About Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City, KS 

We Bring Joy to Families

Since opening our first lodge in Wisconsin Dells in 1997, Great Wolf Lodge has grown to 23 locations - and we're still expanding. We are proud to be North America's largest family of indoor water park hotel resorts. Our over 12,000 employees (we call ourselves Pack Members) are dedicated to our mission: Bringing Joy to Families. Every attraction, every experience, and every interaction is designed to create memories families will carry with them long after their visit.

Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City at a Glance

• Opened: 2003, the fourth location to join the Great Wolf Lodge family
• Address: 10401 Cabela Drive, Kansas City, KS 66111, near the Legends shopping outlets
• Suites: 281 suites in nine suite types, from 448 to 896 square feet, including standard, themed, and premium suites
• Largest suite: the Deluxe Wolf Den Suite, which sleeps up to eight guests in 896 square feet
• Guest elevators: 4
• In every suite: mini-fridge, coffee maker, and hair dryer; an iron and ironing board are available by request
• Microwaves: a microwave in every suite
• Check-in and check-out: check-in at 4:00 pm, check-out before 11:00 am
• Water park: 38,000 square feet, kept at 84°F year-round; open to overnight and Day Pass guests
• Features for young children: Cub Paw Pool and Whooping Hollow, with zero-depth entry and kid-sized slides
• Beyond the water park: MagiQuest, Laser Trail laser tag, Howl in One Mini Golf (outdoors in the warm-weather months), Oliver's Mining Co., Build-A-Bear Workshop, and Northern Lights Arcade
• Meeting space: 4,431 square feet, with three breakout rooms
• Fitness center: none at this lodge
• Wi-Fi: included throughout the lodge
• Pets: service animals only; other pets are not allowed

Our Story

Great Wolf Lodge originally started as Black Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin in 1997, and was one of the country's first indoor water park hotels. From here, we grew into a place where families could escape together, play together, and connect in a way that only a fully immersive resort experience makes possible.

Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City sits in the heart of the country at 10401 Cabela Drive in Kansas City, Kansas, near the popular Legends shopping outlets. It opened in 2003 as the company's fourth lodge. Today it is home to the Howling Wolf, a water slide found only in Kansas City, along with Laser Trail laser tag and an outdoor mini golf course.

Families who want to explore beyond the lodge have plenty to choose from. Kansas City lies on the border of Missouri and Kansas and is known for its barbecue, its many fountains, and its historic jazz district. The lodge's guide to things to do points families to Science City at Union Station, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and the Kansas City Zoo. History lovers can visit the National World War I Museum and Memorial, and racing fans the Kansas Speedway.

As Great Wolf Lodge has evolved, we've continued to innovate:

2000s:

• Great Wolf Lodge opened its second location, in Sandusky, Ohio, originally called Great Bear Lodge, beginning the journey to becoming America's largest group of indoor water park resorts.
• Great Wolf Lodge goes international, opening its first location outside the United States in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
• We added an interactive magical scavenger hunt game called MagiQuest at all lodges.

2010s:

• We added indoor adventure parks, complete with ropes courses, rock walls, and other attractions to complement our water parks.
• The GWL (Great Wolf Lodge) Scholarship was founded. To date, more than two million dollars has been distributed to Pack Members and their families to support their educational goals.
• Lodges began special seasonal activities and events that have included things like a life-size gingerbread house during our winter Snowland, giant spiders made from balloons during Howl-O-Ween, and duck racing down waterslides during the Summer Camp-In.

2020s:

• We launched The Great Wolf Pack, an exclusive animated series, featuring our beloved characters, including:
• Wiley Wolf – The adventurous, energetic leader of the pack. Wiley is curious, brave, and always ready to explore something new.
• Violet Wolf – Wiley's sister. She's creative, kind, and loves music, art, and helping friends solve problems.
• Brinley Bear – Friendly, thoughtful, and dependable. Brinley enjoys nature and often brings a calm, encouraging perspective to the group.
• Oliver Raccoon – The inventive tinkerer. Oliver loves building gadgets, experimenting, and figuring out clever solutions.
• Sammy Squirrel – Full of enthusiasm and optimism. Sammy is playful, energetic, and always excited to join the next adventure.
• We celebrated 25 years of making family memories.
• At Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City, Camp Critter Bar & Grille serves a casual a la carte American dinner, from burgers and sandwiches to steaks, pasta, and seafood, providing a delicious but relaxed sit-down dining option for guests.
• We rolled out private cabana rental options complete with covered seating, mini-fridge, safe, TV, towels, overhead fan, and space for up to eight guests at all water parks.
• We opened three new fourth-generation lodges in 10 months – our biggest expansion at one time.

Today, with 23 lodges across the United States and Canada, we're proud to welcome more than 10 million guests each year. As we've expanded, we've worked hard to make sure there's a Great Wolf Lodge a short drive away, no matter where you live.

Rooms Built for Families

At Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City, our guest suites are designed with families in mind. Unlike a standard hotel room, our suites are built for families, with layouts that sleep six to eight guests, so families can be together with enough space to relax after a day of fun.

Each lodge is a little different, but they all feature themed suites which embrace the Northwoods feel, including a separate kids' sleeping area with bunk beds built right into the room, turning bedtime into part of the adventure. Unlike a standard hotel, we love to embrace the fun of a weekend get-away with kids.

At Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City, there are 281 suites across nine suite types, from 448 to 896 square feet. Our Family Suites offer 448 square feet, with two queen beds and a full sleeper sofa for up to six guests, and some come with a balcony or patio. To make it easy to get to and from your room, the lodge has four guest elevators.

Themed suites put kids' fun front and center. The KidCabin Suite offers 544 square feet, with a queen bed, a bunk bed, a twin bed, and a full sleeper sofa for up to seven guests. It also has a fireplace and a balcony or patio. The Wolf Den Suite pairs a queen bed with a bunk bed and a full sleeper sofa for up to six. The KidKamp Suite has the same beds for up to six, plus a balcony or patio and two TVs.

Premium suites have room for extended families and groups traveling together. The Loft Fireplace Suite sleeps up to eight in 736 square feet, with two bedrooms, three queen beds, a full sleeper sofa, a fireplace, and a balcony or patio. The Majestic Bear Suite pairs a king bed and two queen beds with a full sleeper sofa and a breakfast bar for up to eight guests. The Royal Bear Suite sleeps up to six with a king bed, a queen bed, and a full sleeper sofa. Both Bear suites offer 836 square feet and a balcony or patio. The Deluxe Wolf Den Suite offers 896 square feet, with three queen beds, a bunk bed, two full sleeper sofas, two full baths, and two fridges for up to eight guests. Accessible versions of several suite types are available.

Every suite comes with a mini-fridge, a coffee maker, and a hair dryer. Irons and ironing boards are available on request. Every suite also has its own microwave. Every stay includes wolf ears for guests 12 and under.

Free Daily Events

Every lodge offers free daily activities for everyone who is staying overnight or visiting with a Day Pass. All these events are family-friendly and include things like morning family yoga, story time, character appearances, arts & crafts, games, and our signature nightly family dance parties.

Character appearances feature the Great Wolf Pack cast — Wiley Wolf, Violet Wolf, and their friends — which we know are meaningful for younger guests. We pay special attention to all the details to make sure our music is fun (and PG rated) and all activities work for every age group and ability level.

At the Kansas City lodge, the daily lineup includes Yoga Tails, Meet the Great Wolf Pack, Arts & Crafts, the MagiQuest Ceremony, Epic Story Time, and our Family Dance Party.

Attractions

Beyond the water park, Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City has attractions for every member of the pack. Strap on a vest for Laser Trail, an interactive laser tag game set in the animated world of The Great Wolf Pack, with two games to choose from. In the warm-weather months, Howl in One Mini Golf offers 18 holes outdoors, with traps, tricky shots, and giant animals. Pan for gemstones at Oliver's Mining Co. and take your collection home in a keepsake burlap bag. Then create a furry friend at Build-A-Bear Workshop and play for prizes at Northern Lights Arcade.

MagiQuest is one of the attractions outside the water park that sets Great Wolf Lodge apart from other water park resorts. It turns the lodge into a live-action interactive fantasy adventure game where guests are the star. Players choose a magic wand, top it with extra powers, and set off on a quest throughout the lodge.

Every day, the MagiQuest Ceremony welcomes our newest members into the order of the Magi. Check the Great Wolf app for event details.

Water Park

Water Park Attractions

The indoor water park is the heart of every Great Wolf Lodge: a massive, climate-controlled space kept at a comfortable 84°F year-round, regardless of the weather outside. Inside the water park, expect pools, slides, toddler areas, a giant water-tipping bucket, and much more.

At Great Wolf Lodge Kansas City, the indoor water park covers 38,000 square feet. The headline ride is the Howling Wolf, found only in Kansas City and the lodge's biggest water slide. Ride solo or bring up to three more of your pack. You twist, turn, and dip on a high-speed trip outside the water park walls before the final drop into the plunge pool. The Triple Twist drops tubes into three funnels in a row, with superfast twists and turns. Alberta Falls races tandem tubes through four stories of banking turns, outside the building and back in again.

For a slower pace, float the Crooked Creek lazy river, cross the giant floating lily pads and cargo nets at Big Foot Pass, or shoot hoops at Chinook Cove. The four-story Fort Mackenzie treehouse is filled with interactive water toys and body slides, and Totem Towers offers gentle slides sized for small and tall alike. Our youngest guests have their own spaces: Cub Paw Pool welcomes toddlers with geysers, tiny kiddie slides, and an 18-inch "deep" end, and Whooping Hollow has smaller slides just right for little ones.

Grown-ups can unwind in the North Hot Springs, reserved for adults 18 or older, while the South Hot Springs welcomes guests of all ages. Open seasonally, weather permitting, the outdoor Raccoon Lagoon pool offers a three-foot, six-inch deep play area with plenty of poolside seating. The water park is included with every overnight stay. For families visiting for the day, Day Passes are available, including a Half Day Pass from 4:00 pm to close.

Safety

At Great Wolf Lodge we take safety seriously. We are proud to have a partnership with Ellis & Associates, the global leader in aquatic safety and risk management. Every lifeguard at our facility is trained through the International Lifeguard Training Program™ (ILTP®). This training includes advanced water rescue techniques and emergency care. Lifeguards must pass both written and practical evaluations and maintain proficiency through regular testing and certification renewals.

We also use the Ellis Aquatic Vigilance System (EAVS) which uses high-definition analytic cameras to help monitor every body of water in our lodges. We combine our diligent and well-trained on-deck lifeguards with the live feeds monitored by a certified lifeguard in the onsite control room to provide even more attention to safety.

Local Events

Plan your trip around a favorite local tradition: the Renaissance Festival, held each fall. No matter when you visit, Kansas City's museums, zoos, and famous barbecue give families plenty to explore on the way to or from the lodge.

Our Values

We take our company values seriously and incorporate them into how we treat each other and guests.

• We Are One Pack: We help every Pack Member feel they belong. We assume positive intent, and listen with empathy and curiosity.
• We Improve Every Day: We always reach for more. We value feedback as fuel for growth and stay adaptable in the face of change.
• We Get It Done With Care: We're creative in finding solutions, take pride and ownership in our work, and we celebrate the wins — big and small.

Accessibility

To support our mission of Bringing Joy to Families, we want all kids to feel welcome and supported in our lodges.

Sensory Accessibility

We have partnered with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), an organization that specializes in autism and neurodiversity training. You'll find sensory guidelines to help evaluate all water slides, pools, attractions, arcade, shows, and activities. Each item is rated and described for expected sound, lighting, touch, smell and movement. This allows families to plan activities based on their child's sensory preferences before arriving at the lodge. We know, with many kids, a little planning goes a long way.

As part of the IBCCES partnership, Pack Members receive training designed to help them better support autistic guests, sensory-sensitive children, and neurodivergent families.

Physical Accessibility

For guests with physical disabilities, we work hard to ensure guests can experience as many attractions as possible. We offer ADA-compliant guest rooms, accessible entrances and parking, pool lifts, sloped entries, or transfer systems (depending on the attraction), and closed captioning or transcripts for certain entertainment experiences, including MagiQuest content where applicable.

Service animals

Great Wolf Lodge permits trained service animals throughout the resort, including most public areas. Because of health regulations, service animals are not allowed in or immediately adjacent to pools, but they are welcome in other accessible areas of the water park.

Our Leadership

Great Wolf Resorts is led by a team of experienced hospitality professionals united by a shared passion for families, team members, and operational excellence. We are proud that many of our lodge General Managers and Assistant General Managers start as front-line Pack Members. Supporting Pack Members and providing training and professional development is part of how we Improve Every Day both at lodges and at our corporate support center, in Chicago, Illinois.

The General Manager of the Kansas City, Kansas lodge is Ricardo Hurtado, supported by an experienced and professional staff leading Aquatics, Attractions and Retail, Engineering, Entertainment, Finance, Food and Beverage, Group Sales, Guest Services, Housekeeping, Human Resources, Security, and Technology. There is always a manager on duty to support guests with anything they may need during their stay.

One of our Pack Members has been part of the Kansas City team since the lodge first opened in 2003.

Recognition

Great Wolf Lodge has been recognized repeatedly as one of the best family resort destinations in North America, including:

• 10 Best Indoor Water Parks — USA Today (2026)
• Best Family-Friendly Waterpark — WhereverFamily (2025)
• Best Play-filled Water Park - Good Housekeeping Family Travel (2025)
• 24 Best Water Parks in the U.S. - U.S. News & World Report (2025)
• National Family Travel Award – Parents Family Travel Awards (2023)

Great Wolf Lodge is a great place to work, and was cited by Newsweek as one of "America's Greatest Workplaces" for diversity, for women, and for Gen Z!

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Wolf Out With Us

With 23 lodges across the United States and Canada, you are probably just a short drive away from a great adventure for your pack. Each Great Wolf Lodge features our signature indoor water park, themed accommodations, restaurants, a full arcade, and free daily events and activities designed for every member of the family, from toddlers to grandparents.

Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. Chicago, Illinois www.greatwolf.com

Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. is owned by Blackstone.