By Jessy Goodman | August 2009

As summer 2009 comes to a close, several waterparks are wrapping up momentous seasons. A number of waterparks celebrated milestone anniversaries. Wild Wadi Waterpark in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, marked its first decade while Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon in Orlando, Fla., feted its 20th year.

Reaching the quarter-century mark in 2009 were Australia’s Wet‘n’Wild Waterworld, Wet‘n Wild Emerald Pointe in Greensboro, N.C., Water Country USA in Williamsburg, Va., The Beach Waterpark in Mason, Ohio, and Six Flags White Water in Marietta, Ga.

Waterparks turning 30 this summer are Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels, Texas, Adventure Island in Tampa Bay, Fla.; Noah’s Ark in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. In Denver, Water World waterpark celebrated the Big 3-0 with the largest beach ball ever seen in Colorado and the reopening of its Thunder Bay wave pool.

Editor’s Note: Learn more about many of these parks in the Aquatics International “Top Waterparks” issue, coming next month.