Family-Oriented, Classic Amusement Parks to Visit for Any Age

Discover some of our favorite vintage parks to enjoy with the whole family

a grandfather and grandson riding an amusement park ride

Vintage amusement parks provide thrills for all ages. Here, Kennywood, which opened in 1898 in Pittsburgh, still draws visitors.

Courtesy Kennywood Park

Stacey Freed,

AARP

En español

Published July 26, 2024

Kathy Kenez, 65, and Ralph Meranto, 60, love the adrenaline rush of a roller coaster ride. But the Rochester, New York, couple isn’t screaming headlong down Kingda Ka at 128 mph at a New Jersey Six Flags resort — they’re finding their bliss at vintage amusement parks, the kind they remember from when they were kids.

Their favorite is Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania. “They have everything you ever loved in your childhood about amusement parks,” says Kenez. “A beautiful creek runs through it. There are trees all around.… You can ride the carousel and catch the brass ring. There aren’t many places in the world where you can do that,” she says.

Amusement parks go way back. In the late 1800s, trolley companies would “buy a piece of land, normally at the end of the line, and operate an entertainment resort to encourage people to ride the trolley in the evening and on the weekends. There were hundreds throughout the country,” says Jim Futrell, 60, historian for both the National Amusement Park Historical Association and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Now, “about 50 amusement parks in the country … pre-date World War II,” he says.

According to Futrell, some of these parks are still family-owned and, unlike large corporate-owned amusement parks, are free or have nominal admission fees that make it easier for multiple generations to enjoy the park.

Here are five parks worth a visit this summer and beyond — some are open throughout the winter holidays:

aerial viwe of Arnolds Park Amusement Park

Arnolds Park Amusement Park maintains its classic charm after 135 years.

Courtesy Vacation Okoboji

Arnolds Park Amusement Park, Arnolds Park, Iowa

Located on Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa, the 135-year-old park has seen its share of hard times. In 1999, a developer purchased the park, planning to build a condo and resort complex. A local campaign rescued the property. Now owned by the nonprofit Historic Arnolds Park Inc., the park maintains its classic charm.

It’s free to walk through the park. Stroll the landscaped boardwalk, hop on the Queen II excursion boat for a history tour, or ride the refurbished park train. There are three free museums, concerts every Saturday including fireworks, and, of course, the classic rides from the tilt-a-whirl to bumper cars and the log flume.

The highlight, though, for American Coaster Enthusiasts member Marlon Scott, 63, from Orlando, Florida, is the Legend, a 94-year-old wooden roller coaster that wraps around part of the park property. “It’s a preservation success story,” he says. “It’s refurbished beautifully.… It’s pristine. There’s a happy clattering that fills the entire park.”

According to park CEO Jon Pausley, one retired couple “comes to the park every day to ride [The Legend]. Last summer they rode the coaster 1,000 times.”

Admission: There’s no entrance fee, and parking is free. Purchase a day pass for attractions from $37.95 to $59.95, or per-ride tickets. The park generally opens at 10 a.m., with various closing times depending on the day. Check the calendar for additional details.

a family waves while riding a carousel at Belmont Park

Belmont Park, located on the boardwalk in Mission Beach in San Diego, features many park favorites.

Courtesy Belmont Park

Belmont Park, San Diego

Jackie Edwards, 57, of Escondido, California, loves amusement parks “for the sheer joy” they bring. Belmont Park, on the boardwalk in Mission Beach, is one of her favorites. The park caters to everyone with its 99-year-old wooden coaster, Giant Dipper; kiddie rides; bumper cars; a climbing rock wall; zipline; sky ropes; mini golf course; escape room; and an arcade of carnival games. It’s also home to the Plunge Pool, one of the largest heated pools in Southern California and one of the original park features.

As with many of the classic seaside amusement parks, developers sniffed around. But when Belmont Park fell on hard times in the 1970s and closed, a local grassroots effort mounted to save the roller coaster, Futrell says. “They were able to stave off redevelopment … found a company to restore the coaster and build a new amusement park … in the old style.”

“We want this park to last another 100 years,” Edwards says. “Parks let you have time to connect with people doing things they enjoy.”

Admission: Free parking. Buy bundles of 16 tickets for $16; season passes start at $99; arcade credits begin at $20. The park is participating in “Kids Free October” by offering a free wristband with the purchase of an adult wristband using promo code “KIDSFREE.” Check the park calendar for opening and closing times.

Riders enjoy the Thunderbolt roller coaster at Kennywood amusement park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Thunderbolt roller coaster at Kennywood was originally built in 1924.

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Kennywood, Pittsburgh

First opened in 1898 as an attraction at the Monongahela Street Railway on land known as “Kenny’s Grove,” the park was family owned until 2007, when a Spanish company purchased it. They kept its historic rides and coasters, like the circa-1920 Jack Rabbit and the Thunderbolt coaster, originally built in 1924 and renovated and reopened in 1968. Kennywood is one of two amusement parks in the nation designated as a National Historic Landmark. The other is Playland, in Rye, New York (see below).

While Kennywood has plenty of modern thrill rides it also has many nostalgic rides and “several of the last types of a ride, like the Turtle,” says Futrell, who lives outside Pittsburgh and visits three or four times every summer. There’s also the world’s last Noah’s Ark fun house. The world’s last kangaroo ride “was removed four years ago, and the public outcry was so great they had it repaired and brought back,” Futrell says.

What he loves most is “the variety of rides. There’s a nice balance of coasters and spinning rides.” But all the activity can make one hungry. Futrell’s tip: “The Potato Patch fries are legendary.”

Admission: Ticket prices vary by day when purchased online. (It’s more expensive to purchase in person.) A season pass starts at $99, regardless of age. Paid parking and free parking lots are available. Check the park calendar for opening and closing times.

Knoebels is a free-admission amusement park for families.

Knoebels Amusement Resort, which opened in the 1900s, is still owned by the same family.

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Knoebels Amusement Resort, Elysburg, Pennsylvania

This rural park was started by the Knoebel family in the early 1900s as a swimming hole and picnic destination. The family installed a pool in 1926 on the site of the swimming hole and began adding attractions. Still owned by the same family, Knoebels claims to be the largest free-admission park in the nation. It boasts over 60 rides including a 1913 carousel, two haunted attractions with “dark rides” running through them, and several roller coasters. In fact, “in 1985 they picked up and moved an abandoned wooden coaster from Texas to the park.… Called the Phoenix, it is regarded as one of the best wooden coasters in the world today,” Futrell says.

“Knoebels keeps its classic charm but also has world-class new rides. It’s relevant to everybody,” Meranto says. Although he and Kenez have easy access to Seabreeze Amusement Park (another classic vintage park) in their hometown of Rochester, they say that since 2007 they have made the three-hour-plus drive to Knoebels three or four times a year. Kenez says there’s music in the bandshell every day and the food is delicious (it’s been named best food champion by Amusement Today, one of the industry’s top trade publications). A bonus — well-behaved dogs are welcome at the park.

Admission: Free parking. Free admission. Free picnic area. Purchase individual ride tickets between $2 and $5, a ticket book or a day pass. Check the calendar for opening and closing times.

Playland in Rye, New York, is one of two amusement parks in the nation designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Courtesy Playland

Playland, Rye, New York

Located about 28 miles northeast of midtown Manhattan in Westchester County, Playland, also known as Rye Playland, was one of the first “totally planned amusement parks,” Futrell says. In the 1920s, the county wanted to build a high-class facility and took over the existing amusement parks along the waterfront, which were considered unsavory, he says. “They brought in [amusement park expert] Frank Darling to very carefully design what they considered the ultimate amusement park,” he says.

Darling designed a broad landscaped mall surrounded by the attractions, Futrell says. There were complementary recreational facilities such as a pool and ice rink. The park opened in 1928 and remains largely unchanged, he says. There’s a separate kiddy land and some historical attractions such as the Dragon Coaster, Ye Old Mill (a classic dark boat ride), the nearly 100-year-old Grand Carousel and the Derby Racer, a type of carousel with horses moving back and forth and up and down, as if galloping around a track. It’s one of only two Derby racing carousels in the U.S.

When Bill Shea, 64, of North Salem, New York, was a young boy, he loved going to Rye Playland with his grandfather. “The Dragon roller coaster was the very first big roller coaster I went on,” says Shea, whose love for the park and his grandfather spurred him to write and illustrate the children’s book A Grandpa Joe Day! Shea, a member of American Coaster Enthusiasts, says he brings family and friends to the park all the time. “As soon as I walk through the gates, I immediately go back to when I went with my grandpa.”

Admission: Includes a ride pass, $39.99. Junior admission for 3 and older and who are 48 inches and shorter, $29.99. Free for children 2 and younger. With proof of residency, Westchester County residents can receive a discount. The park is accessible by public transportation. It costs $20 to park any day of the week; $30 on holidays. The park opens at either 11 a.m. or noon, with some exceptions; closing times vary. Check the park calendar for details.

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Stacey Freed is a contributing writer who covers remodeling, construction, lifestyle issues, education and pets. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Forbes.com, Real Simple and USA Today. She is coauthor of Hiking the Catskills: A Guide to the Area’s Greatest Hikes.