Winter’s finally over in the Kansas City area, and it’s time to plan for outdoor summer fun. Nothing is better on a summer day than spending time at the pool, whether it’s relaxing, taking in a great workout, or playing with the kids in a water wonderland. It doesn’t look like Schlitterbahn will reopen for the 2019 season, but there are still plenty of great options. Here are 12 water parks in Kansas City and the surrounding area. I’ve also included parks that open for public use, rather than limited to residents of a particular community.
Seasonal note. With the exception of the indoor water parks, the vast majority of these share seasonal hours. You can find parks open from around Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.
Oceans of Fun
4545 Worlds of Fun Ave, Kansas City, MO 64161
When? The season starts on May 24th and ends after Labor Day weekend on September 2nd.
What? Oceans of Fun is a tropically-themed water park that was once the largest in the world. Adjacent to the World of Fun amusem*nt park, it covers 64 acres. Walk between the Worlds of Fun theme park and the Oceans of Fun. The park contains everything from a calming lazy river to extreme water slides. Kids can find a variety of slides, geysers, and fountains at Crocodile Isle or Paradise Falls. A wave pool has high tide every 10 minutes.
Price?
- A daily admission ticket will provide access to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun for $39.99.
- You can save money by buying a season pass and sometimes ordering online.
Springs Aquatic Center
9400 N Congress Ave, Kansas City, MO 64153
When? Opens May 25, 2019, through the end of the summer.
What? Part of Tiffany Hills Park, Springs Aquatic Center offers a lap pool for intense swimmers and a leisure pool. Two winding water slides plunge into the 700-square foot leisure pool. Kiddies will enjoy the zero-entry pool or the spray ground with a tipping bucket, silly shower, mist sprayers, pop jets, and a moppet puppet. The center also has a bathhouse with showers, lifeguard stations, and concessions.
Price?
- Regular price for those 48″ in height and taller $9
- Youth (less than 48″) $6
- Senior pricing $6.
Adventure Oasis Water Park
2100 Hub Dr, Independence, MO 64055
When? Opens May 25, 2019, through Labor Day.
What? Adventure Oasis Water Park includes over 6,000 square feet of wet and wild activities at Buckaroo Beach. Surrounding the beach is a 900-foot lazy river, a climbing wall, and three different water slides. Those wanting a deeper swim will enjoy the separate 25-yard lap pool and diving area. Kids will enjoy Halfpint Paradise, which is part of Buckaroo Beach. A full concession and dining area are available as well.
Price?
- Residents $9
- Nonresidents $10
- Ages 3-12— Residents $6 and Nonresidents $7
- Ages 65 and over — Residents $6 and Nonresidents $7
- You can also buy a family pass, 5-visit pass, 20-visit pass, or a season pass.
Bay Water Park
7101 Longview Rd, Kansas City, MO 64134
When? Opens May 25th through Labor Day weekend.
What? Bay Water Park is a city-owned aquatic center located in Kansas City, MO, at the intersection of Blue Ridge Blvd and Longview Road. The facility has the only surf simulator in the area at a public facility that allows the rider to do stand-up like surfacing or kneel like boogie boarding. It also has a large lazy river, two giant tube slides, and a large plunge pool. A family play pool includes kid-controlled sprays and fountains, several slides, and a dumping bucket.
Price?
- Over 48″ tall $9
- Youth (less than 48″) $6 per day
- Seniors 65+ $6
- Children one year and under are free.
Great Wolf Lodge
10401 Cabela Dr, Kansas City, KS 66111
When? The indoor pool is open year-round although dates do vary. Check online as there are a limited number of day passes each day and there may be seasonal closures. The outdoor pool is seasonal.
What? Looking for a huge indoor waterpark just perfect for a special occasion? The Great Wolf Lodge is a hotel with a 38,000 square feet indoor water park that includes a large variety of activities from hot springs for the adults to a 4-story tree house water fort for the kids. Use one of the 8 water slides to glide into one of the five splash-and-play pools. Kids will also love the giant tipping bucket, cub paw pool, and the whopping hollow playground. Additional activities include an arcade, character appearances, lunchtime activities for the pool and story time. While the majority of their waterpark is indoors only, they also have outdoor water activities.
Price? Day passes are available online and must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance. The passes do get pricey at $50 and up per person (depending on the day); children two and under get in free.
Black Bob Bay, Olathe, KS
14570 151st St, Olathe, KS 66062
When? Seasonal hours start in Late May (around Memorial Day) through Labor Day.
What? Black Bob Bay is a great place that is larger than your regular public pool but quite not the size of Oceans of Fun. It offers a lazy river, aft water slides, and a 50-meter pool. The dive well includes two 1-meter diving boards and two 3-meter boards with a 50-meter pool. For kids, there are shallow water play structures, a splash park, and a baby pool.
Price? Purchase an Outdoor Pool Season Pass at the Olathe Community Center, 1205 E. Kansas City Rd
Summit Waves
120 SW Blue Pkwy, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063
When? Opens May 25 through August 13, 2019
What? Summit Waves is an outdoor water park that features a six-lane lap pool with diving pools, one tube slide, and one body slide. A water playground area includes dump buckets, mini slides, and other activities for the kiddoes. A concession stand is available.
Price?
- Lee Summit residents $7
- Nonresidents $10.
Splash Cove (Jim Allen Aquatic Center)
5800 King Ave, Shawnee, KS 66203
When? The season begins May 25th and ends on August 11, 2019.
What? Splash Cove is an excellent summer-time location for families with small children. It includes a mini wave pool, 125-foot full body slide, and a party cabana. The zero entry pool is great for kids; all of the pools are 3 feet deep and under. It doesn’t have a full Olympic-sized pool or deep pool so if you want to do laps, look elsewhere. Kids can enjoy the splash pool, a completely interactive playground. The full concession is available as well.
Price?
- Shawnee residents $6
- Non-residents $8
- From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., admission is half-price on Monday through Friday.
CoCo Key Water Resort
9103 E 39th St, Kansas City, MO 64133
When? Open year-round on weekends and open on Thursday and Fridays during the summer.
What? Looking or another indoor water park that is available all year long? CoCo Key Water Resort is part of the Adam’s Mark Hotel and Conference Center. The indoor water park is over 55,000 square feet of swimming activities, dining options, and a state-of-the-art arcade. They have three big slides for adults and three intermediate slides for kids and a few little ones for younger children along with lily pads.
Price? General admission $9.99; be sure to make reservations ahead of time.
Mission Family Aquatic Center
5930 W 61st St, Mission, KS 66202
When? The season starts on May 25th and lasts through the summer
What? The Mission Family Aquatic Center is a small facility with a lap pool that is large enough for practice. It also offers a lap pool and a kiddie pool with a splash pad.
Price?
- Residents $6
- Nonresident $8.00
- If you attend during twilight hours between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m., there’s a $2 discount.
Jolly Mon Indoor Water Park
456 Tan Tara Estate, Osage Beach, MO 65065
When? Open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Weekend
What? Part of the Margaritaville Lake Resort, the Jolly Mon Indoor Water Park is a 20,000 square foot indoor waterpark with over 600 feet of water slides, an activity pool, and a lazy river for tubing and floating. The kids will enjoy a three-story wilderness tree house with slides, water blaster, tunnels, bridges, and a 600-gallon tipping bucket. There is also a 21-seat whirlpool available for relaxation along with a snack bar. It’s also just outside of the Lake of the Ozarks State Park for more summer activities.
Price?
- Hotel guests $17
- Non-hotel guests $22
- Children ages 2 and under are free.
Kenwood Cove Aquatic Park in Salina
701 Kenwood Park Dr, Salina, KS 67401
When? Seasonal hours start May 25
What? Sure, it’s a little bit of a distance from Kansas City, but the Kenwood Cove Aquatic Park in Salina is still worth the trip. The facility has 1,400 feet of slides, a lazy river for kids of all ages, a raging river, inner tubing, wave pool, and body slides for the more adventurous types. A lap pool is available for swimming every morning except Sundays and during the park’s regular hours. Kids will enjoy the soggy bottoms water playground, lily pads, family fun slide, and splash pool
Price?
- Adult day passes $6
- Seniors (62 and up) $3
- Children (3-17) $4
- Ages 2 and under are free
Bonus — White Water in Branson
3505 West, MO-76, Branson, MO 65616
When? Opens May 25th through Labor Day
What? White Water Branson isn’t in the KCMO metro but it’s close enough for a weekend road trip. The waterpark has 13-acres of pools, water slides, and other attractions. Explore the lazy Aloha River or the more thrilling speed slides of Kalani Towers or KaPau Plummet. Surrounded by cascading waterfalls, White Water Waikiki Wave is an interactive double speed speed-slide. Kids of all ages will enjoy the 500,000-gallon wave pool, the playground area of Coconut Cove, and the water slides, geysers, and other activities of Splashaway Cay. Private poolside cabanas are available for rent and the park offers both dining and shopping.
Price?
- One-day tickets (ages 12-64) $45
- One-day tickets (ages 4-11) $25
- One-day tickets (65+) $33
Other Adventures
Still looking for summer-time ideas in Kansas City? Here are some ideas.
- 23 nature and history adventures in the Kansas City area.
- Kansas National and State Parks Near You
- Missouri National and State Parks Near You
