Years ago, I asked what the best water park near Lincoln on the Macaroni Kid Facebook page and everyone commented "Pawnee Plunge." So, we went and it did not disappoint! We now go every year as a way to end our summer.
Pawnee Plunge is in Columbus, NE and this is the run-down of what is at their water park: a splash pad, a flow-rider, four large water sides, two diving boards, a climbing wall, a lazy river, an obstacle course, a shipwreck playground with two slides and of course, pools. We left our house at 10:45 AM and didn't arrive back until 7:30 PM. This is not a half day adventure, it is all day and worth the drive. I started taking my kids when my youngest was two and now he is eight. It is great for all ages! Everyone has fun. It is a big place. There are great sight lines but you won't be able to see all your kids at once if they are in different areas.
Slides
There are four "big" slides at Pawnee. You must be 48" tall to go down the slides. Three of the slides are pretty standard but one stands out. It is called the toilet bowl. You slide down a tube, the spin in a bowl and shoot out the bottom into an 8' pool. Not many people go on this slide, the line is short. We traveled to Pawnee Plunge with five other families and only one adult two kids attempted the toilet bowl.
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Lazy River and Splash Pad Area
Pawnee Plunge's lazy river is big and there is no tube rental. There is a splash pad area too.
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Flow-Rider
The Flow-Rider is a wave machine and it was a big hit with all of the kids that we went with. It is an extra $3 to use it, the wrist band is good for the whole day and there is usually a short line to use it. Before buying the wrist band, take your kids over to watch. Turns out that surfing is not very easy. The lifeguards are great and the coach you on how to do it but it takes time. Both of my daughters figured it out after a couple tries but they wiped out a few times too.
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Diving Well & Climbing Wall
You know what is harder than a climbing wall? A climbing wall that leans inward and where you have to pull your drenched body out of the water to climb. Turns out kids are awesome at it and adults aren't so if you want to make yourself feel really old, try the climbing wall. Along with the climbing wall there is also a diving well with a low and high dive.
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Obstacle Course
The obstacle course was my six year old's favorite activity. She did it over and over and over. The ropes above the sea animals (turtle, clam, giant squid) and about 3.5 feet so a great height for kids.
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Shipwreck, Splashpad, Pools
Pawnee Plunge isn't just for big kids. There is a shipwreck with two slides for little ones to climb enjoy. The pool is a beach entry and there is a handicap accessible ramp (yeah for inclusion!). Along with the shipwreck there is a splash pad and the pool is large and shallow.
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All in all, we had a great time at Pawnee Plunge. It is a 90 minute drive from Lincoln, it is a pretty drive though. We were there for five hours and my kids stopped to ask for food once. Now if you are a parent, you know how rare this is. You cannot bring in outside food or drink and you must remove all jewelry (including wedding rings). Pawnee Plunge closes in early-mid August so get there soon!
