I received tickets in exchange for sharing my honest opinion.
Raging Waves is a waterpark just outside of Chicago that is one my family would visit every day over the summer if we had the time to. It is a hidden gem, as I like to call it, that really is a great way to spend the day with the family while experiencing all the big attractions you expect from a waterpark! I wish I had my own pictures to share but due to camera malfunctions (yeah for technology fails…), I am using photos from Raging Waves themselves.
Here are my 10 reasons to visit Raging Waves this summer:
1. It is not as far as you think! While Yorkville, IL may seem way out in the middle of nowhere, it is actually only about 45 minutes west of Chicago. It is a quick ride and one you won’t regret!
2. Prices are affordable. Kids under 2 are free and then the prices range from $19.99 to $32.99 a person. Luckily though there are coupons, Groupons and other ways to save if you just do some searching online! Once you are in the park you don’t need a lot of cash either as food is really reasonable (about $7 a person for a meal) or you could eat a lunch you pack in your car as food is not allowed in. You are allowed to bring in your own bottles of water! Oh, and you can even buy a prepaid gift card if you don’t want to carry cash/credit card inside the park with you.
The park also has food kiosks throughout the waterpark featuring mini donuts, funnel cake sundaes, ice cream floats, walking tacos, Jet’s Pizza and more!
3. Lockers are available and you can use them all day! A family locker costs just $15 and you can access it all day! This is great as I remember lockers used to be you could only access them once and that was it. Now you can come and go as you need to with your locker so you can have peace of mind that your valuables are safe.
4. General parking is free and there is plenty of parking! You could pay an additional charge of $10 if you want preferred parking closer to the entrance gate but honestly, we got there early enough that our parking spot wasn’t bad.
5. While you shouldn’t assume a lifeguard is watching your child, all the lifeguards are certified by the leaders in water park safety. I will say too that if you have any doubts or especially in the wave pool where it can get crowded and full of big waves, I’d recommend a lifejacket for your child. Yes, the lifejackets are free and hanging up on racks for you to grab as needed.
6. No matter your age, there are plenty of things to do! From the lazy river to the wave pool to the various slides and kiddie areas, there are tons of things to do for all ages. The lazy river is probably my favorite, while my kids would stay in the wave pool all day if they could.
7. They are constantly updating the park. Even if you have been to the park in previous years, Raging Waves seems to always be adding a new attraction or updating something! This year the new attractions are Quokka-Nut Island and Wild Wallabies.
Quokka-Nut Island is an attraction for kids ages 2-5 years old. It features four new slides, a zero-depth pool, and water sprayers.
The Wild Wallabies are two new slides totaling 600 feet that allow guests to race each other down the twists and turns of the slides!
8. Speaking of water slides, there are 26 total waterslides to explore across the 58-acre water park! My boys are on a mission this summer to slide their little butts down every one of them!
9. Raging Waves is family-owned so you know there are people that care about your experience. I feel way more at home at Raging Waves than I do at a giant corporate waterpark if that makes sense. Plus with more than 300,000 visitors a year, you know the park is doing something right!
10. The park is not overwhelming in size. I can I even felt comfortable letting my 10 and 11-year-old sons go off and go on some big slides while I stayed in one of the kiddie areas with my 6-year-old. The park is big but close together so it is easy to get around and back.
Check out one of my old Raging Waves posts for fun photos!
Stay Connected with Raging Waves:
Raging Waves WEBSITE | Raging Waves TWITTER | Raging Waves FACEBOOK
Raging Waves Waterpark
4000 N. Bridge St.
Yorkville, IL 60560
630.882.6575Raging Waves Water Park in Illinois, the largest Chicago Water Park, is located in suburban Yorkville, Illinois, on Route 47 – the excitement is just 45 minutes west of Chicago.
Lesley F says
This looks like a lot of fun and I know the kids would love it
Julie Waldron says
This looks like a really fun place to visit, my girls would love it.