Rapids Water Park is a water park

Water park

A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...

 in West Palm Beach, Florida

West Palm Beach, Florida

West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...

, that occupies 30 acres near I-95

Interstate 95 in Florida

Interstate 95 is the main Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States; it serves the Atlantic coast of Florida. It begins at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami, and heads north past Daytona Beach and Jacksonville to the Georgia state line at the St...

.

The park includes a wave pool (up to six foot waves), thirty-five water slides, including dual seven-story speed slides, and a quarter mile lazy river. There are also slides for children and toddlers.

History

The park was founded in 1979, on 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land with four water slides. It has since grown to 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), housing 35 slides, among other water-related attractions. In 2009, the park bought 2.2 acres (8,903.1 m²) just north of the park for $2.2 million.

In 2009, the MTV

MTV

MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

 reality show Jersey Shore

Jersey Shore (TV series)

Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...

requested to film at the park, but were denied.

Rapids Water Park celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2009, inviting racecar driver Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick

Danica Sue Patrick is an American auto racing driver, model and advertising spokeswoman. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing, being the only woman to win in the IndyCar Series as well as holding the highest finish by a woman at the Indianapolis 500 of 3rd...

 to the park for the festivities.

The park is featured in the film Donnie Brasco in the water park scene.

Attractions

The park's website breaks the intensity of their rides and attractions into three categories:

Wild

The most intense rides includes:

• Big Thunder - A dark water slide
  Water slide
  A water slide is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size...
  
   with a funnel at the end. The funnel is open, 60 feet (18.3 m) in diameter and 55 feet (16.8 m) in length.
• Black Thunder - Another funnel slide, taking place completely in the dark.
• Body Blasters - Two dark slides, 1000 feet (304.8 m) long.
• Pirate's Plunge - Two speed slides;
  • Lightning - Starts as a dark slide, the plunges 70 feet (21.3 m) in the open air.
  • Plunder - Dark speed slide.
• Raging Rapids - Four-rider raft slide.
• Riptide Raftin' - Five-rider raft slide.
• The Super Bowls - Two dark slides ending in bowls;
  • Baby Blue - Single rider.
  • Big Red - Single or Two-rider raft.
• Tubin' Tornadoes - Two Single- or double-rider raft dark slides.
• Rapids Racer - 6 lane single rider race slide

Mild

Rides and attractions designed for all ages includes:

• Big Surf - A 25000 square foot wave pool
  Wave pool
  A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, reasonably large waves, similar to the ocean's. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks...
  
  .
• Criss Crossing - A pool guests can attempt to jump across using slippery, floating objects and an over-head net.
• Dancing Fountains - Fountains that spurt from the ground in various patterns.
• Lazy River - A lazy river
  Lazy river
  A lazy river is a water ride found in many amusement parks or water parks. They are also found at some resorts and recreation centers. It usually consists of shallow pool that flows similarly to a river....
  
  ride that can be used for transportation around the park.
• Old Yellar - The park's original four open-air water slides. Single-rider.
• Splash Hill - Eight slides, including two racing slides and two dark slides.

Kids

Child- and family-friendly rides and areas includes:

• Alligator Alley - A smaller-scale version of Criss Crossing.
• Splish Splash Lagoon - Three family slides and play pools.
• Tadpool - A shallow pool with water slides for small children.