While we usually associate water parks and amusement parks with warm weather, there are now many exceptions to that notion. For throughout North America, Europe and Asia -- sometimes in some very unexpected locations -- there are a number of indoor water and amusement parks that are certain to melt winter chills away. Conversely, your family can also escape sizzling summer temperatures and simulate outdoor fun by enjoying an air-conditioned amusement park, or even skiing, year-round -- indoors!

Indoor water parks have become a growing phenomenon over the past decade. The resort town of Wisconsin Dells, about 40 miles (67kms) north of Madison, is where indoor water parks had their birth 12 years ago. Currently boasting the largest concentration (18) of these family-oriented sites, including four major indoor water parks located in hotels and resorts, along with many other indoor waterplay areas, all of which represent the largest and most comprehensive indoor water facilities in the nation. Entry fees for water parks are often, but not always, included in a resort's room rate; day rates are often available for non-hotel guests. The indoor water parks and pools are open and heated year round; bring your own towel and watershoes.

Water Play In The Wisconsin Dells

The Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort
511 Adams Street
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
608/253-9729, 800/867-9453
Here you can find the largest indoor water park in the Wisconsin Dells, measuring 60,000 square-feet. The park has three areas: Klondike Kavern, complete with a lazy river ride and over 60 hands-on play/spray features, is geared to older children and adults, the Wild West Waterpark with its own wavepool, raft ride, six-level play structure, multiple slides, and the new Wild WaterDome, the greenhouse-like structure offers year round indoor tanning. Lodging options include two and three-bedroom condos overlooking Lake Delton at Wilderness on the Lake, which offers a golf club, the Sundara Spa and a choice of kid-friendly restaurants.

Mt. Olympus Resort
1701 Wisconsin Dells Parkway
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
608/254-8560, 800/800-4997
Of their four theme parks, half are indoor including the water park the Bay -- a 55,000 square-feet. area complete with 9 towering slides and the Mayan raging river, a not so lazy river with sporadic surprise water sprays. Nearby, the Hispaniola Bay children's activity pool has its very own interactive pirate ship and gentle waterfalls. For a change of temperature, the Bay offers the Jaguar Hot Tub and Sacred Well Whirlpool. Marge and Gary Tillery brought their 7 and 3-year-old sons, Grant and Jeffrey, to Mt. Olympus a few years ago. "I couldn't believe that we actually spent two whole days in the water," said Marge. "I loved it, especially how fast I went on the slides," added Grant. Marge liked the fact that the pirate-themed area for toddlers was close to the water slides that her older son was enamored with. Some of Grant's other favorites were playing water basketball, and trying to walk on floating lily pads in the warriors water walk, which is a type of water obstacle course. Rooms at Mt. Olympus are welcoming, and in 2008 will begin to offer themed rooms. The current special is a $20 per person for a standard double queen room, based on a family of four (block out days do apply). Price includes 2 days admission to both indoor parks, 20 game tokens, as well as a few other on site activities. The Resort also offers value motel, a budget room with just the necessities or suite settings which are larger and could include whirlpool tubs.

Kalahari Resort Water Park
1305 Kalahari Drive
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
877/253-5466
This 57,000-square-feet. African-themed park is filled with water activities, opened in summer 2000 and built a 58,000-sq.ft. addition, making it (they claim) the largest in the US! Kalahari's Master Blaster an uphill waterslide rollercoaster is the only one of its kind available indoors. With the newest attraction, an intense wave machine, the Flow Rider creates 5 foot waves with the pressure of 50,000 gallons of water every minutes, allowing guests to surf or boogie board. The Leopard's Lair offers an interactive play area surrounded by a 3,000 sq.ft. complete with net crawls, water guns, and slides ranging from 6-20 foot in height. For the whole family, the Victorian Falls, a 504 foot long raft ride, wide enough to the family sized rafts and appropriate for all ages.

Great Wolf Lodges
1400 Great Wolf Drive
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
800/559-9653
This rustic resort has expanded to now 3 indoor parks, giving a total of 19 water slides, six pools and a four-story treehouse waterfort. Spirit Island, features Lookout Mountain, a four-story, 200-foot tube slide that ends in the lazy river. Bear Track Landing features Mountain Edge Raceway, the nation's first enclosed mat racer, 8 thrilling water slides, a rock climbing wall, and Raccoon Lagoon, a play area specifically for toddlers. The Fort Mackenzie, a 12-level treehouse can be found in Treehouse Island. A huge bucket containing 1,000 gallons of water is dumped on everyone in the fort every few minutes. This company has been so successful that they have expanded their indoor waterworld concept to several resorts in other states (read more below.) 

There are also smaller water play areas at other Dells hotels worth noting. They include the Howard Johnson Hotel & Conference Center (800/543-3557), where the 13,000 sq.ft. indoor waterpark has a kiddie beach entry pool, a water umbrella fountain, and bubbling geysers. The Atlantis Hotel's (800/800-6179) Aqua Kingdom now has 2 indoor waterparks featuring hands-on water and slide activities for lots of family fun. The Camelot Hotel & Suites (888/946-3000) features a Kiddie Kastle with numerous interactive water games. At the Skyline Hotel & Suites (800/759-8475), the Serp'N' Dippity water area has three swimming pools, three kiddie pools, and a serpent with two slides and a waterfall cascading from its tail. The Copa Cabana Resort Hotel & Suites (608/253-1511), Grand Marquis (800/447-2636), and the New Concord Inn (800/348-2019) also have their share of slides, bubbling geysers and water-sprouting palm trees. More options include the Meadowbrook Resort (877/993-3557), and the Alakai Hotel & Suites (800/593-9392).

The Chula Vista Resort
4031 River Rd.
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
800/388-4782
The entire Lost Rios waterpark can be seen from a bird's eye view on its Flyan Mayan Coaster Zip slide the world's longest and fastest indoor water coaster (they claim). The Mount Montezuma's Myan Temple activity center has plenty of interactive water toys and slides for kids to play with as they get soaked from the giant bucket that holds 500 gallons of bucket dumps over the center. The Madador Mat Racer allows siblings or friends to compete to see who is quicker on the mat track. Among the park's several slides, the hot tub and lazy river offer some relaxation and a break from the park's other fast paced attractions.

The Polynesian Resort Hotel & Suites
857 N. Frontage Rd.
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
800/272-5642
This resort has a newly expanded Water Factory suitable for preschoolers, with a shallow water play area for those under 80 lbs., a baby swing and the Aloha Pavilion with a traditional pool with a few petite waterslides. For the more adventurous, the Polynesian's Temple of the Black Pearl is the first hotel water park ride that takes place in the dark.

Blizzard Bay at the Wintergreen
Wintergreen Resort & Conference Center
60 Gasser Rd Wisconsin Dells WI, 53965
800/648-4765
Even business travelers must enjoy these indoor water parks, as the region's new conference centers have joined in the fun. The RainTree Resort & Conference Center's (888/253-4386) Amazon Falls boasts a rain forest theme with more than 50 interactive water games set among ruinous temples, waterfalls, and waterslides. Even better, you can check that briefcase at Blizzard Bay, the snow and igloo-themed park with more than 30 water activities, including a castle and floating foam ice, at Wintergreen. Next time, bring the kids!

Elsewhere in Wisconsin & Iowa

Hilton Milwaukee City Center
509 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53203
414/271-7250
Wisconsin features America's first urban indoor water park, Paradise Landing. We toured the 20,000-square-foot tropical-themed site and found four twisting water slides along with manifold water activities for all ages. Little ones will enjoy a squirting turtle or a pirate ship slide, while older children and adults will get a kick out of "shooting" each other with water cannons or trying the lily pad walk over the water. The Hydro-Therapy Spa offers pure relaxation for parents or anyone taking a break from the waterslides. For those hooked on the electronic age, there's also a game room next to the pool area. While the water park is housed in a new addition, this classy hotel was originally built in 1927 and has been lovingly refurbished. Another indoor waterpark located near Milwaukee is Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark (866/636-4502). The park is on the grounds of the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva and features a 50,000-square-foot waterpark, 30,000 feet of which is indoors.

Madison offers an indoor waterpark at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites (608/826-0500), and Green Bay is home of the recently opened Tundra Lounge Resort (877/TUNDRA-L) whose waterpark is the largest north of the Dells. While in Northern Wisconsin, check out the Waters of Minocqua (877/992-8377), in Mosinee the Lodge at Cedar Creek Resort and Waterpark (888/365-6343) and in Sheboygan, the Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center (920/452-2900), operated by the Great Wolf company.

Located on the Mississippi River in nearby Dubuque, Iowa is the Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark (866/690-4006) which offers the Huck Finn II, a four-story steamboat/tree house, a lazy river, waterslide, water squirting paraphernalia, and a WaterSquirts Kids Club for 3-12-year-olds.

MidWesterners Want Water Park Fun!

Great Wolf Lodge
1400 Great Wolf Drive
Sandusky, Ohio 44870
609/253-2222, 800/551-9653
Ohio's first indoor water park, Bear Track Landing was built in Sandusky, near the awesome (but summers only) Cedar Point theme park. Following the theme of all Great Wolf Lodges, the Sandusky water park has similar features including: two four-story 300-foot tube slides, three kiddy slides, five pools, two whirlpools, and a lazy river. Another section of the lodge hold the very popular, Fort Mackenzie, a greenhouse fort with 12 levels of waterplay, this North Woods-themed water park has plenty to keep children entertained. As of 2008, there are midwestern and southern Great Wolf Lodges located in Traverse City, Michigan; Kansas City, Kansas; Mason, Ohio; and Grapevine, Texas; plus the newest one in the Pacific Northwest region of Grand Mound, Washington.

Castaway Bay
One Cedar Point Dr.
Sandusky, Ohio
419/627-2106
In 2005, the Cedar Point amusement park introduced a waterpark resort. The hotel has 237 bright, comfortable rooms and suites with balconies, a mini-fridge, coffeemaker and microwave, and Internet access but you'll want to check in so you can enjoy a second day of fun in 38,000-square-foot tropical-themed indoor waterpark, open daily 9am-10pm. The park had activities for all ages, including the Rendezvous Run, an intense water coater, various water slides, the Grotto Spa/Hot Tub and the Toddler's Tide Pool for the little ones. The hotel also has a game room and large arcade, fitness center for ages 16+ and a more ordinary pool and Jacuzzi. Other family-friendly touches include soda machines, an ATM, guest laundry, luggage storage and day lockers for check-out day. Supervised kids' programs include Camp Castaway, open daily, with drop-in crafts and other activities by day, and games, dance parties and movies in the evenings. Of course, several pre- and post-season packages (ie: not July or August) bundle in a stay with tickets to Cedar Point and Soak City (the outdoor waterpark), and day passes are sold Monday to Thursday. Kids under 14 must have parental supervision.

CoCo Key Water Resort
2299 Cherry Valley Road
Newark, OH 43055
800/788-8008
A popular addition to the Midwest's theme parks, CoCo Key Water Resort boasts 50,000 square-feet of indoor waterpark adventure. Day passes run about $25 during the week and $35 for the weekend with lots of family-friendly packages and options for guests to choose from. Themed after historic Key West, there are three thrilling water slides including Shark Slam, Gator Gush, and Barracuda Blast. Guests can float down Coconut Grove Adventure River on a tube ride with splashy surprises along the way. There's also a fun Dip In Theater where families enjoy watching movies projected on a giant screen all while floating in their own tubes. For the smaller ones, there are several activities, including the Parrot's Perch-Play Structure and the Coral Reef Cavern both water interactive play centers for every child -- not to mention an on-site kid's club. Water-logged kids can hit the arcade and dry out, while adults can escape the action at the Palm Grotto Spa featuring giant whirlpools in a tropical haven. The water park is located at the Cherry Valley Lodge, about 30 minutes from Columbus and includes lots of dining options from Pizza Hut Express to the Wet Rooster Bar.

Kalahari Resort Water Park
7000 Kalahari Drive
Sandusky, OH 44870
877/525-2427
Just when you thought indoor waterparks couldn't get any bigger, Sandusky unveiled the world's largest indoor waterpark in 2008. This whoppping 173,000 square foot property boats a 12,000 square-foot wave pool with eight ocean-like wave settings, the world’s largest behemoth bowl, extreme mat racers with a 55-foot decline, indoor/outdoor spas with swim-up bar and more.  Day passes run approximately $34/day or guests can book overnight stays at the hotel for a room/water park combo package.

East Coasters Want Water Park Fun, Too!

Cape Codder Resort
1225 Iyanough Rd.
Hyannis, Massachusetts 02601
888/297-2200
The newly renovated resort in Hyannis, Massachusetts opened  an 8,200-square-foot indoor wavepool waterplay area complete with New England seascapes painted on all the walls. This small Atlantic-themed area features two spiral slides (one measuring 80 feet), a wave pool, water falls, dancing water fountains, and spouting water mushroom.

Great Wolf Lodge
Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ontario Canada
800/551-9653
The Great Lakes Companies Inc. also operates a lodge in Wiliamsburg, Virginia with an indoor waterpark featuring eight waterslides, a four-story treehouse fort, a wave machine, and the new  Howlin' Tornado an extreme tubing experience through the 6 story spiral through the mouth of the 'tornado.' As of 2008, there are eastern Great Wolf Lodges in Williamsburg, Virginia; the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania; and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Global Indoor Oases

Forest Hill Aquaboulevard
Hotels Forest Hills, Paris, France
33 (0) 1 40 60 10 00
For a classy and très chic water park experience, head to this area located at Porte de Sèvres in Paris, France. With seven water slides, against-the-current river ride, geysers, water cannons, waterfalls, and water mushrooms, Aquaboulevard appeals both to families with little ones as well as teens. Toddlers like the tiny kiddie pools and shallow area which features a whale to climb into and slide out of.

Since the water park is open until midnight on weekends, teens enjoy the disco, movie theater, cafes and pool parties which feature hip music. The giant chessboard, trampoline, minigolf, and wave pool with 'beachside' lounge chairs positioned under the sunlit dome are also popular. 

If you ever want to experience the world's largest shopping mall, head for the West Edmonton Mall in Alberta, Canada. Better yet, stop at North America's largest indoor wave pool, which is part of the mall's World Waterpark (800/661-8890 or 780/444-5300). Sample all of the 20 waterslides in the new, 6,000-square-foot Caribbean Cove waterplay area. If that isn't enough to keep you entertained, check out the Tropical Typhoon, and Raging Rapids, an enclosed tube ride.  There's even Blue Thunder Bungee, the world's tallest permanent indoor bungee jump. For those less daring, paddle over to Little Caribbean, a children's play area complete with an array of gentler water activities. 

New Jersey-based Luisa Frey Gaynor writes about travel by sea and land with kids for CruiseMates.com, Family Travel Times, FamilyFun, Cruise Travel, Cruise Industry News and Postcards magazines, and has also updated several guidebooks.