After nearly 40 years of operation, Wet ‘n Wild waterpark in Orlando, Florida, closed its doors for the last time on December 31.

The park was founded on March 13, 1977, by Sea World creator George Millary. He sold his interest to Wet ‘n Wild to Universal Studios in 1998.

Universal announced it would close the waterpark in June 2015. The operator is currently developing a new facility, Volcano Bay, which is due to open in Orlando later this year.

“Since its opening in 1977, Wet ‘n Wild Orlando has been a place where guests have created wonderful memories,” the company said in a blog post.

“As America’s first waterpark, Wet ‘n Wild has been the birthplace of numerous innovations that are now considered a common part of the water park experience.

“We’re grateful to our countless fans and team members for making Wet ‘n Wild such a special place for so very long.”

Set to open in summer 2017, Volcano Bay will span 30 acres and feature dozens of attractions, including a multi-directional wave pool, sandy beaches, a winding river, multi-person raft rides and speeding body slides.