You have your own private remedies, no doubt—dry-iced concretes at Ted Drewes, the Hospitality Room at Anheuser-Busch, perhaps the icy glare you get from the penguins in their new digs at the Saint Louis Zoo. So we searched for more communal ways to keep cool. And we found the entire metropolitan area living the life aquatic.
Cities no longer have swimming pools—they’re aquatic centers. Just about every municipality worth its tax base has what amounts to a water-filled playground, complete with fountains, lazy rivers, winding slides and zero-depth entries. “You’ve got to have all those extras to draw people in,” says Susan Trautman, parks and recreation director for the city of Des Peres, which opened The Lodge in 2003. “But by the end of the visit, kids end up playing in the type of pool we knew when we were kids. Nowadays, a community has to have it all.”
What follows, in alphabetical order, is a sampling of 10 area pools—er, aquatic centers—that are open to the public. Many municipalities have great water parks, but restrict entry to residents and their guests. But when you’re hot, you’re hot—who has time for residency requirements?
The Center of Clayton
50 Gay, Clayton, 314-290-8500, www.ci.clayton.mo.us
What makes it unique: Location, location, location. Tucked away behind Clayton High School, the center is an all-purpose recreation facility with more than 20,000 square feet of indoor aquatic space in the form of a leisure pool and a state-of-the-art competition pool.
Will the kids like it? The younger ones can spend hours splashing around in the recreation pool’s play area, vortex (think swirling whirlpool) or lazy river or zooming down a slide made just for them; the older ones will be enticed by the competition pool, then can head off to the weight room, track, game room or climbing wall.
What about grownups? The layout of the recreation pool makes it easy to keep track of the kids, plus the Subway restaurant inside makes lunch a quick and easy fix.
Logistics: Opens at 5:30 a.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. Sundays. Admission is $9; $6 for ages 4–17 and adults 55 and older.
Koch Park Family Aquatic Center
305 Howdershell, Florissant, 314-839-7686, www.florissantmo.com/dept/parks/pools.htm
What makes it unique: One of the first in St. Louis County, Koch Park Family Aquatic Center will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its opening later this summer.
Will the kids like it? They’ll like choosing between the two big slides, one with an open flume and one completely enclosed. An 880-foot lazy river circles the entire facility, and a water playground with fountains, sprayers, otter slides and waterfalls will keep the little ones busy for hours. Plus, there’s plenty of space to simply play in the pool—like we did when we were kids.
What about grownups? There’s a small area set aside for lap swimming. The changing areas are clean and spacious, and the concession stand offers reasonably priced fare. If you want to bring your own lunch, the pool is located in spacious Koch Park, with plenty of picnic tables and pavilions nearby. If you’re willing to make the drive, it’s the best wet bargain in town.
Logistics: Open at 12:30 p.m. weekdays; 11:30 a.m. weekends and holidays. Admission is $6; $4 for ages 6–17; $2 for age 5 and younger.
The Lodge Des Peres
1050 Des Peres, Des Peres, 314-835-6150, www.desperesmo.org
What makes it unique: There’s fun to be had both inside and outside, and patrons can go back and forth easily. Inside, The Lodge boasts the St. Louis area’s first indoor wave pool, as well as an “indoor/outdoor” covered corkscrew slide that starts inside, swings outside, then drops you in a pool inside.
Will the kids like it? Even on the hot days, kids want to spend time indoors. Two outdoor slides, one covered and the other an open corkscrew slide, are thrilling enough for older ones. The outdoor lazy river is a bit on the slow side—perfect for moms and little ones. Still, older kids can find plenty to occupy them.
What about grownups? The outdoor pool area is more compact than some of the other aquatic centers, and a parent has a view from just about any deck chair. A hidden gem, The Lodge seems small at first glance, but because of the indoor-outdoor combination, it’s jam-packed with surprises.
Logistics: Open at noon weekdays, 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $7; $6 for youth 3–17 and adults 60 and older.
North Pointe Aquatic Center
335 Holloway, Ballwin, 636-227-2981, www.ballwin.mo.us/north_pointe.html
What makes it unique: North Pointe boasts a 910-foot lazy river—one of the longest in the area. It also has the area’s only “tree swing,” a rope from a fiberglass tree stump that swings out over the competitive pool.
Will the kids like it? They get to choose between the lazy river and three pools: a competitive pool with 10 lanes and two 1-meter diving boards, a leisure pool with beach entry and lots of sprays and bubble fountains, and a play pool with a beach entry and playground that boasts “Bucket Falls.” Older kids will have fun choosing between two two-story water slides and the tree swing, which, if they can coax their grandparents onto it, might bring back memories of an old watering hole.
What about grownups? It’s clean, with plenty of chairs, a spacious changing area and a reasonably priced concession stand. The only drawback: It’s spread over 10 acres, so the mom with toddlers and tweeners may have a hard time keeping track of the kids. But the city hires its own lifeguards, and there are plenty of them.
Logistics: Open at 11:30 a.m. daily. Admission is $7.
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor
I-44 and Allenton, Eureka, 636-938-5300, www.sixflags.com/stlouis/waterpark
What makes it unique: Start with the 560,000-gallon wave pool that gives the water park its name. Four-foot waves pound the “shoreline” at regular intervals, giving you the ocean feeling without the seaweed clinging between your toes. And this is first and foremost an amusement park, so there are water rides—including the new Tornado, a 132-foot, four-person raft ride through a “funnel”—that are not for the faint of heart.
Will the kids like it? Yep, especially if they skip the 1,100-foot lazy river—you can find one at any municipal pool nowadays—and go for the thrill rides. The Big Kahuna, six stories high, gives you a whitewater plunge at 40 mph. The high-speed body slides offer high-speed thrills, and the little ones will find plenty to amuse themselves in Hook’s Lagoon, a five-story water tree house with fountains and lots of gadgets, including a bucket that dumps 1,000 gallons of water at regular intervals.
What about grownups? Particularly if they plan ahead for their entire Six Flags visit. There’s nothing worse than waiting in long ride lines with a wet swimming suit, so it’s best to visit Hurricane Harbor in the morning when crowds are low, then change into street clothes for the rest of the park in the afternoon.
Logistics: Entry is included in the price of admission to the theme park, which opens at 10 a.m. daily. The entry fee is $39.88; $19.94 for children 4 feet tall or under and adults 55 and older; free for children 3 and younger. Discount coupons are everywhere.
Wapelhorst Aquatic Center
1875 Muegge, St. Charles, 636-936-8118, www.stcharlescity.com
What makes it unique: The toddler area comes complete with its own water slide, a small stream and a giant bucket two stories up that dumps vast amounts of water every few minutes. For the big kids, there are multiple water slides—including one that goes underground and a five-story, two-lane speed slide—to go with two open swimming areas.
Will the kids like it? Little ones might be a bit scared of the big bucket, but there also are numerous gadgets to push, spin and yank. The bigger kids, after they de-wedge their suits following the speed slide, can grab inner tubes and hit some of the other slides.
What about grownups? All three pool areas have zero-depth entry and multiple lifeguards. Umbrellas and their much-coveted shade are at a premium, so if you arrive between noon and 2 p.m., bring plenty of sunscreen. Personal food and beverages are not allowed, but packing your own drinks and some snacks—and using a little discretion—won’t draw out the food police.
Logistics: Open at 11 a.m. Mondays–Saturdays and noon Sundays. Admission is $5.50 for ages 12 and up; $4.50 for ages 3–11 and adults 55 and older; $1 for children 2 and younger.
Aquaport
2344 McKelvey, Maryland Heights, 314-434-1919, www.marylandheights.com
What makes it unique: Aquaport, one of the area’s largest aquatic centers, was already well known for its slides—two racing slides, a pairs slide and a tube slide. This year, it’s adding a fifth: the Extreme Bowl. You climb a ladder to a large round basin about 20 feet off the ground, then a rush of water shoots you through a pipe and deposits you in a swirling pool below. Maryland Heights’ May newsletter described it as “not unlike the action of a giant toilet bowl.” Whatever the analogy, it’s a rush, and a first for a municipal water park in St. Louis County.
Will the kids like it? The older ones will like Aquaport’s racing slides, and the bowl slide’s bound to be a huge hit. A 740-foot lazy river circles the entire complex, and a playground area for the little ones has a small slide, fountains, sprinklers and squirters.
What about grownups? It’s clearly one of the coolest water parks in St. Louis County, and it’s centrally located. Concessions are plentiful, and the changing areas are clean and accessible. The only drawback is price. But it’s worth at least one trip, particularly if your kids are older. Aquaport is an “event” destination, as in: “You kids be good and I’ll take you to Aquaport.”
Logistics: Opens at 11 a.m. daily. Admission is $15, $10 for kids ages 4–15.
RiverChase of Fenton
990 Horan, Fenton, 636-343-0067, www.fentonmo.org
What makes it unique: It’s one of the few centers at which patrons can access both the indoor and outdoor pools.
Will the kids like it? Both pools have a corkscrew slide, a small lazy river and a play area with spraying hoses, spraying umbrellas and squirters. Both pools offer lap swimming, with the outdoor facility offering a competition pool with six lanes and a diving board.
What about grownups? Yes, particularly because admission to RiverChase includes the entire recreation facility, which has two gyms, an outdoor track and a weight room. Parents who get tired of laying out—and older kids who tire of the younger ones—can get a workout in the weight room. The only drawback is that this place can be a bit difficult to find for first-time visitors; it overlooks the Chrysler Plant and I-44, but you must exit at Bowles, head south, then work your way around to Horan.
Logistics: In summer, the outdoor pools open at noon on weekdays and 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $7 for ages 16–54; $6 for ages 3–15 and senior adults. A family of four can get in for $20.
Raging Rivers Water Park
100 Palisades, Grafton, Ill., 618-786-2345, www.ragingrivers.com
What makes it unique: Tons of cool water fun with a spectacular view of the Mississippi River. But you tend to forget there’s a real river nearby when you’re floating on the 3-foot waves of Breaker Beach, the 500,000-gallon tide pool. Spend more than a little time in this pool and you’ll be feeling the sensation in your bed that night.
Will the kids like it? The playground for the little ones is called Tree House Harbor, and it has water canons, slides and a big bucket that douses on a regular basis. The older kids will find two flumes called the Cascades that offer 500 feet of curves and a slide that propels you out of a shark’s mouth. And there’s not one, but two swirl-pool slides, which start with a covered slide, twirl you around, then drop you. One of the bowls is covered and one is open. Older kids will love the disorienting, exhilarating experience of the closed bowl—but it’s not for the claustrophobic.
What about grownups? The park, yes. The swirl-pool slides, once and never again. There’s plenty to keep kids occupied, though the sheer size of the park makes it hard to keep track of the family. There are only two concession stands so lines get long at lunchtime. It’s best—and cheapest—to pack a picnic lunch and maybe steal away for an hour or two at nearby Pere Marquette State Park.
Logistics: Open at 10:30 a.m. daily. Admission is $15.95 for ages 9 and older; $12.95 for ages 3–8; $8.95 for adults 60 and older; free for children 2 and younger.
Splash City
10 Gateway Drive, Collinsville, Ill., 618-346-4571, www.collinsvillerec.com
What makes it unique: Think mini-amusement park rather than municipal pool: a variety of water attractions, plenty of green space and a sand pit with a game of volleyball or a sandcastle always under way.
Will the kids like it? They’ll probably start with Monsoon Mountain, with its five water slides, fountains, sprayers and a bucket that dumps 1,000 gallons of water every 15 minutes. Two corkscrew water slides, one open and one closed, deposit patrons in a pool next to the Lily Pad Walk, where kids hold onto a rope while they try to navigate a series of floats. The lazy river is a bit on the tame side, but after all the other thrills, tame might be good.
What about grownups? There’s something for all ages, but plan at least half a day to see everything. There’s a spacious family changing area, so a parent with little ones can take care of both girls and boys. The concessions stand has the usual hamburger/hot dog/popcorn fare. Bottom line: More splash for your cash—and it’s not as far as you think.
Logistics: Open at 11 a.m. daily. Admission is $10; $8.50 for adults 55 and older; $8 for children 2–16.
