Wild Waves amusement and water park in Federal Way, Washington, is wrapping up its 50th season and will close permanently in the fall. The water park stopped operating Sept. 7, while the theme park will remain open through Nov. 1, including the final season of Fright Fest. Owner Premier Parks attributed the closure to the park’s failure to recover from losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as rising operating costs that made continued operation unprofitable. After the closure, the site is slated to be demolished and redeveloped with a warehouse spanning about 1 million square feet.
Opened in 1977 as The Enchanted Village, Wild Waves became Washington state’s largest amusement and water park complex, occupying nearly 70 acres. Over the decades, it became a place filled with family memories for residents throughout the region: many people rode the same attractions here — including the Scrambler, Dodg’em bumper cars and the Ferris wheel — from the park’s earliest years. Despite faded paint and occasional breakdowns involving the aging rides, visitors still see Wild Waves as part of home and are eager to make one more visit.
The closure will affect hundreds of thousands of annual guests, as well as 35 year-round employees and about 800 seasonal workers. Many former visitors are returning with their children and grandchildren to say goodbye to a beloved place; some plan to visit several times before November. For residents of the Puget Sound region, Wild Waves’ disappearance means more than the closure of a park — it marks the end of an entire era of summer recreation that employees say will be difficult to replace.
Based on: Wild Waves, beloved WA amusement park, savors one last summer