Splashin' fun at Greater Lafayette's 2 water parks! Cool off this summer with a visit to Tropicanoe Cove and/or Prophetstown State Park Aquatic Center! Beginning on Memorial Day weekend every year, you can visit the Cove or Prophetstown State Park every single day if you wanted to!
Why should you visit? Check out the list below.
Tropicanoe Cove
Tropicanoe Cove is the perfect summer tropics experience in the heart of Lafayette. If the kids are driving you absolutely bonkers, this water park is a quick, close and inexpensive solution! Tropicanoe Cove is the perfect size for children and families of all sizes. It is intimate enough to be able to see one another from almost any part, but large enough to let the older ones have some freedom.
Top reasons to visit:
- The “banana peel” slide is one the most exhilarating parts of the park. Just walk up a few sets of stairs and you are at the top for a single ride down of about 45 seconds. You then land in a big pool at the bottom!
- Race your friends on the Riptide Racer, a six-lane mat racer slide, reminiscent of the Big Dipper, a burlap-sack slide that once stood as a centerpiece of the park, right where Tropicanoe Cove is now.
- Your heart will race as you take on the Tiki Twist, that is 54 feet tall and features a trap-door drop into a 320-foot, looping slide that can generate speeds of 35 mph.
- For the smaller kiddos, there is a splash pool that is perfect for those who are more entertained by water falling on their heads than anything else with a little dolphin slide for those brave enough.
- The lily pads are a bit of a challenge to shimmy across! We challenge you to try and not laugh as you splash in the water!
- One of the best parts of the entire park is the lazy river. Fun for all ages, the lazy river is a place to catch up with a friend and catch some rays at the same time while staying cool
Park Hours: The park hours typically are from 11- 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and Sunday 12-6 pm. However, once a month the Cove hosts "Wednesday Family Nights" and is open until 8:00 pm with a discounted rate after 4:00 pm. You can enjoy the Cove all the way up until Labor Day each year. Once schools in the area are back in session in mid-August, the Cove is open for weekends only.
Prophetstown State Park Aquatic Center
Visitors can discover 1920s farm lifestyles, Native American culture, take a stroll through 900 acres of restored prairie as well as have a fun outdoor water adventure at Prophetstown State Park. The Aquatic Center opened in 2008 and has been offering tons of summer fun for families and anyone who loves water parks.
Top reasons to visit:
- Grab a tube and have a blast descending down a 30 foot water slide.
- Embrace nature as the water park is surrounded by four species of trees, seven species of shrubs, eight species of grasses and sedges, and 20 species of flowers. Additionally, more than 240 large boulders, remnants of glaciers, are placed in the area.
- Bring the little kiddos for for aquatic fun in the zero-entry pool with fun play features.
- Play basketball in the pool activity area.
- Be lazy and sunbathe as you float around the lazy river. As you laze around the river, water buckets from above will cool you off!
- Bonus family fun at the Farm at Prophetstown! Also located within Prophetstown State Park this 920's farm invites evervyon – especially children – to help in feeding the livestock, collecting eggs, and working in the garden. The Farm is a training farm for sustainable agriculture, gardening, canning, as well as farm-to-table cooking, sewing and quilting.
Aquatic Center Hours: The park hours typically are from 11- 7 pm, daily. Season runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend, including Labor Day Monday. Approximately mid-August, aquatic center is open only weekends. Call ahead for current days of operation.
This summer, visit these 2 water parks and enjoy the great outdoors of water park fun with your friends and family!
