2 Chicago-Area Indoor Water Parks Voted Among Best in US

GURNEE, IL – JUNE 21:  A view of atmosphere during the grand opening at Great Wolf Lodge Illinois on June 21, 2018 in Gurnee, Illinois.  (Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images)

Two indoor water parks close to Chicago were voted among the best nationwide, according to a new survey.

As part of USA Today's list of top indoor water parks in the U.S., readers voted that Great Wolf Lodge Resorts in Gurnee and Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin were among the best.

Ranking No. 5, Great Wolf Lodge Resorts has 18 indoor water parks, with one located just over an hour outside of Chicago. The park is home to tube rides, wave pools, water slides, hot tubs and surf simulators, the website said.

Timber Ridge's 50,000-square foot indoor and outdoor water park placed sixth on the list. The park has a variety of slides, a lazy river, an activity pool and a hot tub, according to the website.

A panel of experts, along with 10Best editors, chose the original 20 water parks, and readers picked their favorite top 10, USA Today noted.

Both water parks have reopened to the public after closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, though some areas still require reservations and specific mitigations.

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