Aquatic Center Abe Martin Lodge

Dane, Kase, and Wes Alspaugh.

~ story and photos by Chrissy Alspaugh

Staying indoors just isn’t an option for kids feeling frisky during summer vacation.

Thankfully, Abe Martin Lodge’s indoor aquatic center was a mere 15-minute drive away when my boy brigade awoke one rainy morning in June.

Nestled inside the Brown County State Park’s inn, the water park features a zeroentry swimming pool, water slide, lazy river, fountains, water volleyball, a hot tub for adults, and a whirlpool with a waterfall. The aquatic center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“A lot of people don’t even know all this is back here!” said lodge General Manager Gary Berquist.

Day passes cost $20 per swimmer. Overnight inn guests receive complimentary aquatic center wristbands with their stay. The number of day passes available depends on how full the inn is that day, and Berquist recommends calling ahead to check availability.

Going to the aquatic center didn’t require an exhausting amount of prep and packing, like so many destinations with kids. We just had to grab our swimsuits and go. The aquatic center provides towels, and I knew we could eat at the Little Gem Restaurant on the second floor of the lodge. The restaurant, open to the public, welcomes casually-dressed diners with family-friendly breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus in a non-smoking dining room, or on the outdoor patio overlooking the park.

Walking into the aquatic center, my boys couldn’t kick their shoes off fast enough. My five-year-old, Wes, headed straight for what he called the “spinning water shooters.” Eight-year-old Kase excitedly eyed the water slide, and eleven-year-old Dane couldn’t wait to try to beat me in water volleyball.

While there’s something for everyone at this 82-degree 63,000-gallon playground, one of my favorite parts is that its size and layout clearly had watchful parents in mind. Throughout our day, even though we were occasionally playing at different features, we all could easily check in with a smile and a wave.

Front-desk receptionist Omii Weaver—after joking that she and her son swam there so often that she decided she should join the staff—said adults love the water park as much as children.

“It’s hilarious to see groups of adults playing on the water slide,” Weaver said, laughing. “It’s just such a great place for families. There’s really no place like this anywhere close by.”

The unique indoor aquatic center, combined with the draw of the surrounding state park, lured Michelle Kendall and her family down to Brown County from their home in Columbia City. She said her family loves the state park atmosphere, and the price of the water park couldn’t be beaten.

Evie Boling and Teresa Boling.

Berquist said many aquatic center guests swim in between enjoying some of the state park’s many other family-friendly activities: hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, fishing, picnicking, and visiting the playgrounds or nature center.

“My very favorite part is the water slide,” said four-year-old Oliver Kendall.

My boys’ least-favorite parts of our visit were the aquatic center’s 15-minute safety breaks. But they quickly realized we could use that time to buy snacks and trinkets in the lodge’s gift shop and explore the lodge. Built in 1932 of hand-hewn native stone and oak timbers that were cut in the park, the lodge is open year-round and boasts two large lobbies, fireplaces, patio rooms, and ballrooms. We loved finding fun facts sprinkled throughout the lodge about the American newspaper comic strip Abe Martin and its creator, Kin Hubbard.

And after spending the day at the water park with her family, Lafayette resident Misty Arenas said she, too, couldn’t wait to come back.

“We came down for our first time just looking for indoor swimming, and the kids are loving it,” Arenas said. “It’s really affordable, a super close drive, and we can picnic and hike. It’s just perfect.”

For more information, call 812-988-4418 or visit <in.gov/dnr/state-parks/inns/abemartin-lodge-at-brown-county-state-park/>.