California's Popular Bay Area Water Park Is Closing Indefinitely, But May Thrive Again

For nearly four decades, Raging Waters water park — later renamed CaliBunga – kept Bay Area families and teens cool during the peak of summer. Visitors flocked to the San Jose water park, the largest in the region, to fly down its 14 waterslides, swim in the 350,000-gallon wave pool, or relax on the lazy river. However, to the disappointment of many in the Bay Area – including Mayor Matt Mahan, who visited the park growing up – the City of San Jose announced on June 11, 2026, that the water park would be closed indefinitely, starting this season. Despite the bad news, there is a ray of hope: Mayor Mahan noted in the announcement that the closure is "temporary," as the city goes back to the drawing board to develop a revamped water park on the existing site. 

The 23-acre water park was operated by Palace Entertainment from 1985 until 2023, before the company ended its lease "due to low attendance," according to SF Gate. The next year, a second operator, California Dreamin' Entertainment Inc., rebranded and reopened the park as CaliBunga after investing millions of dollars in improvements and upgrades. However, throughout the lease, which ended in September 2025, it ran into extensive upkeep and maintenance costs, according to KQED. After a competitive bidding process, San Jose selected Lakeside Partners, a local company, to lead the park's future redevelopment. 

Per ABC7 News, there is no timeline to reopen the park. The city noted it will provide future updates on the Lake Cunningham Park website. During the construction, other parts of Lake Cunningham Park will stay open, and it will continue to host community events. 

While you'll find plenty of cool indoor water parks across the U.S. today, decades ago, Raging Waters was all the rage. During its heyday, Raging Waters was reportedly called "Club Med for teenagers" by the Santa Cruz Sentinel and was known for innovative waterslides and attractions. In its news release, San Jose outlined a vision to bring the park back to its glory days and, in the mayor's words, "build an aquatic destination worthy of the next generation." The city envisions the new entertainment area as having a "state-of-the-art water park, expanded aquatic amenities, and innovative interactive play areas designed to serve visitors of all ages." The revamp may mean that the existing waterslides will be removed to make way for new attractions. And with so many new developments underway, it's not clear if the park will be up and running by next year. 

In the meantime, San Jose still has several options to beat the heat. Four city pools will be open for recreational swims in the afternoon every day but Sunday. If you have younger children, Mayfair Park and Hellyer Park have splash pads. Another potential option is to visit nearby Fremont, "America's happiest city," and splash the day away at Aqua Adventure Waterpark.

San Jose is also near several local beaches that are in full swing during the summer season. Half Moon Bay, a gorgeous coastal city, has beaches for everyone, whether you surf or savor a relaxing sunset. Pop in the car, and you'll be at the sandy shores (and cold waters) of Half Moon Bay State Beach in an hour. Or, venture less than an hour south to Capitola, one of the best beach towns in Northern California.