Upstate Nostalgia For Sale: Water Slide World Listing Shocks Fans

Capital Region summers haven’t been the same since Water Slide World closed in 2018. Not only are our sliding and gliding quotas way down, but the absolutely iconic jingle hasn’t been heard on the airwaves for five years.

Things didn’t get any better for park devotees after a new buyer was found this year. To mass dismay, the grounds are now being turned into apartments and stores to attract more year-round residents. No offense to the developer or Lake George, but “high-impact mixed-use development” sounds a lot less fun than “glide down, fly high, whirl round, touch the skyyyyy,” but now an incredible and unexpected Facebook Marketplace listing is giving an open chance at a one-of-a-kind final Water Slide World souvenir.

Memories For Sale

Yes, that’s an actual, official Water Slide World slide for sale on Facebook in the 518 Garage Sale group. The in-ground slide wasn’t the flashiest offering in the park, but it was a longtime staple. The double-slide was heavily featured in this 1989 ad.

I’m not a water slide expert, but for a half-decade of non-use it looks pretty darn good. To be fair, the condition is listed as "used - good." The color is also correctly listed as "blue."

Make Your Backyard "Number One For Family Fun"

Outside of those details, truly the craziest thing about this listing is how non-descript it is. It geo-tags Lake George and it’s clearly the park. You can see the wave pool in the back of the shot! So why is there no reference to Water Slide World?

I get that it’s a niche item (who has room for a massive waterslide? The Central Warehouse owner?) but it’s a certified piece of Upstate history - it deserves more than "commercial water slides for sale." But who knows? Maybe it'll find a local home and stay in Upstate forever. Have wilder things happened? You bet.