Related: Frank Buck Zoo / Clyde Peelings's Reptiland / ZDT's Amusement Park / Bowcraft Amusement Park

Sandcastle Water Park is located just minutes from downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Route 837, between the Homestead High Level and Glenwood bridges.

The water park opened in 1989 yet the exact location for its construction could hardly have been envisaged as the site upon which it resides was originally the railroad yard of the giant U.S. Steel Homestead Works which had long since been abandoned. In fact, if you visit the water park today, it’s unimaginable to think that over 7 miles of railroad track had to be removed prior to its construction and the plunge pools into which the fun-packed slides dump their riders were originally just a dense mass of overgrown vegetation.

Today, the water park features 14 turning, twisting and plunging waterslides which include both tube slides and body slides. Some of the most popular are the Lightning Express – an extreme body slide -  and then there’s also Blue Tubaluba, Boardwalk Blasters, Cliff Hangers, Thunder Run and Tuber Towers.

The water park also has two special areas for younger children. There’s the Tad Pool – a children’s swimming pool – and Wet Willie’s Water Works which is a children’s playground at the water park. Surrounding the whole water park is the Lazy River where you can float gently on a tube for hours.

One of the real beauties of this water park is that families who have children who are old enough not to be constantly supervised can get away and relax in the water park’s Sandbar Pool area. Here, you can chill out and listen to the sounds of the waterfall whilst enjoying plenty of lounge chair seating and a friendly waitress service whilst taking a cool dip in the pool.

The water park has a great setting these days, on a resort type boardwalk with magnificent views overlooking the Monongahela River with a beautiful green wooded hillside providing a picturesque backdrop.