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Great Wolf Lodge Splashes Into Northern California
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In 2010, the City of Turlock built a new water feature at Columbia Park. - photo by Journal file photo

Bay Area and Northern California families will have something fun to howl about in 2020 as Great Wolf Resorts, Inc., North America’s largest family of indoor water park resorts, announced it is expanding its paw print in The Golden State. The company will build a 500-room family resort on a 29-acre site in Manteca, providing a convenient family getaway for residents of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Fresno, Modesto, Stockton and many other Northern California communities. Construction will begin on Great Wolf Lodge Northern California later this year and it is scheduled to open the first half of 2020, becoming the company’s 19th resort in North America and second in California with the other location being Garden Grove, near Anaheim.

“As we look to expand the Great Wolf Lodge experience to new markets, we are excited to place our newest resort in Manteca and provide Northern Californian families with an easy getaway where kids and parents can have fun together,” said Murray Hennessy, chief executive officer for Great Wolf Resorts, Inc. “The strong support from the local community and government, along with the overall family-friendly nature of Manteca, made this a perfect location for a Great Wolf Lodge. We’re looking forward to being a part of this community and contributing to its continued growth.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Great Wolf Lodge to the City of Manteca and look forward to our partnership with this iconic brand,” added Mayor of Manteca, Steve DeBrum. “The City has been working toward this type of project for a number of years, and with Great Wolf’s reputation for family-friendly attractions and experiences throughout their resorts, it’s a great fit for Manteca.”

Great Wolf Lodge Northern California will be a year-round family destination filled with attractions and amenities for all ages. Some of the highlights include:

A nearly 95,000-square-foot indoor waterpark, heated to a comfortable 84 degrees and featuring a variety of body slides, tube slides, raft rides, activity pools and splash areas for every member of the family – from toddlers and teens, to parents and grandparents.

A 45,000-square-foot family entertainment center known as the Great Wolf Adventure Park where families can scale new heights on a multi-level ropes course, play a round of miniature golf, compete for prizes at the arcade, or step into the mystical world of MagiQuest – Great Wolf Lodge’s exclusive live-action adventure game where players use interactive magic wands to battle goblins and dragons.

A first-of-its-kind animated show in the lobby called the Northwoods Friends show, which utilizes projection mapping technology on a moving, three-dimensional multiplane surface to immerse children into the world of the Great Wolf Kids characters.

A collection of complimentary family events and activities including Yoga Tails, a morning exercise program that combines tales from animal friends found in the Northwoods with yoga poses, and Great Wolf Lodge’s signature Story Time event, where children gather around the fireplace for a bedtime tale.

Several dining options including a collection of eateries inside the Great Wolf Adventure Park that feature variety of culinary styles, a Dunkin’ Donuts and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream parlor. The resort will also feature Barnwood, a full-service farm-to-fork restaurant featuring dishes made from locally sourced ingredients.

Family friendly suites in a variety of categories and styles including Great Wolf themed suites with separate sleeping quarters for kids designed as either a log cabin or wolf den and outfitted with bunk beds and Great Wolf character theming. The resort will also feature suites with multiple bedrooms for large families or multi-generational groups.

Great Wolf Lodge Northern California will offer an exceptional value for families with admission to the water park and much of the family entertainment activities in the Grand Lobby included as part of the guest’s stay.

Meeting and event planners can also look to Great Wolf Lodge Northern California for their meeting and event needs. The property will boast 12,000 square feet of flexible conference space with breakout rooms, built-in A/V technology, customizable catering options and a team of dedicated industry professionals to tend to every meeting need.

Great Wolf Lodge Northern California will be located off Daniels Road in Manteca. The lead architect for the project is Gensler, a leading global architecture, design and planning firm, and Turner, a North America-based, international construction services company will manage the overall construction of the resort. Neuman Pools, a family-owned, design/build company of large scale water attractions, will oversee the construction of both the indoor water park and outdoor pool areas.

For more information on Great Wolf Resorts and its brands of indoor water park resorts, visit www.greatwolf.com.