Are you boiling in the hot weather? If yes, then take a trip to one of Downstate Illinois’s refreshing water attractions! Read on to learn more about how you can beat the heat this summer.

Splash Pads

Want to cool off, but don’t want to swim? Try a splash pad. Splash pads are perfect for the kiddos, especially for the little ones who haven’t dipped their toes in the pool yet! Pelican Cove in Robinson features a 23-foot-tall pirate ship as well as water cannons. Another great, yet relatively unknown splash pad can be found at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville!

More splash spots:

1. O’Fallon Family Sports Park

2. Schranz Memorial Park (Swansea)

3. Centralia Carillon Splash Pad

4. Dupo Community Park

5. Kingsbury Park District Pool (Greenville)

Aquatic Centers

Next, visit one of ILLINOISOUTH’s aquatic and recreation centers. Whether you’re swimming laps at the Centralia Recreation Complex or riding the water slide inside of The Rec in Fairview Heights, you’ll definitely have a ball!

Some awesome aquatics:

1. Korte Recreation Center (Highland)

2. Salem Family Aquatic Center (Salem)

3. Rotary Community Aquatic Center (Charleston)

4. McKendree Metro Rec Plex (O’Fallon)

5. Musgrove Aquatic Center (Olney)

Pools

Cannonball! Jump into a pool and splash away the heat at the Du Quoin Municipal Swimming Pool! Or if you’re looking for a more scenic pool experience, check out Okaw Valley Kampground in Brownstown. Not only is there a pool, but also the campground features a beautiful pond and park.

Dive in:

1. Mt. Carmel Municipal Swimming Pool

2. Marshall Community Pool

3. Newton Aquatic Center

Beaches

Who doesn’t love a little beach time in the summer, right? Downstate Illinois has plenty of opportunities to play in the sand and take a dip afterwards. The biggest opportunity to hit up multiple beaches would be Carlyle Lake. This is the largest man-made lake in the state, and features beach access at Keyesport Beach, McNair Beach, and Dam West Beach - you’ll never run out of summer fun at beautiful Carlyle Lake!

Life’s a beach at:

1. Rocky Point Beach at Stephen A. Forbes Recreation Area (Marion County)

2. Vandalia Lake Beach (Vandalia)

3. Lake Mattoon Beach (Cumberland County)