For generations of kids coming of age in the Pacific Northwest, Wild Waves was an indelible experience, a keystone Seattle summer ritual.
“There wasn’t a Wild Waves for the rich kids on the Eastside and one for everyone else. There was just one for everybody,” said Mitch Steiger, who grew up in Burien and spent several summers at Wild Waves. “There was this kind of forced equality that I think put kids in a position to really think about what’s important in someone that they want to hang out with, in a way that no other place really did.”
Now, after 50 seasons, the era of Wild Waves is coming to an end.
“And it’s sad to think about it going away, because I can’t really think of another place that’s the same way,” Steiger added.
This story comes from an episode of Seattle Now in partnership with Vanishing Seattle. Listen below.
The amusement park began as The Enchanted Village in 1977 with roller coasters and other thrill rides. It expanded with a water park in 1984. Wild Waves was a hit and drew families from across the region. It went through several ownership changes over the years, including a time when it was owned by Six Flags.
Today, the park is owned by EPI Realty Holdings Inc, and operated by Oklahoma-based Premier Parks. Premier Parks President Kieran Burke said keeping Wild Waves open post-Covid has been cost prohibitive and has “generated millions in losses.”
So, on Sept. 7, Labor Day, Wild Waves fans will have their final chance to plunge down a water slide, drift down the Konga River, and brave the wave pool before the water park closes for good. The dry section of the park, Enchanted Village, will remain open until Nov. 1. That area includes rides like the Timberhawk, the Antique Carousel, and Wild Thing.
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Wild Waves in Federal Way closed on Sept. 7, 2026.
Cynthia Brothers, Vanishing Seattle
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Rides at Wild Waves and Enchanted Village in Federal Way. The park closed in 2026.
Cynthia Brothers, Vanishing Seattle
Local artist Joe Nix spent an entire summer going to Wild Waves. His mom bought him a season pass to the park as a more affordable option than paying a babysitter when she went to work.
“I always remember it… just being the most fun you can possibly have in one day as a kid,” Nix said.
It became a place where Nix learned to conquer his fears. Going down the Cannonball slide was something he worked up to.
“I just always remember the Cannonball being terrifying, so that was like an accomplishment, like actually going down that thing,” he said.
One summer, he went every day with his friend Willy. After a while, it started to feel a bit like living in “Groundhog Day.”
“There wasn’t one time that we were bummed, though,” he said. “Like, even though it got boring… we got really privy to the best times to go where.”
Lisa Robinson grew up going to Wild Waves and considers herself a lifelong fan of the park.
“My family didn’t have a lot of money, so it was always a really special treat when I would be able to come to Wild Waves and Enchanted Village,” Robinson said.
She ended up lifeguarding there for a summer, too, performing her one and only rescue. She still uses her CPR training from Wild Waves to this day.
Robinson has an encyclopedic knowledge of the park and opinions about virtually every experience offered there. One of the most memorable experiences at Wild Waves for her was the speed slides, which no longer exist. The speed slides were a series of body slides notorious for how fast they would hurl patrons without a tube.
“I will say that no matter what you did, even if you crossed your legs, you would always get a wedgie going down those slides,” Robinson said. “And that was always delightful, you know, trying to come out of the slide and rearrange yourself without people looking. It was lovely.”
Robinson bought a season pass for the park’s final summer this year. She created a bucket list of all the things she wanted to do before it closes. She’s been checking them off one at a time all summer. The park’s closure feels personal to her.
“Wild Waves represents a place to yearn for, to look forward to, to save up money to go do, to make plans with friends and family, to be excited,” Robinson said. “And the absence of that is going to be felt by a lot of people in ways that they might not be able to anticipate. For me, I will not be able to look at this land in the same way.”