There are so many local water parks to choose from near Austin! But how are they different, and which on e will fit your family’s needs best? This is a comparison of the local Austin water parks and how they differ so you can make the best choice when choosing one for your family to spend a day of fun in the sun! These are the best water parks for families in Austin.
The Best Water Parks For Families in Austin
Kalahari
We will start with the biggest water park in the Austin area: Kalahari. It’s actually the biggest indoor water park in the country! It’s undeniably impressive and equally as expensive. They sometimes have special coupon codes that will help save you a little bit, but for the most part, this place is not an affordable option to go to repeatedly. It might save you money to spend one night in the resort rather than just getting a day pass.
It does have the best variety of slides and things to do for all ages. I was mostly impressed by the THREE areas specifically for babies! One is for little kids/kids of all ages/babies, but the other two HUGE baby areas are like nothing I’ve ever seen before! Baby lazy river, baby slides, baby swings…it’s incredible. My big boys never got tired of all the bigger slides. This is definitely the place to come if you have a wide ranges of ages (and the budget)!
Outside food is allowed in the hotel, but not inside the water park. This is another added cost to consider.
Besides the slides and the baby areas, they also have a giant wave pool, a lazy river, a surfing ride, giant hot tubs, and even an entire outdoor section. Bonus: if your kids are old enough to take off on their own, you can explore the adults-only grotto which is pretty cool.
Typhoon Texas
This place is pretty big, and they have a good amount of slides. Most of the experience is geared towards bigger kids or more adventurous kids. There isn’t really a baby area, but there’s a decent little kids section. They will close they little kids section if anyone poops in there, which is understandable but then there’s not much else for little kids to do. They have a good size wave pool and the best lazy river in town.
You can’t bring your own food in, which makes for a very costly day. They do offer season passes which will get you early entry to the park and 15% off food but they’re $75/person. Day passes are $35-45/person.
Rock’N River
This is the best small-to-mid size water park near Austin. It’s much less overwhelming than the first two I mentioned, which can make a big difference to some people. I think it’s a great size for younger kids. There are two big slides, a high jump and chute slide, a water bucket area with smaller slides, a small lazy river, two little baby pools, a zero-depth pool with a swim-up bar (no alcohol, but they’ll serve you soft drinks on this side), and a volleyball/basketball pool.
I love the deal you get on season passes here! It’s by far the most affordable option. But day passes are only $5-12 and they even have half-price twilight hours. So from 5 p.m. – close, you get in for only $2.50-6! And perhaps the best part is: you can bring in your own coolers and food! This saves so much money. They do have concessions and food trucks on site if you’d like to purchase food there as well.
We bough season passes this year for the first time and have been very impressed so far. Once a month they have early hours for season pass holders, where you get in an hour and a half early and get lots of perks! Free swag, free raffle tickets for prizes, and free food like ice cream and hot dogs! You also get your pick of the best shady spots and there are ZERO LINES for slides! It’s really exciting. Don’t forget they are closed on Wednesdays.
Splash Shack
This indoor water park is a great option for families with young kids. Not babies, though since there’s not a whole lot for babies to do. Older toddlers through age 9 would be best here. It’s not cheap though, and you can’t bring in your own food, so we save this place for when we can find a Groupon or when they offer special deals. Kid tickets are $20 and one adult gets in free with kid ticket. Additional adult tickets are $5. Summer passes are $110 and include admission for one kid and one adult (plus 50% off additional guests).
Volente Beach Resort & Waterpark
Open Tuesday through Sunday out on Lake Travis, Volente is a whole water park plus lake/beach type of experience. You can bring your own food and non alcoholic drinks in, which is a huge plus (no glass). You must be 42″ to ride anything. Kids 2 and under are free. You can bring your own floats for the lake/beach part.
Not a Water Park, But *Almost*
Veterans Memorial Pool in Cedar Park is not a water park, but if you’re looking for a cheap small-scale water park vibe, this place can’t be beat! It has a chute slide and a high jump, a ropes crossing course, a big bucket dump and some mini slides. This is the best place for small kids and babies, because it has a zero-depth entry and little bubbling fountains that they always love to play in. You can bring in your own food and it’s super cheap! kids 3 and under are free; ages 4-8 are $2; ages 9-17 are $4; adults $5 and seniors are $2.
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