cabanas; plenty of food and beverage choices; and last but not least, a structure that is not, as American Resort Management CEO Rick Coleman called it, “a warehouse with waterslides in it.”

Industry predictions show no slowing of the popularity of indoor waterparks; a Hotel & Leisure Advisors report on waterparks projects 526,080 square feet of new indoor waterpark space in 2025, topping 2024’s 392,800 square feet. Waterpark stakeholders are riding an exciting wave that is both profitable and keeping them hypervigilant about how to stay that way, said the H&LA report.

“In 2025, several large-scale projects will debut; these projects will add to a growing waterpark space and bring additional innovation to an industry that often sees rapid changes in guest preferences,” the report said.

“The success of waterparks in 2025 will depend on their ability to maintain or capture market share amidst a changing landscape of offerings. This will push existing properties to innovate amenities, refine pricing strategies, and focus on providing unique experiences among competitors, often within the same market area.”

Indeed, operators mention all those elements when asked about trends in indoor waterparks. The public craves this sort of entertainment but is very demanding with the details once it is in the building, said Neace.

The basics are always important…

“Best practices for any waterpark operation will always prove to be key—safe, clean, friendly and hassle-free experiences for family and friends are what is expected and will drive guest satisfaction into return visits,” Neace said. “Decisions that meet those four basics will hit the mark.”

… but competition for the entertainment dollar requires operators to always be aware of ways they can offer differentiators, whether it be attractions, programming, creative pricing bundles, or destination pieces like being the hub of a campus that includes other fun locations, hotels and restaurants to make the waterpark visit a multi-day affair.

Epic Waters in Grand Prairie, Texas, is run by Coleman’s group and is just such an anchor for a 90-acre location that also boasts a recreation center, a playground, an amphitheater, hotels, restaurants, an indoor adventure park, trails and a light show. The development is municipal, the playground funded by donations, and the waterpark is the main revenue-generator of the complex, which opened in 2018.

Private businesses and resorts with indoor waterparks have driven much of the model for what municipalities try to do. New indoor waterpark square footage was down slightly in 2024 compared to 2023, said H&LA, but the 1,384 new rooms in 2024 outpaced 2023’s 961.

“The Great Wolf Lodge Resorts in Naples, Florida, and Webster, Texas, contributed the majority of the new rooms and represented the largest new indoor waterparks,” said the H&LA report. “These properties feature ropes courses, bowling alleys, miniature golf, and Build-A-Bear Workshops.”

In his position as vice president of attractions for American Resort Management, Michael Hays oversees daily operations for Epic Waters Indoor and Parrot Island Waterpark. He has helped with the development, design and operation of Turtle Island Indoor Waterpark in Belcourt, N.D., and Splash Indoor Waterpark in Oswego, N.Y. He’s assisting in the development of Bellevue Bay Indoor Waterpark in Bellevue, Neb., as well as with four other projects.

Hays said there has been an increased focus on the guest experience in recent years.

“Technology has been the driving force of change with interactive features and cashless systems,” he said. “Attractions have become immersive experiences with the introduction of translucent materials and interactive theming. Waterparks are now designed with comfort and inclusivity in mind for all guests.”

People come for more than the water-based rides, said Hays, but there should be a strategy involved with the mix of those rides. Attractions should have a nice range of excitement from thrill to chill, for instance.

“For indoor waterparks, thrill rides are usually the least ridden attractions, so it is suggested to limit these features due to space constraints,” he said. “They are fun, but not every guest will go on them. The crowd pleasers from a ride standpoint are those that allow a guest to ride with a friend, like double tubes, family rafts, or against each other, such as mat racers.”

While the headliners for indoor waterparks are themes and rides and lights and colors, Hays said the behind-the-scenes work allows the glitz and glamor to run smoothly. The safety program, proper maintenance, a detailed training plan for all positions, and follow-up are mandatory.

“You might have a world-class safety program, you might have the best trained lifeguards, kitchen staff, admissions staff, you might have the state-of-the-art filtration and disinfection systems, but without follow-up to ensure those standards are maintained every day, they will become more and more irrelevant as the dog days of summer approach,” Hays said.

“Each day is a new chance to make your operation better. Seize the opportunity and learn from your fellow waterpark operators on ways to improve. Our industry is a close-knit group of professionals who are always willing to help.”

Another business operation that’s taken hold is admissions creativity, said Neace. Implementing ticket options that meet the wide range of expectations of guest needs in helping them plan has proven to be successful, he said. For example, Tropic Falls adds convenience by packaging food and beverages with tickets; Neace said one of the most successful packages includes a family-sized pizza with the purchase of a Family 4 Pack of tickets.

“We currently offer a ticket program for residents that live in the five counties surrounding the parks that we call our Gulf Coast Neighbors Pass—offering the best prices for our most popular tickets—which has been well received,” Neace said. “We also offer a Family 4 Pack of tickets, a 2-Day ticket, a Twilight ticket after 4 p.m., and variable pricing for different times of the year, all at great values that meet different needs.”

Brodie Pakalnis, business development manager with a waterpark design and consulting firm, said new indoor waterparks are not sparing expense because of the proven popularity of a waterpark done right as well as the indoor waterpark’s year-round revenue generation.

“Indoor waterparks will have more premium architecture and finishes,” Pakalnis said. “New projects are not necessarily looking for the cheapest options.”

Top trending expenses today include lighting and theme decorations as well as customer-focused food and beverage technology and state-of-the-art water and air quality equipment and software, said the H&LA report.

“Growth in the industry is driven by a combination of technological advancements, sustainability initiatives and evolving consumer preferences,” said the report. “Many waterparks have embraced innovative attractions such as AI-powered virtual reality waterslides, smart wristband systems for seamless park navigation, and eco-friendly filtration technologies to reduce water waste.

“H&LA sees these trends becoming more prevalent throughout the industry as waterparks look to differentiate themselves from the competition and provide unique experiences for families.”

Pakalnis said structures like the ones housing Tropic Falls and Epic Waters are gaining popularity, not just for the aesthetic but for the savings in utility costs and structure repairs.

“With the focus on guest comfort, natural lighting has become very important,” said Pakalnis. “Retractable roofs are more and more popular, allowing fresh air in when weather permits.”

Nancy Patterson is director of design and business development for a company that designs and manufactures these aluminum-based buildings. She said her company has six waterparks in various stages of construction and design with another five upcoming.

She said the attraction of the buildings is multifaceted: They look striking from within and without, and save operators money and solve air quality issues faced by traditional indoor waterparks.

“Indoor waterparks smell,” said Patterson. “It’s a fact that no one likes to talk about, but it’s the truth. Mechanical air handling systems have traditionally been used to ‘turn over’ the air, meaning pulling out the bad stuff, replacing it with clean air, and also heating and cooling as needed. When you open the roof and walls of the waterpark box, the heavy chemical-ridden air is replaced with fresh air, using nothing more than nature itself. This is free.”

Turning off the air handling units in a waterpark saves money, Patterson said, as much as 10% to 20% annually.

“You are using less hydro and gas,” she said. “You are allowing Mother Nature to ventilate your waterpark and the sun to light it up. If it’s hot outside, you might also turn on fans to create a breeze, but otherwise you are returning to ancient architectural roots using air, wind and sun to cool and illuminate your space.”

In addition, Patterson said, a 100% aluminum building doesn’t corrode.

“Our oldest waterpark in Niagara Falls, The Americana, has updated, replaced, renovated, repainted, refinished or replaced their slides, flooring, pools, furniture, railings, etc.,” she said. “They have never touched the structure of the building since opening their doors in 2013.”

Many operators want to jump on the trend train through remodeling rather than new construction, said Ray Lauenstein, director of business development for Aquatic Development Group, which designs and builds waterparks.

“Before diving into a remodel or new build, owners and operators need to assess what they have, what their guests want, how their current operation is performing, and where there may be opportunities to improve,” Lauenstein said. “Understanding ROI, future goals and operational challenges takes a series of key questions, feasibility studies and more to determine the right path forward.”

Lauenstein said when remodeling, it’s important to evaluate what existing infrastructure can be retained, whether it’s pools, filtration systems or buildings. Cost efficiency and speed to market are often advantages of remodels, he said, but they require careful planning to avoid surprises with outdated systems or code compliance.

“An ideal client is one who comes to the table with a clear vision, is open to collaboration, and understands the importance of balancing guest experience with operational reality,” said Lauenstein. “Clients should seek a design partner with proven experience, but more importantly, someone who understands how to turn concepts into completed, profitable, operable destinations.

“Look for a firm that takes ownership of not just the drawings, but the execution, from design through construction and into operations. Also, an ideal client recognizes that the strength of their team is just as critical to success as the location, park design, intellectual property and other key factors.”

Jonathan Nies, a project director with Counsilman-Hunsaker, said operators should be wary of a few factors when considering remodeling vs. new builds:

Is the existing site large enough or configured appropriately to accommodate the desired new attractions and amenities in a remodel, or would a new site offer more flexibility?

• Often, a remodel can appear cheaper up front, but hidden costs, unforeseen issues and the limitations of working within an existing footprint can make a new build more cost-effective in the long run, especially if the desired changes are extensive.
• Remodels often require significant facility downtime, impacting revenue. A new build might allow the existing facility to remain operational until the new one is completed on a new site.
• Does the remodel truly align with the client’s long-term vision and market positioning, or will it be a temporary fix? A new build offers a blank slate to create a truly cutting-edge facility.
• Phased Development: A remodel might lend itself to phased development, allowing incremental upgrades, which can be beneficial for budget management.

“Ultimately, our existing facility assessments help clients weigh the potential limitations and hidden costs of a remodel against the greater flexibility, efficiency and long-term value of a new, purpose-built facility,” said Nies.

Regardless of the decision, said Josh Martin, president and creative director of Martin Aquatic, a client’s approach to working with its design partners is crucial.

“We call our clients ‘development partners’ because what we do is such a collaborative process,” said Martin. “We do our best to counsel clients on the engineering realities of waterpark design, while also helping them to best achieve their vision.

“It’s much easier to work with a client who comes to the project saying, ‘I want to create a family-friendly attraction and my budget is $X,’ than a client who says, ‘I want THIS EXACT thing, but my budget is $X.’”

Douglass Whiteaker, president of Water Technology Inc., said the evolution has been focused on the growing demand for water-entertainment amenities in community aquatics, providing spaces that cater to a broad demographic, from grandchildren to grandparents, while enhancing recreational opportunities across the board.

“One of the most significant shifts we’ve observed and continue to witness is the blending of traditionally distinct categories,” he said. “Where destination waterparks and community-owned or -operated facilities were once seen as entirely separate, the lines between them have increasingly blurred, in a very positive way.

“Today’s municipal aquatic centers continue to feature high-caliber aquatic attractions once reserved for larger scale destination waterparks, creating vibrant, multigenerational destinations regionally and closer to home.”

Whiteaker has also noted changes in traffic-impacted decisions—scalable operations provide the ability to reduce amenities and staff during low traffic periods, multigenerational design attracts more than just parents with young children, and multifaceted aquatic design allows the space to be used as both dry and wet entertainment areas, increasing the usage opportunities.

“I think the future of water recreation spaces will incorporate more modular and customizable experiences and elements to accommodate a multi-use hybrid approach as the use of public space continues to grow in demand,” he said. “And I think we will start to see more technology incorporated into the experiences, from real-time water quality monitoring to visitor experience tracking to mixed-reality splash zones, where water becomes the conduit to control other experiential elements.

“Surf experiences are already on the rise, and likely will continue as the surf culture is adopted into more inland regions.”