Mt. Olympus rotating waterslide to open in Wisconsin Dells

Medusa's Slidewheel at Mt. Olympus

Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park Resort will open "Medusa's Slidewheel" – America's first rotating waterslide – Saturday, May 28. It is part of Mt. Olympus' newly expanded indoor water park.

The two to four-person raft ride combines the movement of a Ferris wheel with the speed of a waterslide, with the intricate tangle of tubes rotating, a news release said. The only other slidewheels in the world are located in Poland and China. 

Medusa’s Slidewheel stands 80 feet tall and is more than 100 feet wide, with the Ferris wheel-like portion spinning three full rotations every minute. The way the tubes are looped together means riders will slide both forwards and backwards over the course of the 96 seconds riders zip through it. Riders must be 42 inches tall to ride.

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Computer safety controls monitor the flow of the water and the rotational speed with additional safety sensors used for the conveyors, the news release said. 

Medusa’s Slidewheel is the centerpiece of the expanded indoor water park at the resort, with 22,500 square feet added to accommodate a new children’s splash zone and a swimming area. The cost of Medusa’s Slidewheel attraction plus the indoor water park expansion is estimated at $23 million.