How things have changed over the years.  Back in the day, summertime meant going to the river for a canoe ride, hitting the lake with family and friends, and even visiting the local community swimming pool to cool off (if your little town was lucky enough to have one.)  And, if all else failed, you still had a garden hose in the backyard that was sure to please!

Today, it is all about the waterparks.  And oh, have they grown.  Upstate New York has an embarrassment of riches when it come to water parks.  Of course the two big ones are the Great Escape entities in the Darien Lake and Lake George areas.  These two waterparks alone count for tens of thousands of visitors each summer.  But we also have some other, smaller ones, that we have included in this gallery.

Here you will see water parks in the Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, Catskills, Central New York, and Finger Lakes region.  Some are big and some are not so big.  Some are outdoor parks and others are inside.  The fun thing about an indoor water park is that you can visit them when it is raining outside or even when the temperature starts to drop down from "warm to cold."

I was surprised when putting this gallery together to see several of these waterparks and the year they opened.  As you will see, there area couple that date back to the 1960s and even the 1950s!

All are good, all are refreshing, and all are calling  you to come and have a blast this summer!

If we missed your favorite water park please visit our Facebook page and give it a shout out!

A Checklist of 10 Fun and Fantastic Upstate New York Water Parks (Indoor and Outdoor)

Warm weather means heading to the river with a canoe or kayak, or sitting out back playing the the kids under a garden hose, visiting the town community swimming pool, or heading to any of Upstate New York's wonderful lakes. But for many, summer means heading to the waterpark!!

Here is a checklist of 10 of the best waterparks in Upstate New York. This is just a short list, as we know there are plenty that we may have missed. This gallery showcases the big monster waterparks, such as the two Great Escape parks in the Darien Lake and Lake George area, as well as smaller "family waterparks" for all ages.

We have also included both indoor and outdoor waterparks. If you have a favorite in Upstate New York that we missed, please visit our Facebook page and give it a shoutout. We really do want to hear from you!


Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

These Seven American Literary Legends Called Upstate New York Home

What do Mark Twain, James Fenimore Cooper, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Washington Irving, Herman Melville, John Burroughs, and Robert Louis Stevenson have in common? They all lived in Upstate New York, some for a long time, others for a brief period, and you can visit their homes today!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

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