About
Great Wolf Lodge | Illinois in Gurnee is a popular family-friendly resort known for its massive indoor water park, featuring slides, wave pools, and interactive play areas. Beyond the water park, it offers themed suites, a variety of dining options, an arcade, mini-golf, a ropes course, and the MagiQuest interactive game, making it a comprehensive destination for year-round entertainment.
The water in the indoor water park attractions at Great Wolf Lodge | Illinois is typically maintained at a comfortable 84 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 29 degrees Celsius).
What are people saying (AI review summary)? text: "People say this resort hotel offers a fun indoor water park with slides, a lazy river, and a wave pool, as well as an arcade, bowling, and mini golf. They also highlight the family-friendly atmosphere, the helpful and friendly staff, and the clean rooms and facilities.\n\nOther reviews mention the food can be expensive." language_code: "en-US"
Location
Gallery
Amenities
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Good for Children
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Accepts Credit Cards
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Accessible Entrance
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Accessible Restroom
Reviews
Listing Reviews
July 30th, 2025Beans Baby
Here is a review on my stay at The Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee, and while there were a few positive moments during our visit, the overall experience has been disappointing—especially for a stay that cost over $1,000. Room & Cleanliness Issues: The pullout bed in our room had large black stains on the mattress, which was extremely off-putting. We also experienced technical issues with the in-room electronics. The TV would randomly shut off—possibly due to electrical wiring—and we had to call an engineer twice because the volume wasn’t working properly in different areas of the room. Maintenance was responsive, but these are issues that should’ve been resolved before guests arrive. Also, the rooms could use a deep clean and scrub. The bathroom contained stained mold around the top layer of the shower. The room needs a good refresh and deep clean. Waterpark Concerns: At the waterpark, we were told by staff that there was a major shortage of tubes for the lazy river. The one tube we did find was completely deflated. Given that the waterpark is one of the main attractions, this was disappointing and made it difficult to enjoy the experience. I also had to step in while a group of teenage boys were trying to hold a younger boy under the water. After speaking to the parent of the boy they were bullying she told me they were targeting him the whole day pulling his dreads and calling him racial names. This was alarming to me because staff was told and these teenage boys were just asked to “stop”. Also, the cleanliness of the pool was dirty, the safety ropes floating in the pool had debri build up and needed to be cleaned. Safety Incident: One of the most concerning parts of our stay was an incident that took place in the wave pool. Two men were holding a woman in a cradle position while she was actively yelling at them to put her down (she did not know these men) clearly stating that they were harassing her. I immediately reported this to a lifeguard, and to their credit, the team responded right away. However, when I followed up at the front desk, I was told by the head of security that the individuals were not removed from the property—they were simply asked to remain in their rooms. I found this response very alarming, especially since I had heard from SEVERAL guests that these same individuals had harassed multiple women and minor girls and boys. For a family-focused resort, this type of situation should be handled with far more urgency and accountability. Positive Highlights: Despite the issues, I do want to acknowledge a few positive experiences. My child received fantastic service at the MagiQuest gift shop—the staff there were friendly, helpful, and made their day. We also had a great experience at the candy shop, where the employees were kind and patient. Pizza was also great too! Overall: I’m disappointed by the number of issues we encountered during our stay—especially considering the price and the resort’s reputation. While some staff members were exceptional, the cleanliness, safety concerns, and lack of resources really impacted our ability to enjoy what should have been a special and memorable family trip. At best this trip was not worth the over $1000 price tag.
August 20th, 2025Hayley Hudson
Staff is mostly friendly, rooms and play areas are clean for the most part. Wave pool was pretty dirty with so much strands of hair floating around we ended up getting out. Extremely annoying that the kids are up and ready to go by 7am and the attractions don’t open until 9 and the water park doesn’t open until 10. “Quiet time” wasn’t honored or enforced by the staff and we had kids running down the hallway screaming until midnight. Edit: if someone else booked the room for you that will not be present, they make you fill out a credit card authorization form and leave the line and wait over 30 minutes for them to receive the form. This could have easily been something they could have mentioned on the site when booking, instead we were met with an extremely rude check in rep who said this whole process was “tedious” and I’d be better off just cancelling and redoing my reservation and “pay for it yourself” was his recommendation. The form wasn’t tedious, it took 2 minutes. When I was done waiting my 30 minutes he told me I had to wait and got back in line I was met with another rep who told me he never should have made me leave the line for something so simple. Clearly training on their front desk staff needs to be revisited. The attitude of the first employee you see sets the tone for the rest of the stay and I nearly cancelled the trip because of his smug remarks. Edit AGAIN: spent $100 at “hungry as a wolf” for a pizza, wings and pasta… and we all have food poisoning.
August 22nd, 2025Alexis Gottschalk
I took my 3 y.o here for her birthday. Purchased the Wolf pass, birthday package, breakfast and food credits for a very reasonable price. Every staff member is kind and welcoming, but Arealle at the front desk is exceptional. She knows the answer to every question and will give you a rundown of what to expect and best parking spots upon check in. She was amazing!!! Our room was ready hours prior to check in. The lifeguards at the water park are very attentive to the kids. There is multiple activities for kids throughout the day too. The staff here does an exceptional job creating a fun and safe environment for the kids. I can say with confidence this is one of the best resorts we have stayed at.
July 27th, 2025barbara wray
Great vacation. Nice to be able relax not worry about my grandson's safety. He enjoyed all the activities. The staff is great. Food choices limited for dinner but door dash changes that. It is worth the cost. There is an adult only hot tub. You park your car, put on your flip flops and chill. There is a fireworks show every night you can see from Kings Island. Nice way to end the night
July 31st, 2025Wafa Abdelhadi
It was a very enjoyable stay. Everyone is very nice. Rooms were clean. I wanted to recognize Marc at the Build A Bear. He was amazing with my 5 yr old grandson. He’s polite and patient. His caring personality and great smile is exemplary of a person that enjoys helping people and is a great employee. Great wolf lodge is lucky to have him. Please take care of him as I see great potential in him being a leader here one day. Thank you Marc!
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Opening Hours
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Monday | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Thursday | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Friday | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Saturday | 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM |