Yelp says these are the top 10 water parks in Chicagoland: But are they?

Yelp users rate these water parks as the best in the Chicago area. Is your favorite on this list?

Photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash

(CHICAGO) There is still enough time this summer to splash down a slide, ride the waves of a wave pool, or float down a lazy river at a water park.

But water parks can be pricey, and you want to be sure you're heading to a safe and clean park before you go. So which water park around Chicago is the best?

People often turn to Yelp for advice on where to go in their area. A recent list from Yelp ranks the top ten water parks in Chicago based on user ratings.

However, a deep dive into this list shows some questionable entries.

1. Mystic Waters Family Aquatic Center in Des Plaines

Mystic Waters Family Aquatic Center is run by the Des Plaines Park District. It features two 37-foot slides, a 550-foot lazy river, a zero-depth leisure pool, and plenty of play areas for the little ones.

2. Whealan Pool Aquatic Center in Chicago

The Whealan Pool Aquatic Center, located in Norwood Park, has a zero-depth entry pool with lap lanes, large and small slides, play features, a sand play area, and a concessions stand.

3. Rehm Park and Pool in Oak Park

Rehm Park and Pool is a large swimming pool with a diving board. The park also has spray features, a wading pool, two drop slides, a climbing wall, and a concessions stand.

4. Adventure Bay Water Park in Hillside

The fourth entry on Yelp's list is a bit of a mystery. There is not much information to be found on the Adventure Bay Water Park, located at 696 Lee Blvd. in Hillside.

There is one lone Yelp rating from 2018, which begs the question, how did it get to be fourth on the Yelp list with one four-year-old rating?

If you've got information on Adventure Bay Water Park, please let us know in the comments.

5. Big Surf Wave Pool in Mount Prospect

The features at Big Surf Wave Pool include a wave pool and diving board. Yelp reviewers like the concessions stand and reasonable entry fees.

6. Rainbow Falls Water Park in Elk Grove Village

Rainbow Falls Water Park has all the features you'd expect in a water park: large slides, picnic areas, splash features, a kiddie area, a diving board, a zero-depth pool, a lazy river, and a drop slide.

7. Maggie Daley Park in Chicago?

When I reached this entry, I began to question Yelp lists. The Chicago Park District's Maggie Daley Park may be a beautiful park with tons of features, but it is not a water park. Instead, it has miniature golf, a climbing wall, gardens, picnic areas, tennis courts, and ice skating rinks.

Perhaps the list is referring to the Watering Hole, a splash pad for little ones, which is currently listed as "under repair" on the website.

8. Holstein Park in Chicago

Not exactly a water park, Holstein Park in Bucktown has a 50-meter pool with a wading area, and the nearby playground has spray features.

9. Skokie Water Playground in Skokie

With the Skokie Water Playground, the Yelp list takes us back to a traditional water park with a 14,000-square-foot pool with beach entry, a splash pad, three large slides, and a concessions stand.

10. Lucy Ella Gonzales Parson Park in Chicago

The Lucy Ella Gonzales Park in Portage Park may be a very nice park. However, it is not a swimming pool or water park. It appears to be a playground with a splash feature.

Yelp has once again failed at this list with this entry.

What is missing from the list?

Aside from some of the questionable entries on this list, it seems to be missing some of Chicagoland's best water parks.

Although they're in the suburbs, it's hard to imagine Yorkville's Raging Waves, Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, or even Aurora's Splash Country are missing from the list.

What about your favorite Chicagoland water park? Let us know in the comments where you like to go.

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