The indoor water park craze started in the mid–1990s in Wisconsin Dells and soon spread to the Midwest, including Minnesota (and eventually to the rest of the country and beyond). The chief advantage of moving water slides and other bathing suit-friendly attractions indoors is that the watery fun becomes weatherproof.
Even Minnesota's notoriously brutal winters can't stop the fun. There are quite a few hotels with indoor water parks of varying sizes and features around the state.
The Edge
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Duluth
A medium-sized park that is open to registered hotel guests at the Edgewater Resort and the general public, The Edge offers tube and body water slides, an interactive water play structure, children's pool, vortex pool, activity pool, hot tub whirlpool, and lazy river. In addition to the park, the resort offers 230 hotel rooms, an arcade, and conference rooms.
Big Splash
Alexandria
The medium-sized park is open to registered hotel guests at the Arrowwood Resort and the general public. Attractions include tube slides, body slide, lazy river, whirlpool hot tub, water basketball, tipping bucket, and a play area for small children. Other features include an arcade, golf course, marina, horseback riding, and snowmobile rentals.
Paul Bunyan Indoor Water Park
Baxter
This medium-sized indoor water park at Arrowood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes includes tube slides, body slides, lazy river, kiddie slides, whirlpool spas, and an interactive play structure with water cannons. The Arrowwood Lodge also offers more than 100 guest rooms, an arcade with redemption games, conference facilities, and a restaurant.
Great Serengeti Water Park
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Owatonna
A tiny indoor water park for resort and non-resort guests at the Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Owatonna, the Great Serengeti Water Park barely qualifies as a water park. It offers two slides—a body slide and tube slide. The hotel also has an arcade.
Rapid River Lodge Waterpark
Baxter
A small park, Rapid River Lodge offers tube slides, body slides, a 250-foot lazy river, water basketball, play areas for children, and an indoor-to-outdoor hot tub.
Thief River Falls
Thief River Falls
This is a medium-sized indoor water park at Seven Clans Casino is part of a hotel/casino. The park is open to the public as well as on-property guests. Attractions include water slides, a lazy river, and an interactive water play center with a tipping bucket.
Three Bear Lodge
Baxter
This water park at the Holiday Inn Express features a small park with a tube slide, a body slide, a splash bucket, whirlpools, an activity pool, a lazy river, and activities for younger children. The hotel also offers laser tag, an arcade, a birthday party room, meeting rooms, and a restaurant.
Thumper Pond Indoor Water Park
Ottertail
Thumper Pond has a small park with two water slides, an activity pool, and a whirlpool. The resort also offers golf, an RV park, function rooms, and restaurants.
Venetian Indoor Water Park
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Holiday Inn & Suites Maple Grove
Maple Grove
This small park, found at the Holiday Inn Suites at Arbor Lakes Maple Grove, has a cute Italian theme and offers two large water slides, one kiddie slide, water basketball, an activity pool, a lily pad walk, a wading pool, and a hot tub. The hotel features 136 rooms as well as an on-site restaurant, a bar/lounge, meeting and function space, and an arcade.
Wild Woods
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Elk River
A small park located at the Elk River/Rogers Holiday Inn, Wild Woods offers three water slides, a log walk, a lazy river, the toddler-friendly Buddy’s Playland, a whirlpool spa with a waterfall, and a vortex pool.