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Construction of Great Wolf Lodge is Underway

Family Resort & Indoor Waterpark Coming to the Pocono Mountains

Press Release: The Great Lakes Companies, Inc.
July 1, 2004
SCOTRUN, PA -- Construction of the $60 million Great Wolf Lodge® indoor waterpark resort in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, is officially underway.

The northwoods-themed, four-story, log-sided resort will serve as Pennsylvania's premier family resort and indoor waterpark. Once complete, Great Wolf Lodge will feature: a 90,000 square-foot indoor waterpark; 400 suites; a casual-themed family restaurant; a 7,000 square-foot arcade and ticket redemption center; an Aveda® Concept Spa; fitness center; confectionery; gift shop; animated clock tower; and 6,500 square feet of meeting space, including a tiered audio/visual symposium. The resort is scheduled to open fall, 2005.

"Great Wolf Lodge will be unlike anything else in this region of the country," explained Eric Lund, principal and senior vice president of sales and marketing of The Great Lakes Companies, Inc.(TM) "The combination of a northwoods-themed family resort and one of the world's largest indoor waterparks will serve as a family destination in itself. We are confident that travelers, as well as the local community, will respond with enthusiasm to our first-class, year-round resort."

The Great Lakes Companies, a Madison, Wis. based hotel and resort development company, purchased just over 100 acres of land in the Pocono Mountains, at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Route 611. Great Wolf Lodge will be located on approximately 425,000 square feet and plans are in place for condominiums and potential timeshare projects on a portion of the remaining land.

The 90,000 square-foot, four-story, 84-degree indoor waterpark guarantees a warm, sunny day year-round. The waterpark includes 10 waterslides, a gigantic wave pool, four pools and two whirlpools. A water-based fun center, a giant treehouse waterfort standing at the center of the waterpark, will be interconnected with suspension bridges, cargo nets, web crawls and over 60 guest-activated water effects. Every few minutes the huge, 48-foot tall bucket on top fills with 1,000 gallons of water and dumps over the entire fort... and everyone below it.

Great Wolf Lodge rates are based on suite configurations and vary depending on the time of year. Each suite includes up to six waterpark passes, each good for two full days regardless of checkout times, and access to guest exclusive amenities including children's activities, animated treehouse showings, arcade use, holiday special events and more. Specials are posted

Great Wolf Lodge, the Pocono Mountains, Pa., is part of the World's Largest Family of Indoor Waterpark Resorts(TM) owned and operated by The Great Lakes Companies, Inc., Madison, Wis. Other resorts include: Great Wolf Lodge in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; Sandusky, Ohio; Traverse City, Mich.; Kansas City, Kan.; and Williamsburg, Va.; and Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center(TM) in Sheboygan, Wis. Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara Falls, Ontario, is the first internationally licensed resort and is owned by an affiliate of Ripley Entertainment, Inc.(TM)

For more information about The Great Lakes Companies, Inc. or to view existing resorts, visit www.greatlakesco.com.

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Contact: 
     The Great Lakes Companies, Inc.
     Erin Payne, 608-251-6400 ext. 175
     or
     Jennifer Beranek, 608-251-6400 ext. 154

Source: The Great Lakes Companies, Inc.