8 Family-Friendly Amusement Parks Near New York City
Educational trips are great, but sometimes the best thing parents can do is to take their kids somewhere where they can go wild and have some fun. There’s perhaps no better option for that than an amusement park.
Fortunately, there are several great places in and around New York City where parents and their children can enjoy family-friendly rides, games, and other fun adventures. Whether you’re looking to stay in the city or escape it for a day or two, here are eight amusements parks to add to your list.
1. Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park
This namesake ride, the Wonder Wheel, is the main attraction at this Coney Island park. Built in 1920, the 150-foot-tall New York landmark holds 144 people at a time and has both swinging and stationary cars, making it unique compared to most Ferris wheels.
Deno’s also maintains 20-something other rides, some of which, such as Spook-a-Rama, are famous in their own right. Several other attractions, including a miniature rollercoaster, are designed just for young children. Admission to Deno’s is free, and the park also puts on free fireworks shows on Friday evenings throughout most of the summer.
2. Playland
There are activities aplenty at Playland. Children can enjoy more than 50 rides, while adults can relax near a lake or pool. A boardwalk, mini-golf course, and ice-skating rink are just some of the many other options, making the Rye, New York destination an ideal day trip for New York City families.
Among the 50-plus rides, the most famous is the Dragon Coaster, a wooden rollercoaster that dates to 1929. Playland also boasts four additional rollercoasters and a carousel, as well as many kid-friendly rides. For parents committed to giving their children learning opportunities, Playland is home to a kids’ museum where young ones can participate in interactive exhibits.
3. Six Flags Great Adventure
Kids will have fun at this park’s Jr. Thrillseekers section, where there are eight rides, including the Lil’ Devil Coaster, the junior version of the park’s famous Jersey Devil Coaster. Children who are brave enough (and are at least 4 feet tall) can experience the adult iteration of the ride. Be warned, though: the Jersey Devil Coaster reaches speeds of 58 miles per hour.
Other rollercoasters here include the floorless Medusa, the tall and fast Kingda Ka, and the stand-while-riding Green Lantern. Single-rider lines have recently been added at many of the attractions, making wait times shorter.
4. Casino Pier
Thrill-seekers venturing to this Seaside Heights park will not be disappointed with the Hydrus, whose steep and fast drops will test all but the strongest stomachs. Meanwhile, the SkyCoaster allows guests to experience what it would be like to skydive over the Atlantic Ocean.
Young ones who are not ready to experience such thrills can relax with their parents on a Ferris wheel or the ski-lift-like Sky Ride. Located on the New Jersey shore, Casino Pier regularly hosts animal shows, sing-a-longs, and other children’s activities.
5. Lake Compounce
This Bristol, Connecticut amusement park celebrates the past while embracing the future. While its most popular rollercoaster, Boulder Dash, is an old-fashioned wooden ride, the park is home to several modern thrills.
These include the Storm Surge, which allows guests to watch a light show as they speed down a water slide, and Rev-O-Lution, a nausea-inducing ride that spins while moving up and down. New York City families trying to decide the best weekend to head up to Connecticut should check the park’s schedule for special events such as food and craft-beer festivals.
6. Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Families looking to beat the heat during the warm-weather months will find fewer better places than Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom. Located about a two-to-three-hour drive from the city in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the park boasts the 590,000-gallon Wave Pool and the 70-foot-high Aquablast.
Water attractions are not all that’s here, however, as Dorney Park offers several rollercoasters, including the longest steel rollercoaster on the East Coast. Outside of rides, Dorney Park hosts the Great Pumpkin Festival and other seasonal events.
7. Luna Park
Luna Park is home to the legendary Cyclone, a 2,600-foot wooden coaster that opened in 1927. It was listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1991 and was renovated in 2005. To this day, it thrills guests with an 85-foot drop and speeds that can reach 60 miles per hour.
Families can also check out the Thunderbolt and the Super Flume, a log flume ride that plunges more than 40 feet. Like Deno’s, Luna Park is accessible by subway on Brooklyn’s Coney Island.
8. Legoland New York
Parents with Lego-crazy kids shouldn’t pass up the chance to spend a weekend at this theme park. Easily accessible from the city by car and bus, Legoland boasts live shows, 4D movies, and special seasonal events.
Like the other parks on this list, Legoland has several rides. In fact, families can enjoy fun attractions across seven distinct lands, each of which maintains a special Lego-related theme. In the warm-weather months, guests should be sure to check out the LEGO City Water Playground, which opened in 2022.
