Great Wolf Lodge South Florida officially marked its grand opening Thursday morning, welcoming families from across the region to explore the new resort’s expansive amenities.
The facility has been open at a limited capacity since September.
The resort-style theme park includes:
- 92,000-square-foot indoor water park
- Outdoor pools
- 61,000-square-foot adventure park
- 500 suites
- 15 dining and shopping options
"This has been really a two-year process to break ground right here in Collier County. A $275 million investment. We've created 675 jobs in the process," said general manager Jason Bays.
Former NFL star Rob Gronkowski was a special guest, bringing his trademark enthusiasm as he rode each of the lodge’s 12 water slides with children who were in attendance thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
"I'm the biggest kid out there. What better way to start your day than on all 12 of these waterslides right here. It’s been one of the funnest mornings I’ve ever had," Gronkowski said.
In a move to support local recovery efforts, Great Wolf Lodge announced charitable contributions tied to the grand opening. For each slide Gronkowski rode with the children, the company pledged $5,000 to Make-A-Wish, totaling $60,000.
"It was really cool because the Great Wolf Lodge, they teamed up with Make-A-Wish and I've been doing 'make a wishes' for like 15 years now, ever since I was on the Patriots, because the Patriots do such a wonderful job. With that connection and making all these kids' wishes come true, it's just an amazing thing," Gronkowski said.
Additionally, $10 from every room booked this week will go to the American Red Cross to support hurricane relief for victims of both Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. The previous Great Wolf Lodge grand opening was also delayed by inclement weather.
"We know that the community has been through a lot over these past storm seasons. We wanted to give back both to the Red Cross and to Make-A-Wish families who are having a special time here," Bays said.
The Great Wolf Lodge South Florida is open now for both day passes and long-term stays.