Located in Bloomington, Minnesota, it is a half mile from the Mall of America and close to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

The lazy river was ridden on a one-person or two-person inner tube through “caves,” under bridges and waterfalls, and past pools.

The water park also provided free life-vests for children which could be brought as long as one was a Coast Guard approved flotation device.

The Northern Lights Arcade was located between the entrance to the water park and the main lobby of the hotel.

Before the Great Wolf Lodge takeover, the water park had its own set of characters geared towards children.

Hobey hailed from Eveleth, Minnesota, and enjoyed fishing, picking berries, and wandering the North Woods.

Garry the Groundhog is a distant cousin of Goldy Gopher, the famous and much-beloved mascot for the University of Minnesota sports teams.

Garry liked to keep a decidedly lower profile, basking in the warm waters of the St. Croix Lazy River, snacking on berries and nuts, and finding cozy spaces to burrow and take a nap.

Ollie the Otter joined the team at Water Park of America after Hobey saw him fishing on the banks of the Minnesota River.

After showing Hobey some tricks of the trade, Ollie was invited to join the helpful team at Water Park of America.

She loved eating delicious food at the Water Park of America and snoozing near the FlowRider.