Municipal Waterparks Getting More Competitive

Not all waterparks are created equal, but they have a lot in common. There’s water, sure, but also slides and zero-depth entry, lifeguards, entry fees, seating areas and concessions. The separation begins where the buck stops: Private ownership typically means larger parks and more state-of-the-art features like wave pools and surfing areas and wall slides. And high ticket prices.

These for-profit extravaganzas can be parts of resorts or hotels or standalone, indoor and out, and while their glitz and glamor can be destinations, the gap between them and municipal waterparks is closing. Community parks have historically been smaller with minimal attractions—fewer and smaller slides—but there are more of them in the United States and industry experts say their approach to size and thrills is changing.