Completely Abandoned Water Park In Idaho Is Spooky Yet Oddly Captivating
It’s always eerie when a place that used to be full of people and life, in general, becomes abandoned and absent of any kind of activity. This is especially the case when it’s a place that used to be so much fun!
There was once a vibrant, happening place in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho called Wild Waters. It was a family getaway and the largest water park in the Northwest. The park was a huge attraction that controlled the summer market for many years at one point in time.
With decades in business and what seemed like immense popularity, it would seem unlikely for such a place to become abandoned. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happened. In 2010, the park never opened. Today, there’s next to nothing that remains of its previous glory.
All that remains of the park is a skeleton including dirty water, slides faded by the sun, cracking concrete, the remains of umbrellas. Most of it is covered in graffiti.
Check out the pictures below and let us know in the comments whether you think it’s a spooky leftover of something great or if it’s hauntingly beautiful.
Wild Waters was originally developed by a Canadian company and projected to earn roughly 800 visitors per day. It surpassed that number by nearly double from park’s beginning and it was a huge success right off the bat.
The immense amount of nearby competition eventually took its toll on Wild Waters. Among the competitors were Splash Down, Boulder Beach at Silverwood, and a number of other indoor water parks. They all got an edge on Wild Waters by either having more modern attractions or a cheaper cost of entry.
Management became afraid of the competition and made some poor judgement calls when it came to investments. The cost of investments started to outnumber the revenue the park was earning, and in 2009 it closed down indefinitely for “renovations.” The website and everything else to do with the park disappeared altogether.
Slides from Wild Waters have been sold to nearby competitors. To many this signaled how final the park’s closure really was as assets were continuously liquidated.
After investors and the banks cut ties from Wild Waters, there was little left that could be done to bring it back to life. The longer the park remained closed, the more vandalism started to creep in.
Although Wild Waters is closed, it’s location still might see some life in it once again. The property is officially for sale and perhaps some innovative investor will see an opportunity where others have seen a money pit. Those who remember the glory days of Wild Waters know that this spot in the heart of Coeur d’Alene has the potential to bring rewards for its owners.
Adamthewoo on YouTube brought Wild Waters back into the public’s attention, so we acknowledge him for his efforts and recommend you check out his YouTube channel for some interesting videos!
Have you ever been to Wild Waters before? If it were restored, would you consider taking a trip to Coeur d’Alene for a weekend? Let us know in the comments below!
