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As you probably already know from my endless articles about the place here at Travelness, I was born and brought up in Newcastle.
I’ve already covered juicy details on hikes, bike rides, restaurants, accents, unique oddities, and plenty more in the area. But this time, I’m using my partisinal knowledge to bring you this… a wet and wacky compilation of the 7 best water parks near Newcastle.
Slip into your Speedos kid—I’ll see you at the bottom of the flume!
Before we swoosh down some slides, here’s an important note: there aren’t many good water parks close to Newcastle… so some of these are admittedly pretty far from the place. I’ve offered a mixture of basic stuff close to the city, and high-octane funfests that are a little further afield. But everything we’ve brought you is within a three-hour drive from Newcastle.
Oh, and here’s some bad news: the city’s iconic long-running Wet ‘n’ Wild water park has permanently closed down. Yep, I’m sad about it too. There’s vague hope that it might one day reopen, but no-one seems to know for sure.
1. Waves Leisure Center
Alright, this place isn’t the most exciting destination in the world. But you’re here because you’re looking for a water park near Newcastle… and this is the closest you’ll find.
Just east of Newcastle, in the pretty coastal town of Whitley Bay, you can access this place by public transport. Hop on the easy-to-use Metro, and you’re close to all the action.
Inside Waves Leisure Center, you’ll find a 3-lane racing slide, a pirate ship, water guns, mini slides, water features, a dry play area, a wave machine, and an affordable on-site cafe.
Best of all, because Waves is a leisure center rather than a typical water park, it’s a great budget-friendly option—children can currently enter for the measly price of only £4.50.
After you’re done splashing around, head to some other parts of Whitley Bay, where you’ll find lots more kid-friendly excitement and entertainment. The town has a great beach, a massive green space (with cycle paths and picnic spots), and lots of fairground-style amusements and attractions.
When all the fun is over, munch on some ice cream and fish and chips. Head to Di Meo’s, for some of the tastiest ice cream I’ve ever slurped on.
2. Haven Point
Haven Point is just over the Tyne River from Newcastle, sitting in the popular resort town of South Shields.
Just like with Waves Leisure Center, calling this place a water park is probably a bit generous—it only has a couple of slides. That said, it also features other frantic fun, including spray machines, two pools, a bubble spa, some splash buckets, and a few other water features.
So, yeah, there’s definitely enough fun here for a couple of hours’ excitement… but this place is really on our list because it’s surrounded by lots more family-friendly adventure and entertainment.
South Shields is one of the best kid-friendly areas near Newcastle. So when you’re done slipping and sliding around Haven Point, there’s plenty more action on offer.
Other highlights include some excellent beaches (especially Sandhaven Beach, which recently won the Sunday Times Beach of the Year award!), Ocean Beach Pleasure Park (stuffed with thrill rides, family rides, laser games and more), some great green picnic spots, and a load of cliffy walks and wanders.
I also recommend heading to the nearby low-level peaks of panorama-stuffed Cleadon Hills (home to some free-roaming wild ponies!).
3. Alpamare UK
Alright, now we’re getting to the good stuff. We need to move pretty far from Newcastle to get it, but it’s totally worth the trip.
To reach Alpamare UK, we’re driving over to Scarborough, one of the most fun coastal destinations in northern England.
The water park here is home to four varied and fun-filled slides (the four-person-tube Snow Storm, the double-tube Olympic Run, the twist-packed mat-racing Cresta Run, and the ominously-titled Black Run), a wave pool, a splash zone, a warm outdoor garden pool, and plenty more.
If you’re adventuring with older kids who can be trusted with their own space (and be trusted to give you some of your own), Alpamare UK also has an on-site spa and wellness center. It features a steam room, a sauna, bubble-firing jet pools, an elegant infinity pool, and a whole range of different treatments.
After you’ve had your fill of Alpamare, there’s much more child-friendly action nearby. Head to SEA LIFE Scarborough (one of the best aquariums in the UK, with more than 2,500 creatures and critters), Scarborough North Bay Railway, the lovely North Bay Beach, and the curiously-titled Hairy Bob’s Skatepark. For no-frills family fun, Scarborough is fantastic.
4. North Yorkshire Water Park
This is different to your average water park—but if you like water parks, you’ll undoubtedly love the place. And because it’s only around 8 miles (13km) from Alpamare UK, you can visit them both in one bumper trip of water-filled fun.
Instead of featuring flumes and rides, North Yorkshire Water Park is instead an interactive outdoor area… and it’s packed with inflatables, assault courses, swings, stepping stones, climbing walls, balance beams, trampolines, bouncing slides, and plenty more.
For younger kids, there’s a less intense (but equally exciting) Splash Kingdom area, for explorers aged 3-7.
North Yorkshire Water Park also offers stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, wakeboarding, a 250-meter (820-feet) zipline, a 12-meter (39-feet) rope-led climbing wall, pedalos, fishing, swimming, cycle tracks, walking paths, and electric boats.
To extend the fun even further, you can also stay on-site. The park is home to Lakeview Lodge, which comes with a log-burning campfire and lots of rural touches. For something even more rustic, North Yorkshire Water Park has a modern, clean and well-equipped campsite, with space for tents, motorhomes and caravans.
And, again, once you’re done with all the aquatic immersion, you can head over to Scarborough… for all the family-friendly adventure and excitement we’ve already outlined above.
5. Calypso Cove
Sitting in the market town of Barnsley, Calypso Cove is around a two-hour drive from Newcastle.
According to their website, the park is home to “some of the UK’s fastest flumes” (I haven’t personally measured them with a speedometer, so I dunno how true that is).
Anyway, it’s a pirate-themed place, with loads of impressive features and flourishes.
You’ll find peepable portholes, a Barnacle Bay, a walk the plank section, and much more mayhem. Some of the top flumes include the four-lane Splash Ahoy, the dark and dingy Terror Torrent, and the super-popular Kraken (where you can select your own music before you ride).
Sessions last only 1.5 hours, and off-peak periods are cheaper than peak periods.
The on-site cafe serves up tasty and affordable fayre, including wraps, burgers, fish fingers and chicken nuggets.
When you’re done exploring the adventures of Calypso Cove, there’s much more action to enjoy. The water park sits inside Barnsley Metrodome, which also offers tenpin bowling, lots of family-friendly food, and events (including live music, local wrestling, seasonal specials, and craft sessions). You can easily spend an entire day exploring the complex.
6. Sandcastle Water Park
The biggest indoor water park in the UK, this flume-filled funfest sits in Blackpool (which is one of the UK’s best overall destinations for loads of family excitement).
Yeah, Blackpool is just under three hours from Newcastle, so getting here entails a lengthy drive. But there’s a huge amount on offer (both in the park and around it), so you won’t find better than this. Despite the drive, I massively recommend it.
Sandcastle Water Park is most famous for featuring the world’s longest indoor roller-coaster water slide (The Master Blaster, which measures in at 250 meters/820 feet). Other highlights include hairpin bends, near-vertical drops, racing slides, team tubes, and a huge amount of variety.
In total, the water park is home to around 20 separate slides and attractions—if you want hearty doses of adventure and adrenaline, this is the best water park near Newcastle. The place has some genuinely thrilling rides.
When you’re done splashing around in Sandcastle Water Park, there’s lots more adventure nearby. Other Blackpool highlights include the iconic Pleasure Beach (an amusement park with lots of roller coasters and rides), the equally-exciting South Pier, lots of beaches and promenades, and Blackpool SEALIFE Aquarium.
7. Splash World
Sitting in Southport, our last entry is just south of Blackpool… so, again, it’s around 3 hours from Newcastle.
The place is currently being refurbished. But before it temporarily closed down, it offered 2 great slides, many water features, a water castle, an in-water climbing area, and lots of aquatic contraptions for younger kids.
And when it’s back, the water park should be way bigger, better, and more impressive than before. Due to open sometime in the fall of 2022, it’ll feature upgraded versions of the stuff it already offered… along with plenty of extra excitement. Expect flumes, river rides, and lots more attractions!
But the adventures don’t end at the water park. Because it’s so close to Blackpool, Splash World is also close to the neighboring town’s endless frenzied fun. From here, you can explore all the Blackpool attractions we’ve already mentioned above.
And on top of all that, you can also visit Southport Pleasureland (a theme park with over 100 rides and attractions), Southport Beach, and Southport Pier.
All in all, Splash World isn’t necessarily the best water park near Newcastle—but if you’re looking to combine your water park adventures with other family-friendly fun, Splash World is a perfect option.
Before You Go
And just like that, we’ve slipped, slid and flumed to the end of our guide on the 7 best water parks near Newcastle!
If you want to know anything else about adventures in and around the city, check out our guides on the 22 best things to do in Newcastle, and all my favorite reasons you should visit the place.
Thanks for reading, thanks for visiting Travelness, and thanks for being so gorgeous.
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