Soak City is the 35-acre water park inside Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, and it’s included free with every Kings Island ticket and season pass — no separate admission required. With 36 water slides, two wave pools, a lazy river, a dual-racing water coaster, and dedicated kids’ zones, it’s one of the largest water parks bundled into an amusement park admission anywhere in the Midwest.
This guide covers everything you need to plan a visit: when Soak City is open in 2026, what it costs (hint: it’s already covered by your Kings Island ticket), the full ride lineup with height requirements, and practical tips on cabanas, lockers, and what to bring.
Quick Answer
Soak City is Kings Island’s on-site water park in Mason, Ohio, included at no extra cost with any Kings Island admission ticket or season pass. It typically operates from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day (a shorter season than the main park), and features 36 slides, two wave pools, a lazy river, the RiverRacers water coaster, and five kids’ play areas across 35 acres.
Is Soak City Included With Kings Island Admission?
Yes. Every standard Kings Island day ticket and every tier of season pass includes access to Soak City on days it’s open — there’s no separate water park ticket to buy. That makes it a notably better value than most regional water parks, which typically charge $30–$50+ for standalone admission.
The one thing you do pay extra for is added comfort: cabana rentals (private shaded seating with a welcome package of towels, water, and sunscreen for a group) and locker rentals, which run around $12 for a small locker. Bringing your own padlock isn’t an option — lockers use a keypad you set yourself, so no rental lock is needed either way.
When Is Soak City Open? (Season & Hours)
Soak City runs on a shorter calendar than the main Kings Island park because it’s a seasonal, weather-dependent operation. It typically opens for the season around Memorial Day weekend and closes around Labor Day, with hours varying by day — some weekends and holiday stretches may run longer. Because the schedule shifts year to year and even week to week, always check the official Kings Island calendar and hours page before you go, since Soak City can close early for weather (including lightning, which shuts down all water attractions immediately) even on days the main park stays open.
If you’re planning around a specific date, look for the water park hours listed separately from general park hours on the Kings Island site — the two don’t always match.
Full Ride and Slide Guide
Tropical Plunge is the park’s signature structure — a multi-tower complex nearly seven stories tall added in 2016, combining six distinct slide experiences from body slides to enclosed tube rides in one footprint.
RiverRacers, added in 2025, is Ohio’s first dual-racing water coaster: riders board side-by-side rafts, get launched by a conveyor belt, and drop down a 33-foot, 47-degree first plunge before racing through banked turns to the finish. Minimum height is 42 inches.
Thunder Falls is a classic open-air flume ride — riders fly down a winding, zigzagging tube slide on an inner tube, with a 40-inch minimum height requirement (guests 40″–52″ must wear a provided life vest).
The two wave pools anchor the park’s open water: Surfside Bay (added 1997, roughly 600,000 gallons) and Tidal Wave Bay (added in the 2012 expansion) both cycle through timed wave sessions for body-surfing or floating. Splash River, the park’s lazy river (previously called Kings Mills Run), offers a slower loop around the property, tube-optional.
For younger kids, Splash Landing is an interactive splash-pad-style zone with a 36-inch minimum height, kid-sized slides, and a tipping bucket that periodically dumps water over a play structure. Splash River Junction, added in 2025 alongside RiverRacers, adds seven gentle Salamander Slider slides plus Bluegill Lagoon, a reimagined swimming-hole area with a leaky water tower. Altogether the park counts five themed children’s areas among its 50-plus water activities.
Height Requirements at a Glance
RiverRacers: 42″ minimum. Thunder Falls and most tube-flume slides: 40″ minimum (a life vest is required for riders between 40″ and 52″). Splash Landing and the other kids’-area slides: around 36″ minimum, with no adult supervision requirement waived. Because height rules can be adjusted by the park, double-check current signage or the official Kings Island ride height chart the day you visit, especially for RiverRacers and Tropical Plunge’s individual towers, which can vary slightly by slide.
Cabanas, Lockers & What to Bring
Cabana rentals range from smaller poolside options (seating around 4–8 guests, with a welcome package of towels, bottled water, and sunscreen) up to large Beach Party cabanas built for groups of 12–30 with a bigger drink and towel package. Food and beverage service is available at an added cost, and most cabana options include TV service.
You can bring your own tube or float for the lazy river and wave pools in most cases (check current-season policy, as rules on personal flotation devices can change), but tubes are also provided for the tube-slide attractions like Thunder Falls. Small lockers run about $12 and use a self-set keypad code, so you don’t need your own lock. Water shoes are worth packing — the pool decks get hot in peak summer, and Ohio’s water park season overlaps with the hottest stretch of the year.
History and Growth
Soak City opened in 1989 as WaterWorks, a 12-acre, $4 million addition — the first new themed area at Kings Island since 1976 — with 15 slides and a lazy river. A 1990 expansion added a 700-foot family raft ride, and the biggest single leap came in 1997, when the park nearly doubled to about 30 acres and gained its first wave pool.
A Crocodile Dundee movie tie-in briefly renamed it Crocodile Dundee’s Boomerang Bay in 2004, shortened to Boomerang Bay in 2007. A $10 million renovation under then-owner Cedar Fair rebranded it Soak City for 2012, adding a second wave pool, a redesigned entrance, and a revamped lazy river. The 2016 Tropical Plunge addition pushed the park to its current 35 acres, and the 2025 debut of RiverRacers and Splash River Junction brought the total past 50 water activities. Kings Island has been owned by Six Flags since its 2024 acquisition of Cedar Fair, though Soak City itself has operated continuously through four names — WaterWorks, Crocodile Dundee’s Boomerang Bay, Boomerang Bay, and Soak City — and three ownership groups, from original developer Taft Broadcasting through Cedar Fair to Six Flags today.
Soak City Kings Island guide FAQs
Do you have to pay extra to get into Soak City at Kings Island?
No — Soak City is included free with any standard Kings Island day ticket or season pass. There is no separate water park admission. Extra costs only apply to add-ons like cabana rentals and locker rentals.
What are Soak City’s hours in 2026?
Soak City operates on a shorter seasonal schedule than the main Kings Island park, generally from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, with daily hours that vary by date. Check the official Kings Island calendar and hours page before visiting, since the water park can close for weather even when the main park stays open.
What is the biggest ride at Soak City?
Tropical Plunge, a multi-tower complex nearly seven stories tall with six slide experiences, is the park’s most prominent structure. RiverRacers, opened in 2025, is Ohio’s first dual-racing water coaster and the park’s newest headliner, with a 42-inch height minimum.
What is the height requirement for RiverRacers?
RiverRacers has a minimum height requirement of 42 inches. Most other tube-flume slides at Soak City, like Thunder Falls, require 40 inches, while kids’-area slides like Splash Landing require around 36 inches.
Can you bring your own tube or float into Soak City?
Personal flotation devices are generally allowed for use in the lazy river and wave pools, though policies can change season to season, so it’s worth confirming current rules before you pack one. Tubes needed for specific slide attractions are provided by the park.
When did Soak City open and what was it originally called?
The water park opened in 1989 as WaterWorks. It was later renamed Crocodile Dundee’s Boomerang Bay in 2004, shortened to Boomerang Bay in 2007, and rebranded Soak City in 2012 after a $10 million renovation.
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