Our Overnight at Great Wolf Lodge

Gurnee, IL

We had Great Wolf Lodge on our radar to take our kids since it is only 15 minutes away. A friend mentioned the Groupon deal for Great Wolf, which significantly decreased the price. Picking a day during the week brought the price down even more. This was an excellent choice for starting winter break.

What to know about Great Wolf Lodge before you visit.

The location in Gurnee, IL is located about an hour from Chicago and an hour from Milwaukee, right off the interstate for easy access.
The waterpark is 80,000 SF and is kept at 84 degrees.
Waterpark hours can differ over the course of the year but are generally 10 AM to 8 PM.
You get access to the waterpark at 1 PM the day you check in and all day on the day of checkout.
The waterpark does sell day passes for outside guests but the cost is high, Trust me that it makes more sense to purchase a hotel room for an overnight that includes waterpark passes for your family than to buy individual day passes.

Amenities at Great Wolf Lodge

The main reason we booked a stay at Great Wolf was to have access to the indoor waterpark.

The waterpark includes a splash pad, an interactive four-story treehouse with sprinklers and slides, a wave pool, a lazy river, a pool with basketball hoops, multiple body slides, two single or double tube slides, and two large raft rides.

The Northern Lights Arcade was a fun place to spend some time playing games before the waterpark opened the following morning.

In addition, there is a miniature golf course, climbing wall, mining adventure, ropes course, miniature blowing alley, and a Magiquest game. We didn’t make time for any of these extras, but the kids were very interested in the Magiquest game. Something to remember for next time.

Accommodations at Great Wolf Lodge

There are a variety of room types to pick from including standard, themed, and premium rooms. We stayed in the Junior Cabin Suite because the setup made the most sense for our family. The room included a queen bed and a separate cabin area for the kids with a bunk and twin bed. This setup was the same as what we stayed in during our stay at the Blue Harbor Resort last winter.

Restaurants at Great Wolf Lodge

There are a variety of restaurants to choose from at Great Wolf Lodge. Restaurants to sit down at include Barnwood and Campfire Kitchen, There are a variety of places you can grab food, drinks, or snacks from as well. We enjoyed the in-hotel Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and The Water Hole to grab drinks at within the waterpark.

Events at Great Wolf Lodge

Events at the hotel are included with your stay at no additional charge. These include storytime, arts and crafts, trivia, bingo, yoga, and even a dance party. Two of my children were still up at 9 PM and requested to attend the jammie dance party.

Complete with a dance instructor and falling snow. It was just what we needed to tire them out for bed.

Great Wolf Lodge is a fun, entertaining place for an overnight.

Before leaving, at the end of our second day of waterpark enjoyment, we visited the gift shop for our own stuffed wolves to take home.

There is so much to do at Great Wolf Lodge that fits most kids ages, from toddler to teen. The holiday decorations and theme at this time of year added a magical touch to our stay. I recommend trying out Great Wolf next time your family wants to do an overnight and be entertained without leaving the resort grounds.