Sometimes, theme park conversations overlook a crucial aspect of potential visits. You’re most likely to visit the parks that are closest to you. Sure, you may vacation at Universal or Disney theme parks, but you’ll spend the most time at the ones in your neck of the woods. That’s why we’re starting a new series that evaluates the best parks in various parts of the United States. Here are the seven best amusement parks in the Northeast.
7. Lake Compounce
Image: Lake CompounceLet me get the only rule out of the way before we begin. I won’t pick multiple parks from the same company. In the Northeast, this rule primarily applies to Six Flags, which has at least two parks that would otherwise qualify and arguably a third. Now then, let’s talk about great parks in the Northeast!
Bristol, Connecticut, is known for two things. Primarily, it’s the place where ESPN’s national headquarters is, meaning that encounters with famous athletes are a common practice in a city with a population of barely 60,000. It’s also the home of Lake Compounce, one of the most beautiful theme parks in America. Oh, and it’s the oldest continuously operating theme park in the United States, too.
Lake Compounce enjoys the gorgeous setting of a lake nestled on a mountaintop. Wherever you walk in this park, you’re likely to see either trees or water or both. The landscaping here augments the idyllic setting, and the undeniable small town feel of the park buildings creates a homey vibe.
The star ride at Lake Compounce is Boulder Dash. It’s perennially ranked as one of the top three wooden roller coasters in the world. I view it as a destination attraction, one that singlehandedly justifies a visit to Lake Compounce. Having said that, this park doesn’t have a lot to do. After half a day here, you may start to get bored. It’s the con of smaller theme parks.
6. Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Image: Cedar FairRemember that Billy Joel song, Allentown? Yeah, the people who live in Allentown, Pennsylvania, hate that song, as tourists hum the lyrics like they’re the first ones ever to think of it. Whether you live in the area or an out-of-towner with a Billy Joel earworm, you’ll have a lovely time at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, one of Cedar Fair’s best parks.
The pride and joy of Dorney Park is Steel Force, which has finished in the top five in Best Steel Roller Coaster voting a couple of times. This hyper coaster is massive, with a length of 5,600 square feet. Even with a top speed of 75 miles per hour, it’s still a three-minute ride due to the track length. And there’s a 510-degree downward helix that will blow your mind.
Another unique selling point of Dorney Park is its waterpark. Wildwater Kingdom is part of the official name because it’s part of the park. It’s not an adjoining location or a second park in the area. The theme park and waterpark use the same space. You’ll want to pack your swimsuit when you spend the day here.
5. Kennywood
Image: KennywoodWest Mifflin, Pennsylvania, hosts one of the most underrated theme parks in North America as well as one of the longest operating ones. Are you familiar with Carnegie-Mellon University? Its founding family, the Mellons, built a trolley park attraction in 1899. Ten years later, the Kennywood Entertainment Company bought and started a family-operated theme park that is still in business today. It’s been declared a National Historic Landmark as well, one of only two parks in America that can claim this honor.
Kennywood began as a trolley park, a place where guests were encouraged to visit trolley lines, even on the weekends when the services weren’t needed. These social gatherings involved picnics and various forms of entertainment such as pavilions and attractions. Several of the rides today are older than you and possibly even your grandparents.
Image: KennywoodTurtle Chase, The Thunderbolt, the Train, Noah’s Ark, Whip, Carousel, The Whippersnapper, Racer, The Turtle, and Auto Race all pre-date anything at Disneyland by at least five years. Several of them will celebrate their 100th anniversaries over the next few years!
Kennywood doesn’t rely on the past, though. They’re constantly adding new attractions and themed lands. Perhaps the oddest one on this list is Steelers Country, which will celebrate all things Pittsburgh Steelers. The featured attraction here is a roller coaster called Steel Curtain, although Terrible Tower has the better name. There’s even a restaurant named End Zone Café. This place sounds great…unless you’re a Cincinnati Bengals or Baltimore Ravens fan.
4. Luna Park
Image: Luna ParkOkay, let’s talk about one of the most historically significant theme parks in the world, one that’s only been open since 2010, oddly enough. Any discussion of Northeastern theme parks must include Luna Park, as it sits on (or close to) hallowed ground on Coney Island. Luna Park is the modern theme park located a block away from the original Luna Park that opened in 1903.
While New Yorkers of a certain age know this place as Astroland, which operated from 1962 through 2008, the current name befits its heritage and importance in theme park history. Luna Park is the home of the Coney Island Cyclone, the greatest roller coaster of the early 20th century. Thanks to frequent refurbishments, the Cyclone is still working today. You can take a ride on the same roller coaster from the William Taft administration.
Image: Luna ParkWhile the Cyclone is the star here, Luna Park hosts several other fairly intense carnival attractions. It’s a park for adrenaline junkies for sure thanks to the Scream Zone, a series of thrill rides like the Soarin’ Eagle roller coaster. Still, children will have a blast here because of the nine kiddie rides. Luna Park is a part that caters to everybody.
3. Hersheypark
The other Pennsylvania theme park with rides tracing back to the 1920s is Hersheypark. Located in the town of Hershey, this place was built to entertain the town’s residents as well as employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company. People jokingly referred to the place as Chocolatetown for years before park executives leaned into the concept. They repurposed previous parts of the park to construct a new themed land called Chocolatetown that will open next year. And the park has a plaque that celebrates Chocolatetown Square.
Hersheypark has a decided candy emphasis, but you’ll find more than just sweets here. Some of the attractions are pretty badass. Skyrush was one of the first winged coasters on the planet and is still tallest, fastest ride at the park. And Fahrenheit is a steel roller coaster that has earned a spot on several “most terrifying roller coaster” lists due to its storied 97-degree drop. In total, the park has 14 roller coasters, 15 water rides, and a bunch of attractions that date back 50 years or more.
The star of Hersheypark is the chocolate, though. You’ll even find a dark (chocolate) ride that displays the history of chocolate manufacturing and also shows some of the steps in the process. There’s no theme park on the planet more likely to give you the munchies than Hersheypark.
2. Knoebels
What you’re taking from this list is that Pennsylvania is where it’s at for theme park tourists. Knoebels resides in Elysburg and has a hard-earned reputation as the place for old school ride aficionados to go. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time when you visit this park due to its stubbornly archaic attractions.
Park officials carefully track rides at other parks, sometimes buying them and transporting them to Knoebels. It would feel like a ride graveyard but for the loving care demonstrated by the park’s maintenance team. They restore and refine all of the attractions, thereby creating a multi-generational experience where older guests can relive their youth while kids can visit a time before their parents were even born.
Knoebels is a perennial award winner for its attractions, but the food is the real star to many. Knoebels prices everything as if the clock had stopped in 1982. You won’t believe the cost of many menu items and will feel ripped off at any theme park that you visit after this one. The park even employs the old-timey ticket system wherein you pay only for the rides that you want rather than a general admission price.
1. Six Flags Great Adventure
Image: Six FlagsChoosing the best theme park in the Northeast is a brutal exercise. As you can see, many entrants are worthy of the top spot. I don’t see a significant drop from the first to fifth parks and could have easily ranked any of the top four as the best overall. The debate comes down to attractions that celebrate the past versus those that embrace the future.
Six Flags Great Adventure falls into the latter category. Located in Jackson, New Jersey, it’s in the discussion for best overall Six Flags in the world. The key to its popularity is its thrill rides. This place is a bucket list destination for adrenaline junkies.
Great Adventure is home to Kingda Ka, one of the most insane roller coasters in the world. It’s both the tallest roller coaster at 456 feet and the second-fastest on the planet. Theme park tourists who want to drop 418 feet or go 128 miles per hour simply must ride Kingda Ka.
Image: Six FlagsThe other record-setter at Great Adventure is El Toro, a wooden roller coaster. It has one of the steepest drops at 76 degrees, and its top speed of 70 miles per hour is also among the best in the world. With a track length of 4,400 square feet, El Toro delivers an unparalleled ride experience in 100 seconds. It has been chosen as the best wooden roller coaster in the world on multiple occasions.
Remarkably, you’ll find other roller coasters here that are almost equal to Kingda Ka and El Toro. Batman: The Ride is a popular cloned attraction at several Six Flags parks, but there’s a reason that they keep duplicating it. Batman scores extremely high on park surveys. Superman: Ultimate Flight does an impressive job of simulating the sensation of flight on a roller coaster, no easy feat.
The two other stars of Great Adventure are The Joker and Nitro. The latter is a hyper coaster that goes 80 miles per hour for most of its 5,394 square feet of track. It, too, is perennially ranked as one of the top steel coasters in the world. The Joker is a ride that will draw your attention from across the park due to its bizarre track design.
With so many top tier theme park attractions, Great Adventure stands out as the best of all theme parks in the Northeast, but so many of them are extremely good. Passionate fans may want to book a trip wherein you spend a week hitting several of these parks. It’d be one of the best vacations of your life.
