Splish Splash Opens in Riverhead
In 1991, Long Island’s first and only water park opened its doors in Riverhead. Splish Splash Water Park was founded on farmland by exit 72 off the Long Island Expressway. Chip Cleary previously worked at Adventureland in Farmingdale. Cleary created Splish Splash with partner Tony Gentile with the idea of making an amusement park with water rides for all.
The 32-acre water park opened with two kiddie pools, two tube slides, three body slides, a family raft ride, two speed slides and a 1,300-foot “lazy river.” Over the years new attractions have been added, including a 20,000 square foot wave pool that opened in 1995. Today, Splish Splash sits on 96 acres and features rides like Dr. Von Dark’s Tunnel of Terror, Shotgun Falls and Alien Invasion. It is rated one of America’s Top 10 water parks by the Travel Channel.
