Featuring innovative WhiteWater attractions, the new water park area at the Wisconsin Dells resort was designed and engineered by Martin Aquatic and is housed in a retractable roof OpenAire enclosure.
Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in Wisconsin Dells will invest $85 million in a new indoor water park expansion. Planned to open in autumn 2026, the expansion covers 75,000 square feet, combining leisure pools, thrilling waterslides, and kid-friendly attractions all under a retractable glass roof.
“Kalahari could not be more excited to announce this indoor waterpark expansion in the Wisconsin Dells, the Waterpark Capital of the World,” says Todd Nelson, CEO, owner, and founder of Kalahari Resorts. “With new slides, pools, a swim-up bar, spas, and more, there’s something for every member of the family to enjoy!”
New waterslides & more
The water park was designed by Martin Aquatic, a world-class aquatic firm, which brought together all-new guest attractions by WhiteWater, a leading water park manufacturer.
Two new waterslides are both six-person raft slides: the Wild Wildebeest, the world’s first Covered Boomerango, which extends outside of the park’s glass walls, and the Green Python, an exciting watercoaster slide with an uphill section.
A familiar attraction, the headfirst Cheetah Mat Racers, appears at other Kalahari properties. However, the rides coming to Wisconsin Dells have engaging new features from WhiteWater. The slides themselves are two Parallel Pursuits, which include conjoined sections with low separating walls where guests can see and hear their fellow competitors. Each with its own curves and drop profiles, Cheetah Mat Racers offers four unique ride experiences.
These new waterslide attractions start from a platform 70 feet tall, providing thrills for the whole family. More children’s waterslides by WhiteWater will be found in the expansion’s Coral Cove Kiddie Slide Pool, which features seven themed slides entering a shallow landing pool.
“Kalahari wanted attractions that packed a punch, and our designers worked very closely with them to create surprising ride experiences not found anywhere else in the world,” says Onno Meeter, president of water parks at WhiteWater. “With the thrill rides complementing gentle slides in the beautifully themed kids’ area, we can’t wait to hear what guests have to say when the expansion opens.”
Along with the waterslides, Martin Aquatic designed the expansion to include the nearly 10,000-square-foot Watering Hole Pool, which offers guests a beach-styled zero-entry and tanning ledges with in-water lounge chairs. This main pool anchors the new water park area, with rentable cabanas at the water’s edge. Adults will also be interested in the Lost Lagoon Spa Pool and The Grotto adult swim-up bar, which allows an outdoor, seasonal element to enjoy on warmer days.
“The amenities planned here at The Watering Hole create an incredible aquatic experience for Kalahari guests,” says Josh Martin, president and creative director of Martin Aquatic. “This expansion—paired with the existing waterpark offering—raises the bar in Wisconsin Dells, making this a true Aquatic Leisure Destination.”
Fun all year round
As the water park capital of the world, Wisconsin Dells hosts several outdoor water park properties in the summer months, making this new indoor/outdoor expansion perfect all year round. The entire retractable roof enclosure can open at the push of a button to let in the fresh air, offering a natural climate above the new pools.
This structure can also close during inclement weather, a technology pioneered by OpenAire, a leading designer and manufacturer of retractable roofs and skylights. The new indoor/outdoor water park building will feature the largest retractable roof at any Kalahari Resorts property and will be the first retractable roof water park in the Dells.
In addition, this will be the first all-aluminium water park building in the Wisconsin Dells, serving as a nod to new technological advancements in building construction and engineering. This enclosure will include a cupola that soars up to 90 feet tall with incredible views through the glass walls to the surrounding area.
“While we have worked with the Kalahari team on other sites, this project in the Wisconsin Dells marks a turning point for our team,” says Mark Albertine, president of OpenAire.
“We are pleased to offer a unique maintenance-free, corrosion-proof building to the team at Kalahari that will allow them to focus less on building maintenance and more on guest experience. We are confident that the introduction of fresh air and sunshine to this new venue will secure its position as the best park in the Dells, year-round.”
All three companies, WhiteWater, Martin Aquatic, and OpenAire, collaborated on the award-winning Island Waterpark at Showboat Hotel Atlantic City, which featured 100,000 square feet of space within a retractable roof enclosure. Since its opening in 2023, Island Waterpark has already been named one of the top ten best indoor water parks by USA Today.
With ground already being cleared for this new expansion, the entire aquatic development will be constructed by Neuman Pools, which built the water parks at two of the most recently opened Kalahari Resorts in Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania (opened in 2015) and in Round Rock, Texas (opened in 2020). Neuman is also building the water park at Kalahari’s fifth resort, which is expected to open in 2026 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia.
