One of the Bay Area’s best-known water parks won’t be open this summer: CaliBunga, more commonly known to locals as Raging Waters, has closed indefinitely, San Jose officials announced.
It’s been a tumultuous few years for the family-friendly water park at Lake Cunningham. The site opened as Raging Waters in the mid-1980s, serving countless Bay Area families, before announcing in 2023 it was not renewing its lease due to low attendance. The next summer, it reopened with new operators as CaliBunga.
But CaliBunga was short-lived. Last week, the City of San Jose announced the water park won’t open at all this summer. The city is working with a new vendor, Lakeside Partners, to renovate the site as a “state-of-the-art water park, expanded aquatic amenities, and innovative interactive play areas designed to serve visitors of all ages,” the city said in a press release.
“While I’m disappointed it won’t open this season, I’m excited about the opportunity to reimagine this beloved East Side jewel and ensure it continues creating memories for generations to come,” San Jose Councilmember Domingo Candelas said.
Raging Waters was one of Northern California’s largest water parks, boasting a lazy river, wave pool, thrilling tube rides and water slides. For now, the water park will remain closed, but city officials said they plan on holding a number of special events, like movie nights and concert series, at Lake Cunningham Regional Park this summer.
“For more than 40 years, Lake Cunningham’s water park has been where San Jose families go to beat the heat,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. “Despite a temporary closure, our commitment is to keep this park active now and build an aquatic destination worthy of the next generation.”
Locals can visit nearby South Bay Shores for their water slide fix, but even that park isn’t guaranteed to be open for long. It’s part of the Great America property, which is due to close in the coming years.