Jack and Andrew Waterman: The Visionary Brothers Who Redefined American Waterpark Culture

Jack and Andrew Waterman were brothers from Wisconsin who co-founded two of the most recognized waterpark brands in the United States Noah's Ark Waterpark and Great Wolf Lodge.

Before waterparks, they built a successful amusement company together. Their combined work turned a small Midwest town into what is now known as the Waterpark Capital of the World.

A Wisconsin Dynasty Already Woven Into the Land

Long before Jack and Andrew Waterman changed the face of American recreation, the Waterman name was already inseparable from Wisconsin Dells.

Five generations of the family had operated a hotel in the area, and in a tradition that speaks volumes about their sense of identity, each generation passed down the name Andrew Waterman to their son.

Jack and Andrew "Turk" Waterman were the generation that didn't walk away from that legacy they exploded it into something the world hadn't seen before.

The original family hotel was modest in every sense. No indoor plumbing, two stoves, pipes snaking up to the ceiling to warm the second floor.

What the brothers eventually constructed stood in another universe compared to those humble beginnings.

Family-owned hospitality businesses in small towns rarely cross over into national brand territory. The Watermans are a genuine outlier.

Their story is proof of just how exceptional it is for a founder-driven, community-rooted venture to scale into a name recognized across an entire country.

Midwest Amusements: The Business That Laid the Groundwork

Before a single waterslide existed, Jack and Andrew Waterman were in the shooting gallery business.

The two brothers co-founded Midwest Amusements, a carnival-style amusements company that eventually scaled into one of the largest shooting gallery operations across the United States.

On the surface, it seems like an unlikely origin story but look closer and the logic is unmistakable.

Running a traveling amusement operation demands a deep understanding of crowds, seasonal rhythms, and crafting experiences people are genuinely drawn to. Every skill they sharpened there translated directly into what came next.

What often goes unnoticed is that Midwest Amusements proved the brothers could function as a genuine business partnership, not just as family.

They had a working track record together before they ever broke ground on anything larger. That foundation two co-founders building something neither could have achieved alone mirrors the structure seen repeatedly behind the most enduring brands in American business history.

Noah's Ark Waterpark: The Venture That Rewrote the Map

In 1979, Jack and Andrew Waterman opened Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells. At that point, Wisconsin Dells was a quiet, modest community. Noah's Ark rewrote its identity entirely.

The park expanded steadily and drew families not just from within Wisconsin but from across the entire Midwest.

According to Wikipedia entry on Noah's Ark Water Park, the park holds its position as the largest outdoor waterpark in the United States, featuring 51 water slides and dozens of individual attractions spread across its expansive grounds.

Ownership has since transferred to Herschend, but the physical and cultural footprint left behind belongs to the Watermans.

Wisconsin Dells today holds the highest concentration of waterparks anywhere on the planet a distinction that can be traced in a straight line back to what two brothers launched in 1979.

The right concept. The right location. The right moment in time. That alignment is rarer than most people appreciate.

Great Wolf Lodge: Pioneering an Entirely New Category of Resort

Jack and Andrew Waterman weren't done after building the country's largest outdoor waterpark. In 1997, the brothers launched what would eventually become Great Wolf Lodge, debuting under the name Black Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells.

The idea was simple in concept but radical in execution: attach a fully operational indoor waterpark to a complete resort, built to run every month of the year regardless of weather. Families no longer had to wait for summer.

That proposition connected instantly with the market.The name evolved to Great Wolf Lodge in 1997, and along with it came a deliberate visual identity warm timbered lodge aesthetics, log cabin-style interiors, antler chandeliers throughout.

Nothing about it felt accidental or generic. The indoor waterpark resort as a distinct hospitality category was essentially invented here.

Great Wolf Lodge is now recognized as North America's largest family of indoor waterpark resorts.

The brand passed through successive corporate ownership: Apollo Global Management acquired it in 2012 for $703 million, and later, as reported by Reuters, Centerbridge Partners acquired it in 2015 for $1.35 billion.

Those figures are a direct measure of the commercial value locked inside the concept the Watermans originally brought to life.

Key Milestones: Jack and Andrew Waterman at a Glance

Year	Milestone	Significance
Pre-1979	Founded Midwest Amusements	One of the largest shooting gallery companies in the U.S.
1979	Launched Noah's Ark Waterpark	Now the largest outdoor waterpark in the U.S.; transformed Wisconsin Dells
1997	Founded Black Wolf Lodge / Great Wolf Lodge	First indoor waterpark resort chain in North America
2000	Andrew inducted into WWA Hall of Fame	Recognized as a founding member of the World Waterpark Association
2012	Great Wolf Resorts acquired by Apollo for $703M	Reflects scale of the brand built on the Watermans' foundation
2013	Andrew receives Lifetime Achievement Award	Honored by Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau
2015	Centerbridge acquires Great Wolf for $1.35B	Further validates the lasting commercial value of their concept
2017	Andrew "Turk" Waterman passes away, age 77	End of an era for the American waterpark industry

The Recognition Andrew "Turk" Waterman Earned

Andrew Waterman known throughout the industry as Turk became the public carrier of the brothers' shared legacy into formal professional recognition.

He was a founding member of the World Waterpark Association, the central industry organization for waterpark operators worldwide.

The WWA inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2013, the Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau presented him with a lifetime achievement award, honoring what he and Jack had collectively meant to the region over decades.

When Turk passed away on June 29, 2017, at age 77, Great Wolf Lodge issued a formal tribute acknowledging his foundational role in building what became North America's largest family of indoor waterpark resorts.

He was survived by his wife Judy, four children, and ten grandchildren.Jack Waterman's individual recognition is less thoroughly documented in public records.

His role as co-founder of Midwest Amusements and Noah's Ark is well established the specific details of his later contributions and current status are not available in existing public sources.

The Industry They Built and the Town They Transformed

Two brands. One small Wisconsin town. A multi-billion dollar industry.That is the compressed version of what Jack and Andrew Waterman accomplished together.

Noah's Ark Waterpark and Great Wolf Lodge didn't simply achieve commercial success they established the templates that an entire industry followed.

The outdoor waterpark as a regional anchor destination. The indoor waterpark resort as a year-round family getaway. Both models are now standard across the hospitality landscape.

Wisconsin Dells went from a quiet community to the Waterpark Capital of the World. That transformation wasn't accidental.

It happened because two brothers from a five-generation hotel family chose to imagine something far beyond what anyone around them was building at the time.

Founding vision has a long reach and Great Wolf Lodge, decades and multiple ownership changes later, still reflects the original idea Jack and Andrew Waterman put into the world.

Closing Thoughts

Jack and Andrew Waterman built two landmark American waterpark brands out of a small Wisconsin town, beginning with a carnival shooting gallery operation and arriving at a concept the market eventually valued at over a billion dollars.

Their work didn't just build a business it shaped an entire industry. Wisconsin Dells still reflects that today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Jack and Andrew Waterman found together?

Jack and Andrew Waterman co-founded Midwest Amusements, Noah's Ark Waterpark in 1979, and Great Wolf Lodge in 1997. Together, these ventures established them as two of the most consequential figures in American waterpark history.

What is Noah's Ark Waterpark and who owns it now?

Noah's Ark is the largest outdoor waterpark in the United States, located in Wisconsin Dells. Jack and Andrew Waterman founded it in 1979. It is currently owned by Herschend.

When did Great Wolf Lodge start and who founded it?

Great Wolf Lodge was founded by Jack and Andrew Waterman in 1997 in Wisconsin Dells, originally operating under the name Black Wolf Lodge. It was the first indoor waterpark resort chain in North America.

What was Midwest Amusements?

Midwest Amusements was a shooting gallery company Jack and Andrew Waterman founded before entering the waterpark business. It grew into one of the largest operations of its kind in the United States.

When did Andrew "Turk" Waterman die?

Andrew "Turk" Waterman passed away on June 29, 2017, at the age of 77. He was a founding member of the World Waterpark Association and a WWA Hall of Fame inductee.