CHAOS WATERPARK

EAU CLAIRE, WI
VISIT WEBSITE

Granted, Eau Claire is where my husband and I were raised and our families are still there, so this road trip isn’t very uncommon for us. But this WAS the first time we took the time to bring our kids to the new indoor waterpark there. It’s right along Hwy 94 as part of the Metropolis Hotel. Its comic book-themed, and is pretty nice for all ages, really. I would do this again and again, since my kids are little fish and it wasn’t too terribly pricey.

Eau Claire is less than two hours from the Twin Cities, so it could be fun to do an overnight while you’re there. We went on a Sunday morning and it wasn’t very busy at all. I’ve heard Saturdays are horrendous, but to each their own. The waterpark is also attached to Action City, an indoor play center with a giant arcade, go-karts, laser tag, batting cages, and more. Action City is pretty pricey, so I would suggest doing one or the other if you’re trying to keep your getaway reasonable.

What is it?

Chaos Waterpark is an indoor waterpark for kids (and adults) of all ages. There are slides of all sizes, lilypads, a lazy river, and concessions.

Fit for what ages?

The zero-depth area (Monsters Lagoon) is quite large for little kids, which was nice. It gradually gets deeper, but I believe there is nothing taller than around four feet deep and there is a nice separation between the two areas. The slides in Monsters Lagoon range in difficulty, but my two-year-old would only go on one of them. The four-year-old, however, dominated almost all of them. He also enjoyed walking along the lilypads with a little adult supervision.  The Lazy River was fun for me (lazy). Grabbed a two-person tube and floated with my son a few times around. We avoided the super-steep plunge slide because I, personally, like my swimsuit to stay on the OUTside of my body, but I did take my son down the windy slide in a two-person tube. He thought that was cool. You need to be 36″ to ride the slide with an adult. 48″ to ride alone. His words: “That. Was. Awesome.”

How much are we talkin?

Admission was $13/adult and $6.50/kid under 36″. If Grandma comes with and doesn’t want to swim, she can sit and watch for free 🙂 A nice note to mention is that on Tuesday and Wednesday from 4-9 pm prices drop to $8/adult and $3/kid under 36″.! Check out their Deals & Packages page to see the most updated specials going on.

Want some tips?

Go early! It’s so much less busy. By about noon, we were getting a glimpse into what a Saturday afternoon must look like. Bring change if you want a locker, and the locker rooms are nice for changing afterwards (no showers though). And, do keep an eye out for deals and specials because you can get a much better bargain than going full-price. There are concessions with extremely slow, teenage service, but their hot dogs were pretty tasty! Also, holy crap, wouldn’t THIS be amazing for a large group with lots of money? I can’t believe this room is even offered, but it IS! My 14-year-old self would’ve loved a birthday party with my girlfriends in the Locker Room Suite!

Hours and Location

5150 Fairview Drive, Eau Claire, WI 54701

Chaos is open from 9am-9pm most days but there are occasions where they close or have differing hours. To make sure before you go, see their website hours which should be kept up-to-date.  We went early and it was glorious! Chaos is located right off of Hwy 94 at Exit 68 (WI-93). This Eau Claire exit can also take you to the mall, a large variety of restaurants, the movie theaters, and some great bike trails.

Follow Chaos Waterpark (and Metropolis Hotel/Action City) on Facebook. You’ll see specials and deals on lodging and fun combos, making your road trip planning just THAT much easier.