National Waterpark Day
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Overview
National Waterpark Day is observed annually on July 28th, celebrating the towering slides, wave pools, and lazy rivers that make waterparks a defining part of American summer. The holiday was created by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in 2017, timed to July because it's typically the hottest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The modern waterpark traces back to Wet 'n Wild Orlando, opened in 1977 by SeaWorld co-founder George Millay, whose success helped inspire an entire industry — including New Jersey's infamous Action Park, which opened a year later and became almost as famous for its chaos as for its thrills. The day is an invitation to beat the heat the same way millions of families have for nearly five decades: at a waterpark.
Origin and story
National Waterpark Day was created by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, the Wisconsin Dells-based waterpark resort chain, in 2017. The date lands in late July on purpose — it's typically the hottest stretch of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, exactly when a wave pool or water slide has the most appeal.
The waterpark itself is older than the holiday by four decades. Most historians credit Wet 'n Wild Orlando, which opened on March 13, 1977, as the world's first true modern waterpark. It was built by George Millay, who had already co-founded SeaWorld and got the idea for Wet 'n Wild by combining two things he'd seen elsewhere: the Splash Pad at Ontario Place in Canada and the wave pool at Point Mallard Park in Decatur, Alabama. Its success was influential enough to help inspire the founding of the World Waterpark Association in 1982 — but not every imitator was as well-run. Action Park, which opened in Vernon, New Jersey the following year, became notorious for underbuilt rides and lax safety, earning nicknames like "Traction Park" and "Class Action Park" before it closed in 1996 and reopened years later as the far safer Mountain Creek Waterpark.
Quick facts
- DateJuly 28
- TypeRecreation / Summer
- Great forFamilies, Thrill seekers, Summer travelers
Also on this date
Ways to celebrate
Kalahari Resorts created this day at the height of summer, so the obvious way to mark it is exactly what it sounds like — but there's more than one way to make a splash.
Visit a waterpark
Whether it's a major destination resort or your town's local outdoor pool with a slide, today's the day it's officially sanctioned as a holiday activity.
Build a backyard version
No waterpark nearby? A sprinkler, a kiddie pool, or an old-fashioned slip-n-slide covers the basics — the whole point of the day is beating the heat with water.
Learn the origin story
Read up on George Millay, the SeaWorld co-founder who opened Wet 'n Wild Orlando in 1977 and effectively invented the modern waterpark industry — or, for a wilder read, look into the infamous, now-closed Action Park in New Jersey.
Helpful resources: World Waterpark Association
Fun facts
- National Waterpark Day was created by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in 2017, and lands in July because it's typically the hottest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
- The world's first true modern waterpark, Wet 'n Wild Orlando, opened on March 13, 1977, founded by George Millay — who had earlier co-founded SeaWorld.
- Millay got the idea by combining two things he'd seen: the Splash Pad at Ontario Place in Canada and the wave pool at Point Mallard Park in Decatur, Alabama.
- Wet 'n Wild's success helped inspire the founding of the World Waterpark Association in 1982, the industry's main trade group.
- Not every early waterpark fared as well: Action Park, which opened in Vernon, New Jersey in 1978, became notorious for its poorly designed rides and earned nicknames like "Traction Park" and "Class Action Park" before closing in 1996 and reopening as the much safer Mountain Creek Waterpark.
Sources and attribution
External links may lead to third-party websites.
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FAQ
- When is National Waterpark Day?
- It is observed on July 28 each year.
- What is National Waterpark Day?
- National Waterpark Day is observed annually on July 28th, celebrating the towering slides, wave pools, and lazy rivers that make waterparks a defining part of American summer. The holiday was created by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in 2017, timed to July because it's typically the hottest month of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The modern waterpark traces back to Wet 'n Wild Orlando, opened in 1977 by SeaWorld co-founder George Millay, whose success helped inspire an entire industry — including New Jersey's infamous Action Park, which opened a year later and became almost as famous for its chaos as for its thrills. The day is an invitation to beat the heat the same way millions of families have for nearly five decades: at a waterpark.
- How do people celebrate National Waterpark Day?
- Spend the day at a local waterpark, or make your own backyard version with a sprinkler and a slip-n-slide.
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