Water Parks & Summer Fun

Splish, Splash & Cool Off, Houston!

The heat is on as summertime makes its way into Houston. But that doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors. Locals and in-the-know visitors know the best way to keep cool is by visiting one of the area’s top water parks, splash pads, lakes, or beaches. Pack your bathing suit, towel, and sunscreen, and get ready to splash around. This handy guide will help you pick where to go for summer fun in Houston.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Splashtown, formerly called Wet ‘n’ Wild Splashtown, is the Houston area’s largest water park. Not only does the park have a new name, but it also has a new Caribbean theme and a brand new six-story water slide called Wahoo Wave. Visitors brave enough to go on the ride will experience a nearly vertical 30-foot plunge before sweeping across a massive water wall and splashing into a refreshing pool. The 48-acre park also has new lounge areas and Wi-Fi. Daily operations begin on May 24.

Big Rivers Waterpark & Adventure – the Houston area’s newest water park – opens on May 25 in New Caney, some 40 minutes north of Houston. Some of the park’s biggest attractions are the Rio GRAND, the area’s largest lazy river, a wave pool, and the Gator Splash, a huge interactive play area with some 300 water play elements, slides, and water sprays. Tired of the pool? Try some zip-lining or wall climbing, visit the petting zoo, or head to Wild Isle, an inflatable water park on the park’s lake.

Open year-round, Schlitterbahn Galveston Island offers swimmers more than 30 rides and attractions, including a wave pool, uphill water coasters, thrilling slides, water playgrounds, and whitewater rapids. Just in time for Space City Month, the park will launch its newest ride, Infinity Racers, on Memorial Day Weekend. The ride has twin eight-story-tall, head-first racing slides – the first of their kind.

Now open on weekends and opening daily starting June 1, Moody Gardens’ Palm Beach will welcome visitors to its white-sand beach and water park. Guests can enjoy the interactive 650-foot lazy river, wave pool, and two 18-foot tower slides, or squeeze in a game of beach volleyball on the regulation courts. The youngest patrons will enjoy the Splashpad, which features interactive dump buckets, spray arches, and fountains.

Get your summer fun fix right at Typhoon Texas Water Park! The Katy park covers 45 acres and 16 rides: 1.3 miles of water slides, a children's play area, a 25,000-square-foot wave pool, and of course – a relaxing lazy river. Visitors also have a wide selection of Texas-style dining options. Open daily starting May 24.

Baytown’s three-acre Pirates Bay offers a slew of family-friendly attractions, less than an hour from Downtown Houston. The large and colorful park boasts a water playground with a large dumping bucket and a fabulous array of spray nozzles, tot slides and water guns, along with a winding lazy river and two large slide towers.

Gateway Fountain at Discovery Green is a fanciful play area that's one of the park’s most popular summer features. When the mercury rises, hundreds of children flock to downtown’s favorite “cool spot.” Lively jets create a joyful water park atop a gently sloping granite surface, with 14-foot high arcing jets.

Take a refreshing break from visiting the Houston Zoo’s animals at the Kathrine McGovern Water Play Park. Free with Houston Zoo admission, this 13,500-square-foot splash pad features fill-and-spill water tree, fountains, jets, misters, and a friendly and colorful sea serpent.

Escape the bustle of city life at the 32-acre Sylvan Beach Park. In addition to a refreshing ocean breeze, the beach boasts fine sand, smaller waves for more enjoyable swimming and no seaweed, making it a prime paradise, less than an hour from downtown Houston.

You can also cool off at one of the many Houston area’s fun-filled splash pads, located in Houston’s parks. These water playgrounds feature jumping water jets, misting palm trees and showering towers, situated atop slip proof and cushioned surfaces. Edna Mae Washington Park, Gene Green Beltway 8 Park, Levy Park, McClendon Park, Tony Marron Park, and Bane Park are just a few area parks with splash park features.