Relive The Unfortunate End Of One Of Illinois’ Indoor Water Parks

Back in the mid-to-late 2000s, meaning some point between 2008-2010, families spent weekends and holidays in 86 degree weather in Illinois during the winter months. Although CoCo Key Water Resort was open all year round, it was the busiest when it was colder outside.

I spent several Thursday nights at the resort doing a live radio broadcast, which was quite risky considering how humid it was inside. (Humidity is not good for electronics.) I wasn't mad about it though because it wasn't really hard work.

The 60,000-square-foot facility had a water park, dining options, a full bar, and a massive arcade.

WHAT WAS INSIDE

CoCo Key Water Resort was attached to Best Western Clock Tower Resort and Conference Center in Rockford, Illinois. It featured...

• An indoor activity pool (with basketball and a lily pad walk)

• Lazy river

• Interactive water treehouse (with kiddie slides and a giant dumping bucket)

• 3 body and raft slides (not pictured), and more.

Here's a tv advertisement that aired in the Rockford area.

CoCo Key is long gone and its final years were not good. Having spent a lot of time inside it was definitely a bummer to read headlines like, "CoCo Key Water Resort in Rockford condemned after unsafe, unsanitary condition complaints."

The building would soon become abandoned much like the rest of Clock Tower Resort. The only people who would see the inside were trespassers.

In instances as you will see below, please remember under no circumstances should you enter properties like this. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property.

RIP: CoCo Key

Vandals really did like the plastic fencing around CoCo Key's indoor/outdoor hot tub.

What's up with this creepy sign? Was CoCo Key haunted?

The Key West-themed walls became canvases for graffiti.

So did the slides.

The lazy rive became littered with debris and who knows what else.

Fun fact, the parrot on the right was picked up and taken to the 97ZOK studio, with permission.

I don't want to get into trouble for complimenting something I don't even understand but there's definitely an artistic side to graffiti.

Here's another view of the lazy river and the steps leading to the slides.

Do you think anyone tried to get to the big bucket?

This view is eerie.

The cabanas were once filled with families, usually for birthday parties and celebrations.

Here's a view from the stairs to the slides looking down at the lazy river.

More graffiti and a destroyed fiberglass parrot.

Even the air filtration ducts took a beating.

This led to the lockerrooms across from the kiddie pool.

Look closely, someone graffitied the ship with "Captain Morgan", which is kind of clever.

Anyone for a game of horse? Watch out for rusted sharp objects.

Someone had some frustration to get out and maybe they thought these walls were perfect for it. Was it someone from the class of 2020?

Here's another look at the activity pool and lily pad area.

Anyone who has ever watched enough murder documentaries knows to never follow a spray-painted arrow.

No means no and you forgot an "e."

Check out the tour.

What Happened To The Slides and Stuff When The Building Was Torn Down?

This article explains some of the usable equipment was donated to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Rockford.