It’s time for one last ride on the Wild Waves waterslide.
The cherished Federal Way institution, home to candy-colored waterslides and countless childhood memories, is shutting the doors of its water park after Sept. 7, at the end of Labor Day weekend. Its theme park’s final day of operations is scheduled for Nov. 1, after one more Fright Fest Halloween celebration.
The water park features a lazy river, a wave pool and towering tube slides, among other rides.
“Come ride, splash, laugh, make one last memory, and say goodbye,” the company shared in a social media post Friday.
The park's operator, Oklahoma-based Premier Parks, announced in December that Wild Waves Theme and Water Park would close at the end of its 2026 season following significant financial losses after the COVID-19 pandemic.
City records filed this year indicate the site is set to be transformed into a 1 million-square-foot industrial warehouse with parking.
Wild Waves had operated for nearly 50 years. The theme park opened in 1977 as Enchanted Village, and an attached water park opened in 1984.
Briefly owned by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, Wild Waves is the Puget Sound region’s only theme park and water park. The park features more than 30 rides and slides, and it's one of the few places in the Pacific Northwest where thrill-seekers can ride a roller coaster.
At the time the closure was announced last year, the park employed about 35 full-time workers and 800 seasonal ones.
Residents can purchase tickets online at Wild Waves' website.
Material from The Seattle Times archives was used in this report.
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