Raging Waves opens on Memorial Day weekend with a new video wall and upgraded amenities
The 2025 season at Raging Waves, Illinois’ largest waterpark, is bringing a wave of major upgrades, including a stadium-style AquaVision Video Wall at the wave pool, upgraded private VIP cabanas, new 500-person shaded picnic pavilions for group events, enhanced food and beverage offerings, and expanded park hours.
The improvements at the waterpark, located at 4000 N. Bridge St. in Yorkville, is designed to boost convenience, comfort, and entertainment.
“We’re excited to kick off the season on May 24 — our earliest opening day in years. With our new season pass offerings and improvements around every corner of the park, this will be the summer to remember at Raging Waves,” said Jeff Hansen, general manager. “Illinois’ largest waterpark is going big in 2025, and we can’t wait for our guests to experience all the improvements when we open on Memorial Day weekend.
Season passes are Raging Waves’ best value for admission, offering unlimited access to the park all summer long.
During the park opening Flash Sale — running now through June 1 — these passes are available at the lowest prices of the summer, with flexible pricing based on quantity.
The Gold Pass includes admission for the entire 2025 season; 50% off standard parking; one free friend one-day ticket valid through the end of June; 25% savings on friend tickets any day; 10% off food, beverage, and retail purchases (excluding alcohol); and 10% off weekday cabana rentals. Gold Passes are priced as low as $74.99 each when guests buy four or more, $79.99 each when guests buy two or three, and $84.99 for a single pass.
For those looking for even more perks, the Platinum Pass includes 2025 season admission; free standard parking; two Platinum guest one-day tickets valid any day in 2025; 50% off friend tickets any day; 15% off food, beverage, and retail purchases (excluding alcohol); 15% off weekday cabana rentals; and Platinum early entry on select days. Platinum Passes are available for as low as $84.99 each when guests buy four or more, $89.99 each for two or three, and $94.99 for a single pass.
Finally, for guests for whom entrance all summer long is all they need, the Silver Pass offers unlimited visits during the 2025 season for as low as $69.99 each in quantities of 4 or more. For details, visit www.ragingwaves.com/pass.
Upgrades to Raging Waves’ Park entries and amenities have further improved the guest experience for a season of fun.
New attractions
A major upgrade is coming to Raging Waves, starting with the addition of the AquaVision Video Wall, a massive, stadium-sized LED video screen — two stories tall and as wide as a tennis court — on the back wall of the Barrier Reef Wave Pool.
This new feature brings a fresh burst of visual energy with movies, music videos, and other interactive experiences. Along with the screen, the wave pool’s back wall also has a stunning new mural design to enhance its overall aesthetic.
To improve guest experience, more tubes and family rafts have been added at various attractions, speeding up lines and increasing capacity.
Additionally, new special events for both families and adults are on the way for 2025, offering even more ways to enjoy the park.
New food and beverage offerings
Boomerang Grill (formerly Shark Bite Café) and Hungry Croc have undergone major upgrades with larger order windows and kitchen improvements, creating more points of sale to help speed up lines. The park is also introducing new food and beverage offerings, including gourmet popcorn and frozen cocktails, adding even more flavor to the experience.
For larger groups, new shaded pavilions with an adjacent volleyball and activities area will be available, offering enhanced food and alcohol service options for catered events ranging from 50 to 500 guests.
Group parties or events
Raging Waves offers a variety of group event opportunities with the new Paradise Pavilions private catering area, perfect for any occasion from company picnics to birthday parties and school outings.
Groups of 15 to 49 can enjoy discounted tickets, while larger groups of 50 or more can access exclusive perks, including private catered meals and all-you-can-eat options.
The park provides a range of exclusive catering menu options ranging from classics like hamburgers and hot dogs to more elevated and custom options, ensuring a memorable experience with delicious food and shaded seating.
Park entry enhancements
To enhance the guest experience, the park has added more guest service windows at the ticketing plaza, streamlining season pass and ticket transactions, group sales ticket pickups, and other services.
The entrance gate also features significant upgrades, with additional bag-check tables, a tripling of ticket scanning stations, and increased overall throughput capacity.
New shade structures will keep guests comfortable while waiting in entrance queues, and parking lot tollbooth transaction capacity has doubled, speeding up arrival times for everyone. Additionally, season passes can now be added to Apple and Google Wallet, making purchases easily available on smartphones and watches.
Park amenity enhancements
The park is introducing multiple new VIP cabanas, complete with a dedicated check-in desk, while refreshing existing cabanas throughout the park with premium furniture, ceiling fans and power outlets for a more luxurious experience. New landscaping and walkway renovations will not only beautify the park but also improve foot traffic flow. Meanwhile, an upgraded audio system will enhance sound quality, creating a lively and festive atmosphere for all to enjoy.
“Coming off our best-ever season in 2024, we’ve been hard at work on ways to make every visit to Raging Waves a fun, memorable experience,” Hansen said. “We listened to guest feedback and are focusing on exciting enhancements like our enormous new AquaVision Video Wall at the wave pool, plus improvements to speed of service and overall comfort to create the perfect summer adventure for our guests.”
More information on Raging Waves can be found at www.ragingwaves.com and on social media @ragingwaves on Instagram and Facebook.