The Best Water Parks in Charleston, SC
Looking for the best water parks in Charleston, SC to escape the unbearable summer heat? Sometimes you just want a break from the salty and sandy beach and want a pool instead. We get it!
There are just 3 water parks in Charleston, all operated by the Charleston County Parks department, and each serves a different age range best.
When we first moved here, we were surprised by the lack of water parks (and mini golf) in the greater Charleston area. Myrtle Beach, this is NOT, but that’s not a bad thing.
If you’re a local, there’s a season pass option. If you’re a visitor, know that 2 of the 3 parks close for the season the first weekend of August! (We thought that was super early, too.)
We also have an honorable mention 4th option, which isn’t quite a water park, but we’ll get into those details in a minute.
Let’s look at all the amenities, prices, and operating dates and decide which Charleston water park is right for you.
The Best (and Only) Water Parks in Charleston
There are just 3 water parks in the entire Charleston area, and all three are owned and operated by the Charleston County Parks department.
- Splash Zone Waterpark at James Island County Park (between West Ashley & Folly Beach)
- Splash Island Waterpark at Palmetto Islands County Park (in Mount Pleasant near Boone Hall)
- Whirlin’ Waters Adventure Waterpark at Wannamaker County Park (in North Charleston by Charleston Southern University)
All three have similar attractions and amenities, like slides, pools, food, chairs under shade, changing rooms, and lockers.
But these are not three identical water parks. Each one is clearly geared toward a different age group even though all ages are welcome at all parks.
There’s also a fourth honorable mention option: Charleston Aqua Park at Trophy Lakes.
It’s a giant inflatable obstacle course over a lake, no pools or chlorinated water involved. They also have a ropes course, also over the lake, in case you want a little more adventure with your lake experience.
Let’s look at the waterparks first, and then we’ll come back to the aqua park. Or, use the Table of Contents above and skip to whichever section you need.
Which Water Park is Best for Me?
Which water park is best for you depends on what ages you’re bringing with you to the water park.
To be clear, there are no age restrictions for entry to these water parks. There are height restrictions for the slides, but that’s it.
The age ranges we recommend are based on our observations from the parks, but you can go to all three with any ages.
All the amenities (chairs, lockers, changing rooms) are the same at each park. Even the food is mostly the same menu at all three.
The parts that change are the types of slides and pools available and the cost of adult admission.
Water Parks by Age Range
- Splash Island in Mt Pleasant is best for young kids, say ages 8 and under. Honestly, 8-year-olds might get bored. It’s the smallest and least overwhelming of the Charleston water parks.
- Whirlin Waters at Wannamaker is the best all-around park. With the most slides and areas and the longest lazy river, it’s good for all ages, kids and adults.
- Splash Zone on James Island is the happy medium. It has a slide, lazy river, and jungle treehouse that’s perfect for kids up to preteens.
There’s just not a lot to keep older kids occupied at Splash Island, and if you go as a solo adult, you’ll be the only one there without a toddler.
Splash Zone and Whirlin Waters may be too overwhelming for very young kids, even with dedicated splash pads and treehouses.
If you’re a childless adult, or just taking a break without the kids, Whirlin Waters is great if you like slides and Splash Zone is great if you prefer to sunbathe with an occasional dip in the pool or lazy river.
Water Parks by Cost
The Charleston water parks are each located inside of a county park, which charge their own park entry fee. The water park entry fee is in addition to the park entry fee.
However, Whirlin Waters can be accessed without paying to enter Wannamaker County Park because the water park is separated from the rest of the park.
Splash Island and Splash Zone, though, are not separated and must pay their respective county park entry fee first.
- Kids age 2 and under are free at all three water parks.
- Kids under 48” in height and seniors age 60+ get discounts on adult admission to the water parks.
- On weekdays (but not holidays like Memorial Day or July 4th), if you arrive after 3PM, you get discounted admission.
For all three parks, an adult is anyone over 48” in height.
Here’s the cost per adult for each water park in 2024.
| Water Park (County Park) | County Park Fee | Water Park Fee | Discount After 3PM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Splash Zone (James Island) | $2 per person | $16 per adult | $12 per adult |
| Splash Island (Palmetto Islands) | $2 per person | $11 per adult | $9 per adult |
| Whirlin Waters (Wannamaker) | N/A if only going to the water park | $25 per adult | $16 per adult |
Know Before You Go: Tips for Visiting Charleston’s Water Parks
The Charleston County water parks all share the same rules, like a severe weather policy, no smoking, etc. You can read their full rules here.
If you’re looking for the highlights, here’s our top tips and need to know facts below, based on our experiences at all three parks.
- Check operating hours and seasons before you go. Splash Zone and Splash Island both close for the season the first weekend in August. Whirlin Waters is the only water park open through Labor Day. All three start with weekends only in mid-May and then open daily in June and July. Whirlin Waters drops back to weekends only in mid-August through Labor Day.
- Outside food and drinks are not allowed. They won’t fight you on formula or baby food, but they might for anything else because they have concessions inside. They may ask to check your bags at the gate, but they’ve never done this with us.
- Concession prices inside aren’t awful, but they’re not great either. Water was $3 per bottle and a 1/2lb cheeseburger was $7 in 2024. We spent about $30 for lunch for two adults, which included an ICEE! They have a kid’s menu which includes Smucker’s Uncrustables. They also have souvenir cups with $1 refills.
- You can leave and come back the same day. Get your hand stamped for easy re-entry. Skip the sunniest middle part of the day and come back in the afternoon when there’s more shade, or pack food and drinks in a cooler in your car and eat lunch in the parking lot to save some money.
- Bring water shoes, sandals, or flip flops. The concrete can burn your feet, especially when standing in line for food or at Whirlin Waters if you’re walking between areas of the park!
- You get a raincheck, not a refund, for severe weather. The raincheck has to be used during the current operating season, so you can’t save a raincheck you got in August and use it next May. Rainchecks also don’t transfer from park to park. If you get the raincheck at Splash Zone, you can’t use it to get in to Whirlin Waters.
Mini-Review: Splash Zone at James Island County Park
Best For: kids up to preteens, families, adults
2024 Prices: $16 per adult
Open Dates: mid-May to first weekend of August
⭐ Rating: 3 out of 5
Splash Zone is a solid option if you’re looking for a water park to satisfy several different age groups that are younger than teenagers. This water park is open from mid-May through the first weekend in August.
There’s a zero-entry pool for little kids and seniors (with large shades!) as well as a deeper pool section (without shade), lazy river, and tube slide for your older kids and preteens.
There’s a fun jungle treehouse area that everyone from age 3ish to 10 will enjoy. Lots of delighted screams when the bucket dumps over the treehouse!
We’ve never seen many teenagers at this water park, other than the lifeguards and staff.
Want to soak up the sun while the kids play? No problem. There are plenty of sun loungers to go around, all with shade depending on the time of day you visit.
School groups are common but they usually clear out in early afternoon, around 2-3PM. Speaking from experience, it’s much easier to get a tube to enjoy the lazy river after they’re gone.
The lazy river isn’t very long, but it’s nice to sit back and relax for a while. It has a waterfall, jacuzzi jet rapids, and water jets if you want to get wet, and a bypass if you don’t.
One side of the lazy river route is partially shaded in the afternoon, but the majority of the river is in direct sun all day.
As a solo adult, it was not awkward to be here by myself.
Lockers are $5 for the day with an additional refundable $5 deposit, and they’re big enough to store a full size beach bag or backpack.
If you’re on the shorter side, ask for a bottom or middle locker. I’m 5’-3” and the top lockers would have been a struggle for me to use.
See our full review of Splash Zone here.
Mini-Review: Splash Island at Palmetto Islands County Park
Best For: little kids, young families
2024 Prices: $16 per adult
Open Dates: mid-May to first weekend of August
⭐ Rating: 3 out of 5
Splash Island is tucked away at the back of Palmetto Islands County Park. It’s the smallest and quietest of the water parks in the Charleston area, open from mid-May to the first weekend in August.
I gave this a 3 star rating because there’s not a lot here from an adult or older kid perspective. If you have little kids only, this probably has everything you need and I would rate it 4 stars.
There are just two water areas: the zero-entry pool and the splash area. Pool depth maxes out at 3.5ft, and the splash pad area has minimal standing water.
The right end of the pool has the short Otter Slides for toddlers, and the left end of the pool has a true waterslide for those that are 48” or taller.
We visited this water park the first time as a pair of adults with no kids. It was awkward!
We were the only ones in the park without kids. We hung out in the deepest corner of the pool for a bit, took a few turns down the big slide, and then left after an hour or so.
We only come to this water park now if we’re visiting with friends or family that have kids.
Lockers are available to secure your valuables if you’re worried, but, honestly, this park is so small you can keep your eye on your chair and bag from pretty much anywhere.
See our full review of Splash Island here.
Mini-Review: Whirlin’ Waters at Wannamaker County Park
Best For: the whole family, but especially older kids & adults
2024 Prices: $24 per adult, ages 2 and under free
Open Dates: mid-May to Labor Day
⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5
Whirlin Waters is the best overall waterpark in the Charleston area. It can accommodate adults and the whole family, whether you have teens, toddlers, or in-betweens.
It stays open through Labor Day, thankfully, unlike the other two water parks.
This is the biggest water park in the area with the most variety. It’s got slides for all ages, a splash pad area, a treehouse for kids, a wave pool, and a lazy river.
The variety also makes it the busiest, so you’re more likely to be in a crowd here.
You’re unlikely to keep an eye on your bag all day, so locker rentals are popular. However, we’ve never had an issue with leaving our bag on a chair while we go slide, either.
When you enter the park, the left end is generally the “big kid” side and the right end is the “little kid” side.
The bigger slides with taller height requirements and the lazy river are where most adults and older kids spend their time. Some will drift in the wave pool, which briefly buzzes a fog horn to let you know when the wave machine is going to start.
The splash pad area has a short otter slide for toddlers, and the jungle treehouse (in a separate section right across from the splash pad) is perfect for 3ish to 10 year olds.
Another set of 3 slides are tucked away into this corner, too, but they’re more suitable for younger, in-between aged kids that aren’t quite ready for the big slides on the other end of the park. There’s still a height requirement, but these slides don’t have steep drop offs like the others.
See our full review of Whirlin Waters here.
Is a Splash Pass Season Pass Worth It?
Are you a local that wants to be in the water every day this summer? Get a Splash Pass season pass.
These are not cost effective for visitors (unless you plan to visit Whirlin Waters every day for a week!), but if you’re a local that plans to visit several times throughout the summer, then they can save you big money.
There are 2 types of Splash Passes:
- Basic Splash Pass: access to Splash Zone and Splash Island only, discount to Whirlin Waters
- Super Splash Pass: access to Whirlin Waters, Splash Zone, and Splash Island
Passes are per person, not per family, and don’t include food. For a full breakdown of the cost effectiveness, check out this article.
The punch line is a Super Splash Pass will break even after 4 visits to Whirlin Waters (most expensive park) or 9 visits to Splash Island (least expensive park). A Basic Splash Pass breaks even at 6 visits to Splash Island or 4 visits to Splash Zone.
There’s more nuance to it than that, but that’s a good rule of thumb for the break even point of each pass.
What About Charleston Aqua Park?
Our honorable mention 4th water park is Charleston Aqua Park in Trophy Lakes, on Johns Island, sort of near the Angel Oak.
This isn’t what we had in mind when thinking of water parks, but it’s undeniably a fun, water-based adventure that’ll help you cool off on a hot day. It’s just over a lake instead of in a pool.
You book a 45 minute session and are allowed to choose between the aqua park (inflatable obstacle course/slides) or the ropes course. The lifeguards keep track of timed sessions and will let you know when your session is up with a whistle signal.
You can book multiple 45 minute sessions if you want to stay longer, and they offer a discounted rate after you book the first session.
They get busy, especially on weekends, so booking online ahead of time is recommended.
Tickets range from $25 on the weekends to $18 during the week. You must be 6 or older and able to swim to participate, and life jackets are required on everyone, adults included, even in shallow water.
The park has a safety deposit box where they can hold your keys while you’re on the water, and they have picnic tables so you can bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages. They also sell drinks if you need more water.
There are no changing rooms or showers, though, so keep that in mind.
We prefer the traditional water parks with the pools, lazy river, and slides, but that doesn’t mean the aqua park is bad.
It’s a fun option if you’re looking for a unique water-based activity!
Safe travels, adventurer!
Rachel Means is the founder and author of Adventures in the Carolinas. She’s lived in the Carolinas for over a decade and has been creating useful travel guides and tips for almost 5 years. She enjoys sharing fun things to do across the region, not just the big touristy areas. There are plenty of adventures to be had in the Carolinas!
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