Jack and Andrew Waterman: The Brothers Who Founded Noah's Ark and Great Wolf Lodge

Jack and Andrew Waterman were brothers from Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, who co-founded Noah's Ark Waterpark in 1979 and Great Wolf Lodge in 1997. Together, they built two of the most recognized names in American waterpark history and fundamentally changed what Wisconsin Dells is today.

Who Were Jack and Andrew Waterman?

Jack Waterman and his brother Andrew — known widely as "Turk" — grew up in Wisconsin Dells, a small Wisconsin community that, at the time, had no particular claim to tourism fame. That would change, largely because of them.

Turk is the more publicly documented of the two. Born on July 14, 1939, in Wisconsin Dells, Columbia County, Wisconsin, he became a recognized figure in the waterpark industry over several decades. 

Jack's individual biography is less detailed in the public record, but what is well established is that the two brothers worked as a unit across their most significant ventures — each one building on the last.

What's often overlooked is that their success didn't start with water. It started with shooting galleries.

The Waterman Family's Roots in Wisconsin Dells

Five Generations Behind the Name

Before Jack and Turk, the Waterman name was already woven into Wisconsin Dells' history. The family ran a hotel in the area across five generations — and in a detail that sounds almost like folklore, each successive owner was named Andrew Waterman. It's an unusual tradition, but it speaks to how deeply rooted the family was in the community.

The hotel itself was modest by modern standards. In the early days, it operated with only two stoves, and pipes ran up to the ceiling to heat the second floor. No frills. Just a family business passed down through generations

Jack and Turk inherited that legacy. And they had bigger ideas for it.

Midwest Amusements — Their First Business Together

Before waterparks, the brothers started Midwest Amusements, a shooting gallery company. It grew into one of the largest operations of its kind in the region. That might seem like an odd stepping stone, but in hindsight it makes sense — they were already thinking about public entertainment, scalable attractions, and what draws families to a destination. 

Building a business from the ground up in a small community required exactly the kind of patience and long-term thinking that would later define their waterpark ventures. The waterpark ambition didn't come from nowhere.

Noah's Ark Waterpark — How Jack and Andrew Waterman Put Wisconsin Dells on the Map (1979)

In 1979, Jack and Turk launched Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells. At the time, Wisconsin Dells was a small community. The arrival of Noah's Ark marked a clear turning point — not just for the brothers, but for the entire region.

According to Wikipedia, Noah's Ark is the largest outdoor waterpark in the United States, featuring 51 water slides and dozens of attractions across its grounds in Lake Delton, Wisconsin. 

It is now owned by Palace Entertainment, having passed through several owners since the Watermans' founding era. Wisconsin Dells, as a result of the cumulative effect of what the Watermans started, now has the highest concentration of waterparks in the world. Tourism in the area has grown into a $1 billion+ industry.

One venture. One town. The ripple effects are hard to overstate.

Noah's Ark Waterpark — Key Facts

Detail	Information
Founded	1979
Founders	Jack and Andrew "Turk" Waterman
Location	Lake Delton, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Current Owner	Palace Entertainment (acquired 2012)
Current Status	Largest outdoor waterpark in the United States
Industry Impact	Helped establish Wisconsin Dells as Waterpark Capital of the World

From Black Wolf Lodge to Great Wolf Lodge — Building the Indoor Waterpark Resort Model (1997)

The Naming Timeline — Clarified

There is a small but worth-clarifying point of confusion in how this story gets told. Some sources state the Great Wolf Lodge name began in 1997, while others describe the property first as Black Wolf Lodge. Both are accurate — they just describe different moments in the same sequence.

Jack and Turk renamed their Wisconsin Dells property Black Wolf Lodge and introduced an indoor waterpark concept alongside it. The property was subsequently sold, and the name evolved to Great Wolf Lodge in 1997. That rebrand marked the formal beginning of what became the first indoor waterpark resort chain in the country.

Why the Indoor Waterpark Concept Mattered

Outdoor waterparks have one obvious limitation: weather. The indoor model solved that. Families could visit year-round, and short-stay weekend getaways became a viable market. That idea — a resort built around an enclosed waterpark — resonated immediately and proved to be commercially durable in a way that few hospitality concepts do.

In practice, the industry broadly credits Great Wolf Lodge with raising the standard for what an indoor waterpark resort could look like. The rustic lodge aesthetic, the family focus, the year-round model — these weren't accidents. 

They were deliberate choices rooted in the brothers' understanding of what families actually want from a short trip. Teams in the hospitality space commonly observe that the marketing strategies retailers and resort operators rely on most heavily — repeat visits, family-first positioning, and experiential value — were baked into Great Wolf's model from the beginning.

Great Wolf Lodge's Scale Today

The brand the brothers started has since changed hands significantly. Apollo Global Management acquired Great Wolf Resorts in March 2012 for $703 million. 

As reported by Reuters, Centerbridge Partners reached a deal to acquire Great Wolf Resorts for $1.35 billion on March 24, 2015, with the acquisition finalized in May of that year. Blackstone later acquired a 65% controlling interest in 2019, forming a $2.9 billion joint venture with Centerbridge.

The valuation trajectory alone — from a family hotel in Wisconsin Dells to a $2.9 billion joint venture — tells you something about the scale of what Jack and Turk originally set in motion. Today, who owns Great Wolf Lodge is a more layered question than it might appear, given the successive private equity transactions that have shaped its current structure.

Also Read: Fortune 500 Companies List 2025

Key Milestones — Jack and Andrew Waterman Timeline

Year	Milestone
Multi-generational (pre-Jack & Turk)	Waterman family hotel operating in Wisconsin Dells across five generations
Pre-1979	Jack and Turk found Midwest Amusements (shooting galleries)
1979	Noah's Ark Waterpark founded in Wisconsin Dells
Mid-1990s	Wisconsin Dells property renamed Black Wolf Lodge; indoor waterpark introduced
1997	Name evolves to Great Wolf Lodge; first indoor waterpark resort chain established
2000	Turk inducted into World Waterpark Association Hall of Fame
2012	Great Wolf Resorts acquired by Apollo Global Management for $703 million
2013	Turk receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau
2015	Great Wolf Resorts acquired by Centerbridge Partners for $1.35 billion
2019	Blackstone acquires 65% controlling interest; $2.9 billion joint venture formed
June 29, 2017	Andrew "Turk" Waterman passes away, aged 77

Andrew "Turk" Waterman — Recognition and Legacy

Industry Honors

Turk was a founding member of the World Waterpark Association (WWA) — the primary trade body for the global waterpark industry. In 2000, the WWA inducted him into its Hall of Fame, a recognition reserved for individuals who have made a lasting contribution to the industry. In 2013, the Wisconsin Dells Visitors and Convention Bureau gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award.

These aren't ceremonial gestures. The WWA Hall of Fame, in particular, is widely understood within the industry as a meaningful marker of long-term impact — not just commercial success.

Resilience and Final Years

What's less commonly mentioned is that Turk had been diagnosed with liver cancer nearly 20 years before his death. He remained an active figure in the industry throughout. He passed away on June 29, 2017, near his home in Florida, at the age of 77. He is survived by his wife Judy, four children, and ten grandchildren.

Great Wolf Lodge issued a formal statement acknowledging, in the company's own words, the early and foundational role he played in building what the brand became.

What Jack and Andrew Waterman Built — A Side-by-Side View

Venture	Year Founded	Type	Current Owner	Scale / Status Today
Noah's Ark Waterpark	1979	Outdoor waterpark	Palace Entertainment	Largest outdoor waterpark in the U.S.
Great Wolf Lodge	1997	Indoor waterpark resort chain	Blackstone (65%) & Centerbridge (35%)	23 locations across North America; $2.9B joint venture valuation (2019)

Wisconsin Dells Tourism Growth — Tied to the Watermans' Work

Era	Situation
Pre-1979	Small community, limited tourism infrastructure
1979	Noah's Ark opens; regional identity begins shifting
1997	Great Wolf Lodge launches; year-round tourism becomes viable
2000s onward	Wisconsin Dells becomes Waterpark Capital of the World
Present	$1 billion+ tourism economy; highest concentration of waterparks globally

Conclusion

Jack and Andrew Waterman built two industry-defining businesses — Noah's Ark and Great Wolf Lodge — from a small Wisconsin town. Their work turned Wisconsin Dells into a global waterpark destination and set the template for indoor resort entertainment that still holds today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who were Jack and Andrew Waterman?

Jack and Andrew "Turk" Waterman were brothers from Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. They co-founded Midwest Amusements, Noah's Ark Waterpark (1979), and Great Wolf Lodge (1997), making them two of the most influential figures in American waterpark history.

Did Jack and Andrew Waterman found Great Wolf Lodge?

Yes. The brothers developed the property first as Black Wolf Lodge before it evolved into Great Wolf Lodge in 1997 — the first indoor waterpark resort chain in the country.

What is Noah's Ark Waterpark and who owns it now?

Noah's Ark was founded by Jack and Turk Waterman in 1979 in Wisconsin Dells. It is now owned by Palace Entertainment and ranks as the largest outdoor waterpark in the United States.

When did Andrew "Turk" Waterman pass away?

Andrew "Turk" Waterman passed away on June 29, 2017, aged 77, near his home in Florida. He had been a founding member of the World Waterpark Association and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2000.

What was Midwest Amusements?

Midwest Amusements was a shooting gallery company founded by Jack and Turk Waterman before their waterpark ventures. It became one of the largest operations of its kind in the region and reflected the brothers' early focus on scalable public entertainment.