If you want watery fun during the summer months, great waterparks are just a car ride away from downtown Buffalo and surrounding areas.

A Summertime Classic

Fallsview Indoor Waterpark

I know, I know in the intro, you were talking about “going to waterparks while the sun was out” and, and you kick the piece off with an indoor waterpark. What gives? The simple answer is sometimes, during the summer months, the sun can be so oppressive you’ll be more than happy to get your water-fueled fun away from the sun, and in those instances, one of the best indoor water parks is Fallsview Indoor Waterpark (and just to let you know, don’t be too upset about indoor waterparks being on the list because there maybe another one later on—just saying)!

Take a moment and imagine with me if you would. Close your eyes if you like… if it helps better submerge your mind to what I’m about to tell you.

125,000 square feet of indoor waterpark goodness, and this isn’t just some oversized slip and slide that just leads into a ludicrously large pool, no! How about a six-story high waterslide? Or a 1000-gallon tipping bucket and a full-sized wave pool? And for those older folks reading this thinking to themselves, “this is just for kids,” I have four words for you: oversized adult-only Jacuzzis. So if the sun ever holds you hostage during the summer, think about giving Fallsview Indoor Waterpark a shot.

Six Flags Darien Lake

You can’t beat an old standby like Six Flags Darien Lake. That gangly old man dancing feverishly for no apparent reason is ingrained in a great many minds. But putting old commercials showcasing kinetic dance moves by old men aside, Six Flags has always had a great waterpark with some of the most intimidating right titles around like: The Brain Drain, which will take you through a 300-foot waterslide in 10 seconds! Or The RipCurl Racer, which with more than 40 feet of “plunge” and 300 feet of “run,” this mat racing water slide which shoots you with lightning speed headfirst through colorful and translucent braided tunnels twisting and turning before blasting you into the open, multi-bump racing lanes.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what’s available at Six Flags Darien Lake. Why not check it out for yourself? Who knows, maybe you’ll be so happy when you’re done you’ll be turning out some kinetic dance moves of your own.

Splash Lagoon

This place is legendary, so legendary in fact whenever people think of lagoon, it’s one of the three things that come to mind: the terrible movie Blue Lagoon, the classic movie Creature From the Black Lagoon, and then Splash Lagoon. But maybe that’s just me? Splash Lagoon isn’t like the other indoor waterparks because they’re known for their creatively and go big or go home (safely) attitude with their rides like their indoor surf machine that’ll make you feel like you’re hanging ten on the big one (please excuse my outdated surfer lingo. I grew up in Buffalo so, needless to say, there were no surfers around) without the risk of being stranded at sea and reenacting Castaway. How about The Python Plunge, which will smash and thrash you as you try to hold on to your raft and your wits.

Splash Lagoon’s tagline is “So Much Fun You Won’t Want to Leave”. I may be paraphrasing a bit, but paraphrasing or not, the tagline rings true all the same. So if you’re ready for some fun this summer, think about heading over to Splash Lagoon. It puts the other two lagoon-based things to shame.

Sandcastle Waterpark

Have you ever wanted to go to a waterpark that’s built like an amusement park? Just water-related rides? Well, Sandcastle Waterpark has you covered! From its layout, that makes you feel like you stepped into a watery kingdom and with grand attractions like the tsunami pool (which is a pretty self-explanatory- big pool, bigger waves, whole lotta fun). It’s not hard to see why people feel like kings and queens riding high for the rest of the day once they leave.

Carousel Water and Fun Park

Carousel Water and Fun Park is perfect for those that like their water attraction with a bit of motion and a bit of relaxation, From bumper boats that’ll have you splashing, crashing, and laughing the whole way through to just relaxing in the pool. Carousel Water and Fun Park have you covered on both fronts.

H20 for All

Waterparks are a great summertime pastime. Sadly Buffalo doesn’t have many good waterparks available (hopefully one day). But if watery fun during the summer months is what you crave, great waterparks are no more than 200 or so miles away (that’s for the waterparks in Pennsylvania. Canada’s much closer, but who isn’t down for a little summertime road trip?). Plain and simple, you can’t have a good summer without tons of water being poured on you at some point.

You can’t get the same effect from the shower. Your water bill would put you into bankruptcy.

You can’t crack open a fire hydrant. As we discussed earlier, it’s illegal, and anways YOU CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER.

So the only way to get your summertime water fix is to hop in your car, take a drive and get soaked! Make a day of it, you’re worth it. Happy water sliding.

choose any water park to view location information, get directions, & more.

Darien Lake

Darien Center

Niagara Amusement Park and Splash World

Grand Island

Splash Lagoon

Erie, PA

Great Wolf Lounge

Niagara Falls, ON

Waves Indoor Waterpark

Niagara Falls, ON

Palm Island Indoor Waterpark

Batavia

Seabreeze Amusement Park

Rochester

Fallsview Indoor Waterpark

Niagara Falls, ON

Roseland Wake Park

Canandaigua

Pirate Ship Cove

Lincoln, ON

What do you think of our guide to water parks within driving distance of Buffalo Niagara? Have a favorite? Know a great one that we missed? Let us know.