Things to do in Oregon: Wings and Waves Waterpark

When looking for fun, kid-friendly activities to do in Oregon, Evergreen Aviation Museum and Wings and Waves Waterpark offered complimentary tickets to explore their attractions. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Today I’m sharing all about the Waterpark, but check back next week for my experience at the Evergreen Aviation Museum! To learn more about sponsored content on this blog please ready my policies page. Thank you for supporting the companies that help make this blog happen!

This picture is basically how we all felt about getting to visit the Wings and Waves Waterpark on a rainy Portland day. We had driven past the waterpark and museum a million times as we drove through McMinnville on the way to the coast. The big airplane sitting on top of the waterpark has always been a huge attraction on those drives for my son. We had always said, “we should go…” but never made the time to go. I’m glad that we planned an entire day for the museum and water park visit and sort of wished we had planned to visit in two days rather than squishing it all into one. There was a LOT to do and see. I had two VERY tired little boys by the end of the day.

What to expect when you go to the Wings and Waves Waterpark:

The Evergreen Aviation Museum and Wings and Waves Waterpark website has a LOT going on as there are so many different attractions going on at one time. Using the FAQ page I tried to be as prepared as possible for what the day may bring and what might be needed. You have to be prepared with kids. There just isn’t an option! Read on for the answers to the questions I had before visiting the first time.

How busy was the park?

I was pleasantly surprised about the amount of people the park could comfortably accommodate. We went on what the team member I talked to called a normal Saturday. It was busy, but not so crowded that I felt uncomfortable or had a long wait anywhere we went.

Where do we put our stuff?

There are a LOT of tables and chairs throughout the park for putting down beach bags and the like. I had brought my DSLR with me and my purse (gotta pay for stuff somehow!) and didn’t feel comfortable just setting those on a table while I ran off into the waves, so I purchased two Medium-sized lockers to put my stuff. The large lockers sell out pretty quickly, but at $7/medium locker I felt like I could afford to put away my more valuable items for the many hours we were splashing around. The ‘keys’ to the lockers were actually just wristbands that we wore so I didn’t have to keep up with anything extra. That was nice.

My kiddo isn’t a strong swimmer… will it be safe?

Okay, so this was my biggest concern about the waterpark aspect of it all. My oldest son LOVES the water, but isn’t a strong swimmer at all yet. My youngest is 7 months and takes a lot of attention. While I knew we were going where each adult would be able to wrangle a child, I was worried that we wouldn’t enjoy the day as we’d be stressed about older kids in pools, etc. I had nothing to worry about. First, there are life jackets and many trained life guards. The lifeguards are young, but you can see their training in place the entire time you are there as they are actively watching and making signs to the other lifeguards in the area. Second, there are attractions for many levels of swimmers and non-swimmers including a splash pad area for the young ones.

Where to eat?

Swimming all day makes my clan hungry. There is a cafe at the waterpark that serves the basic fare of hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, salads, and such. The prices are not inexpensive, but they are not unreasonable either. They really felt like they were accurate with a sit down casual dining restaurant. However, if you have a big crew to feed and you don’t want to pay for meals at the cafe, you can bring a picnic lunch to have on the grounds (not in the waterpark) of the museum and park. There are picnic tables near the parking area.

What to wear?

Bathing suits are the main attire at the Wings and Waves Waterpark. It is good to note though that suits with metal snaps are not allowed on the water slides.

Have you been to the Wings and Waves Waterpark? If so, what was your experience?