Alton Splash Pad

at 1 riverfront drive. Designed to provide water play amid nature-themed educational elements. Another FREE options for families to enjoy on hot days. We were thrilled to find slides, buckets, animal sprayers, lots of shade, comfortable seats for families, and a secure fence with a child safe closure! The facility was very clean and they opened right on time. The staff were incredibly kind and helpful each step of the way. They sell snacks, have a water bottle filler, a drinking fountain, and bathrooms.

Cost: FREE!
Best for Ages: Under 8
Great For: A hot day
Drawbacks: Paint created a harsh surface. Wear pants or tights to avoid scrapes!

Hartford Splash Park

children playing in sprinklers at Hartford Splash Pad in Hartford, IL labeled in purple

hours are 12:00PM-5:00PM. Parties can be scheduled before or after the public's hours. Parties can be reserved at the Village Hall. Please contact the Water Clerk at (618) 251-2680 if you would like to reserve the Splash Park. Parties cost $50.00 for Hartford residents and $100.00 for non-residents. This does not include a shelter.

Cost: Resident is $1 per person with $1 bracelets purchased at Village Hall. Non-resident is $2.00 per person.
Best for Ages: Lots to do for all ages.
Great For: An adventure near home.
Drawbacks: No food or drinks allowed inside the splash pad.

Leon Corlew Splash Pad

The splash pad has features for young and older kids. There is a large bucket drop and some apparatus that can be manipulated. There are a few shaded benches, but space runs out in the shade. Many families bring buckets and water guns.

Cost: FREE
Best for Ages: Toddler and young elementary.
Great For: Free fun close to home.
Drawbacks: Can get crowded. Adjacent playground can be slick.

Splash Landing Splash Pad

Splash pad with waist high sprinklers and black fence in Bethalto IL

Open 10 AM - 5 PM. There are clean bathrooms\ changing rooms. Snacks are available for purchase. No outside food is allowed. There are interactive water pieces as well as dumping buckets, pole sprayers, jets, umbrella poles, and more. Children under 12 must have an adult and need an adult to come and go. A staff is on duty at exit. Directly outside, there is a playground with old fashioned favorites and newer elements.

Cost: FREE
Best for Ages: Toddler and elementary.
Great For: Relaxing (on comfortable chairs with umbrellas) while kids enjoy the water without worrying that kids can run off.
Drawbacks: Smaller and no large bucket.

Collinsville Aqua Park

Pool with large blue slides and tubes in Collinsville, IL.

has 7 slides including open air and tube slides that range from 9 feet to 3 stories tall. A 50 foot tall water castle with slides, hoses, and buckets. A figure-eight patterned lazy river with solo and tandem tubes. A 12-foot-tall climbing wall above the deep end of the pool. There is also a fortress play area where you can jostle valves and shoot water. There are floating lily pads with an overhead rope to cross. No charge for parking, inner tubes, or life jackets.

Cost: Rates are $18 and under for non residents. (Passes are available at Collinsville Library.)
Best for Ages: Lots to do for all ages.
Great For: An adventure near home.
Drawbacks: Can get crowded and pricy.

Highland Public Pool

has a diving board and climbing wall. Open Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, & Sunday 1- 5:30pm and Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday 1- 8:30pm

Cost: Daily passes are $4 or less.
Best for Ages: Confident swimmers. There is not a children's pool.
Great For: An inexpensive day in a cool pool.
Drawbacks: Kids can get bored. Bring small toys or friends to keep kids busy.

Korte Recreation Center

indoor pool has a mini-waterpark, hot tub, toddler section, lazy river, whirlpool, a two story water slide, and lap lanes.

Cost: Day passes range from $4.50 to $23 per person and include fitness center, gym, walking track, concessions, swimming.
Best for Ages: Great for toddlers and under 6!
Great For: Indoor fun in the winter, parties, an adventure near home.
Drawbacks: a bit pricy

Roxana Pool

is open from May 30 through August 31, noon to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. The pool is also open Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Cost: The daily fee to enter the pool is $10 for non-residents $6 for residents (and FREE for toddlers 2 and under.) Best for Ages: Younger kids.
Great For: A day in a cool pool.
Drawbacks: Pool can be expensive. Buy a season pass if you plan to go a few times.

Silver Lake (Highland)

Park runs along the shore of a lake with a 4+ mile wooded trail that is not stroller friendly. Leashed pets are welcome. Our family enjoys playing in the water at the top of the hill and also in the small waterfall\creek.

Cost: FREE
Best for Ages: Comfortably walking
Great For: peace, quiet
Drawbacks: fishing Lines are often discarded in water. local ordinance doesn't allow for swimming.

The Nature Institute (Godfrey)

Our family explored the Rock trail and found a number of shallow creeks to play in. There was also not a crowd at the creeks. There is also "Beaver Falls" mentioned on the trail map. I haven't gotten there yet.

Cost: FREE!
Best for Ages: All ages!
Great For: A relaxing day that all ages can enjoy.
Drawbacks: You might get dirty, bit by mosquitos, or a tick. Nature is awesome like that!

Watershed Nature Center (Edwardsville)

is a beautiful park in Edwardsville with a large pond in the middle. I don't recommend getting into the pond water and swimming is against the park rules. Our family has enjoyed playing in and exploring the creek that lines one side of the park.

Cost: FREE!
Best for Ages: All ages!
Great For: A relaxing day that all ages can enjoy.
Drawbacks: You might get dirty, bit by mosquitos, or a tick. Nature is awesome like that!

Aquaport (Maryland Heights, MO)

Aquaport is $10 for kids and $15 for adults. The water park has at least 5 slides, a lazy river, a FlowRider, a Family Fun Pool for little ones, and free parking. Open 12:00-6:00 p.m. daily including FlowRider.

Discovery Playground (St. Charles, MO)

is an accessible water playground with a waterfall, a trickling creek, and jets.

Emmenneger Park (Kirkwood, Missouri)

is a little of everything I love in the outdoors. There is a shallow creek which my kids can play in without me having to be hyper vigilant. There is a rope swing on the other side of the creek, quiet trails, and a rocky beach.

Cost: FREE
Best for Ages: All Ages
Great For: Peace, quiet, adventure, views
Drawbacks: Longer Drive

Lake Lou Yaeger (Litchfield)

is a nearby beach with lots to do. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday 12-5pm and weekends & holidays 11am-6pm, weather permitting! Lifejackets, water apparatus, and diving boards are available and included in entrance fee. Lifeguards are on staff and attentive.

Cost: $7 for adults, $5 for children aged 5-17. Under 5 admitted free.
Best for Ages: Perfect for anyone comfortable in water. (Lifejackets are available and permitted for all ages. Lifejackets are required on blow ups.)
Great For: Indoor fun in the winter, parties, an adventure near home.
Drawbacks: Can get crowded.

Mastodon State Historic Site (Imperial, MO)

is a great river with a trail that follows a long rocky creek. At most points the creek is no deeper than 4 feet and full of crawdads.

Cost: FREE
Best for Ages: Kids who are walking and swimming comfortably are the easiest visitors for unpaved trails, but there is a comfortable beach for little ones and a durable stroller will work on gravel paths.
Great For: Finding crawdads, snakes, and turtles. Enjoying Nature.
Drawbacks: Longer Drive and can get crowded.

Raging Rivers (Grafton)

has slides, lazy river, and pools. $5 for parking. $10 for a locker, which you get $5 back.

Rock Springs Park (O'Fallon, Illinois)

has a shallow creek, lots of vines to swing on, quiet trails, a mud slide on one river bank, and a rocky shore. There are fallen trees to sit on at the shore. There is a bench nearby, but too far to supervise kids. To get to the creek, walk on the trail past the playground, continue straight until you run into a bench at the T. Take a left and look for the unpaved trail on the right. Trail is dirt with wooden beams on edges.

Cost: FREE
Best for Ages: Walking comfortably for unpaved trails. There is a large amount of paved trails which are stroller friendly, but do not have access to the creek.
Great For: Peace, quiet, adventure
Drawbacks: Longer Drive

Sylvan Springs Park (St. Louis, MO)

has water arches and water bubbles that erupt from the ground. There is also a playground and a skatepark. 300 Halsey, St. Louis, MO.

Tilles Park (Ladue, MO)

has a Spray Pool in the Children's Playground with more than a dozen water bubblers. There's plenty of room, but it's small enough to keep an eye on the kids. The fountains operate from 10am-8 pm Memorial Day through Labor Day. 9551 Litzsinger Road.