Key Lime Cove

Key Lime Cove closed in 2017. It is expected to reopen as a Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park resort. The following information is about Key Lime Cove when it was open. If you want to compare resorts, there are other indoor water parks in Illinois besides KeyLime Cove.

Key Lime Cove Water Paradise was a medium-sized indoor waterpark themed to the tropics. It didn't offer a lot of high-thrill, flashy water rides that can be found at bigger indoor water parks such as a funnel ride or a a FlowRider surfing ride. But it did offer a few major attractions, including the Hurricane's Vortex bowl ride.  The park's Toukie's Tower featured two major body slides and two major tube slides, which partly snaked outside the building. (But don't worry; since they were enclosed, the water and air temperature remained comfortable year round.)

The indoor water park also offered a host of other rides and features including a lazy river, a wave pool, an adults-only whirlpool (all together now: aaahhhhhh!) and Toukie's Big Deluge, a huge interactive water play station with a dump bucket shaped like a pineapple.

Capitalizing on an emerging technology trend at water parks, Key Lime Cove offered its bathing-suit-clad guests the ability to go "cashless." Using touch-screen kiosks and wristbands embedded with trackable chips, guests were able to make purchases throughout the resort by waving their wristbands. The bands even replaced room keys and room cards.

In addition to the water park, Key Lime Cove offered over 400 hotel rooms of varying configurations -- some accommodating up to 12 guests -- as well as meeting and banquet facilities, a spa, and an arcade. David W. Anderson, better known as restaurateur "Famous Dave" and the founder of the Rainforest Cafe chain, was one of the principals behind Key Lime Cove. Predictably, he brought some unique dining concepts to the resort, including DW Anderson's Eatery & Ice Cream Parlor and the Crazy Toucan Margarita Grille.

65,000

The water park was open to registered hotel guests and included with the room rates. It also offered group sales, but did not offer day passes to the general public.

Because it was an indoor water park and offers weatherproof fun, the park (and hotel) were open throughout the year.

Gurnee, Illinois, near Chicago and Milwaukee The address is 1700 Nations Drive. Adjacent to Six Flags Great America.

• From Chicago: I-94W or I-294W. Exit Grand Ave. (Rt. 132E) in Gurnee.
• From Milwaukee: I-94E. Exit Grand Ave. (Rt. 132E) in Gurnee.
• From Western Illinois: I-88E to I-294N. I-294 North becomes I-94W. Exit Grand Ave. (Rt. 132E) in Gurnee.