Indiana Indoor Water Park: Big Splash Adventure in French Lick
Even when the winter weather is mild, I still find it hard to stay in the Midwest in January. January and February seem dreary, sad, and inexplicably long after the excitement of November and December. To keep things interesting, our family tries to get out of town for a few short road trips, and one of our favorite destinations is an Indiana indoor water park called Big Splash Adventure in French Lick. (Local readers, French Lick is just over 2 hours from the Haute.)
Want to see a super short video review? We posted one on the Haute Happenings facebook page! (You might want to mute it–or you can leave the volume up for a more authentic experience.)
https://www.facebook.com/HauteHappenings/videos/1216833741758144/
The first time our family went to Big Splash, our baby was just two months old and big sister was barely two. I remember being surprised by how fun it was for toddlers and older babies.
There’s a great little toddler area for children under 46 inches that has fountains, swings, and a baby slide. (However, I will say that when we visited again in 2017, the slide wasn’t very slippery. Our four-year-old ended up walking down the slide, because she couldn’t slide down.)
There are also life jackets of all different sizes–the smallest is for children 30 pounds and under. Children who aren’t potty trained are required to wear swim diapers. 
Between the ages of 3 and 6, Buccaneer Bay (the area with slightly larger slides, sprayers and fountains for soaking other guests, and the gigantic dumping bucket) has been our girls’ favorite place to hang out.
Once kids reach 42 inches, they can put on a life jacket and go down the gigantic slides on a double tube with a grownup. Our four-year-old was just a tiny bit too short, but big sister had a blast.
Once they hit 46 inches, kids can go by themselves without a life jacket on the big slides and in the lazy river. The lifeguards do measure the kiddos (multiple times, in our case), so don’t promise your children they can ride the big slides or skip the life jacket if they don’t measure up in bare feet.
A few other notes:
- Our water park passes were included with our hotel stay. (The water park is inside of a hotel.)
- Day passes are available.
- In summer, the roof retracts.
- The chlorine smell is quite strong.
- You’re required to use a tube in the lazy river.
- Children age 2 and under are free.
- There’s a snack bar with things like drinks, hot dogs, and pizza. No outside food or drink allowed.
- We brought and used our own (affiliate link) puddle jumpers.
Questions or comments? Share them on the Haute Happenings facebook page!
Find more pools and aquatic centers in our guide to water fun!
