Just over a year ago news broke of the Wasserbahn going out of business and many Iowans were shocked to hear the news about the waterpark closing. That sadness was replaced with frustration and confusion. Now the memories of the Wasserbhan and the surrounding business are forgotten memories. It has truly become a ghost town.

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What Happened?

It appears that some employees and many customers didn't see this closing coming though some apparently did. The first public announcement was allegedly a deleted Facebook post about the closing made in February 2022. According to KCRG, the waterpark had a recent investment as well which made the story even crazier.

The closure came despite Smock Investments and Owner Thomas Smock receiving two rounds of COVID relief money for Wasserbahn. Records show the business got $141,500 in April of 2020, and then another $198,562 in February of 2021. Still, employees claim checks were bouncing.

Many rumors and speculations took over the internet about the situation last year and many left the situation with their own ideas on what brought the place down. The biggest one for many was the idea of alleged poor management.

There Is No Saving The Area

A recent look at not only the Wasserbhan, but the entire area shows a destroyed ghost town. Some of the surrounding businesses are falling apart.

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Others appear to be abandoned.

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One spot has become something new... a firework store.

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The Wasserbahn 

A once thriving park in Iowa is now a fenced-off building slowly decaying through the seasons.

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Windows are blown out, and the building as a whole is in very rough shape.

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All we have now is the memories of what once was.

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You can see more photos here from when the spot first closed. Do you remember the Wasserbahn area? What were your favorite memories?

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