Great Waves Waterpark at Cameron Run Regional Park is open and has a lot of fun activities for the whole family. This is agreat place to spend a full day at a reasonable cost.
All Water Park Features
The water park is a lot of fun and has all the good water park features including:
- A wave pool
- Minnow Bay
- Splashpad
- Sprayground Cascades
- Lagoon
- Water slides
The Wave Pool
The wave pool was the most popular of all the attractions at the park. It’s like being at the beach except you don’t feel sand between your toes.
Featuring a setting that turns the waves on for 10 minutes, then off for 10.
The pool has a zero depth entry and maxes out at 8 feet. There are no life jackets available to rent and inner tubes are provided by the park on a first come, first serve basis.
When it’s really crowded, you may not be able to get a tube. On less busy days, they are much easier to come by so just be prepared.
Minnow Bay & The Splashpad
Minnow Bay is designed for the youngest water babies. Gentle water falls from a friendly Shamu into the baby pool. The Splashpad and Sprayground Cascades are nice ways to relax without entering the water. There are water cannons, dumping buckets, spinning fans, flowers, and water tables.
The Lagoon
The Lagoon is a fun place for children and families of all ages. The pool is a zero depth entry to a maximum of 3 feet. Get drenched under an umbrella pouring rushing water.
The Lagoon features two small waterslides. My 7-year-old must have traveled down the spiral slide a dozen times.
There are two areas for water slides. The first is a trio of colored slides where the water depth is 3 ½ feet. The red and green slides are slow.
The yellow, enclosed slide and pair of steep, twin slides are very fast. The lines were short as most of the patrons were in the wave pool or in the lagoon.
What to Eat
No outside food and drink is permitted except for bottled water and pre-packaged baby food. Bags are checked and while we were allowed to keep our water, we were asked to consume the yogurt before entering the park or to throw it away.
The lines for food at the Riptide Café are long no matter what time of day. Combo meals range from $5 to $8.50 and kid portions are available. The fare consists of burgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches, all with fries.
The snack counter around the corner sells pricey drinks for $2.65, snow cones for $3.71, pizza and funnel cake for $4.50 each. There’s also a Dippin’ Dots ice cream cart and the shark shack in case you forget sunscreen, etc.
How Much Does It Cost?
There are a few options for purchasing tickets:
- Water park day pass
- All facility pass (for water park, miniature golf and batting cafe)
- Annual waterpark pass
Note: all tickets must be purchased in-person (except for the annual water park pass which can be purchased online here. No online tickets are available for purchase
Water park day pass
The prices for a day pass differ based on the day of your visit, as well as height. The prices are as follows:
Note: the prices listed below are for in-jurisdiction. Add an additional dollar for non-jurisdiction on weekdays and $0.50 on weekends.
Weekdays (Non-Holiday)
48″ and taller – $16.50
48″ and under – $13
Weekends & Holidays
48″ and taller – $18.50
48″ and under – $15
All Facility Pass
If you plan on spending a significant part of your summer here, invest in all facility pass which includes the waterpark, mini golf, and batting cages.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the cost of the All Facility Pass is $22 for both for everyone.
From Labor Day to Memorial Day, the cost is $15.
Annual Water Park Pass
An annual water park pass gives you access to not only Great Waves Waterpark, but all 5 of the NOVA waterparks.
Annual pass holders also receive additional benefits including:
- Early access to the waterpark
- Bring-a-friend days
- Special coupons
An individual pass (in jurisdiction) costs $85 or $95 (non-jurisdiction). A family of four costs $295 (in jurisdiction) or $335 (non-jurisdiction). Family passes are available for 2 to 6 people and prices vary accordingly. You can see the full list of prices here.
Note: lower rates for senior citizens are available
When to Go
Great Waves Waterpark is open seasonally (Memorial Day to Labor Day) on the weekends. From Memorial Day weekend through August 22nd, the park is open from 11am – 7pm (except July 4th when they close at 6pm).
From August 23rd to September 5th from 11am to 6pm.
Other Park Activities
Batting Cages
A great place for the kids to hone their swings alone or with a group of friends! They provide the bats and helmets, or you can bring your own.
Great Waves WaterparkEnjoy a full day of family fun splashing Great Waves Waterpark, located in Alexandria, Virginia.
Paradise PlayPerfect for kids ages 5 to 12, this beach themed playground features exciting climbing and play features including triple slides, spiral climbs, pogo bounces, rock wall and a lot more.
Good to Know Before You Go
- There can be a line to purchase tickets during the busier days and times. We arrived at 11:30am and the line took approximately 20 minutes
- Different colored wristbands are given to signify if you are there for the water park or for the all attraction pass
- There is plenty of seating but all the chairs shaded by giant umbrellas are taken quickly as you can imagine
- Small lockers can be rented; Be sure to bring quarters
- There is a dressing room, changing table, and showers
- Cameron Run Regional Park is a great place to host your Classic Birthday Party in one of their birthday party areas!
Getting There
Great Waves Waterpark is located at: 4001 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304 in Cameron Run Regional Park.
Things to Do Near Great Waves Waterpark
If you’re looking for more fun things to do near Great Waves Waterpark, here are some great options:
- See a movie at Alexandria Drive-In Theater (3 minutes away)
- Do some indoor rock climbing at Sportrock Climbing Center (3 minutes away)
- Bring your skateboards and head to the Schuyler Hamilton Jones Skateboard Park (9 minutes away)
- Watch the birds, ducks, turtles and more as you cross the bridged walkway over the water at Ben Brenman Park (10 minutes away)
- Visit the Winkler Botanical Preserve (13 minutes away)
- Take a stroll along the boardwalk at Huntley Meadows Park (13 minutes away)
Bottom Line
We love that Great Waves is affordable, clean, and had plenty of lifeguards surveying every area of the waterpark and highly recommend you bring the family for a day trip here.
