The six best amusement parks in New England (and the scariest ride at each) - The Boston Globe (2025)

Biggest thrill: Roar-O-Saurus is a rite of passage at Story Land. “The wooden coaster offers a very intense ride,” park spokesperson Lauren Fullerton says. “The 38-foot drop is not huge, but it’s big for a kid’s first coaster.” 850 NH Route 16, Glen, New Hampshire; 603-383-4186

Funtown Splashtown USA

As you hurtle toward the trees on the Excalibur, a half-mile wooden roller coaster that winds through the woods, you might forget you’re at a spot known for its easygoing vibes. With plenty of kiddie rides at the Funtown ride park and an array of slides at the adjacent Splashtown water park, family fun is the name of the game at this Saco, Maine, mainstay. Tickets are available for each park, or get a combination ticket for both.

Biggest thrill: Funtown’s 220-foot Dragon’s Descent drop tower is a must. “At the top it sounds like a dragon breathing,” says spokesperson Mariah Hawkins. “The views of the beach or the woods are amazing” — at least for the 11-second pause before the bottom falls out beneath you. Route 1, 774 Portland Road, Saco, Maine; 207-284-5139

Lake Compounce Amusement & Water Park

Built in 1846, Connecticut’s Lake Compounce claims to be America’s oldest continuously operating amusement park, and the spinning swings and kiddie railway are blasts from the past. The park has kept pace with the times, recently re-tracking the Wildcat (built in 1927) and Boulder Dash (2000) to give the wooden coasters faster, smoother rides. Stay at the park campground and get discounted park admission.

Biggest thrill: The award-winning Boulder Dash races 4,725 feet, much of it through the woods, at speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour. “It’s great at night, an experience you can’t forget,” says the park’s Meg Forno. 185 Enterprise Drive, Bristol, Connecticut; 860-583-3300

Canobie Lake Park

It’s hard not to feel like a kid when you’re spinning in Canobie Lake Park’s classic Crazy Cups. When this New Hampshire park opened in 1902, visitors put on their Sunday best to stroll the gardens and paddle its canoes. It retains a throwback feel with its Antique Carousel and landmark Yankee Cannonball, built in the 1930s and still a park favorite. “Everyone loves the feel of clicking and clacking on a rickety wooden roller coaster,” says Canobie’s Chris Nicoli.

Biggest thrill: To feel your heart in your throat, don’t miss Xtreme Frisbee, where riders are strapped to a spinning saucer at the end of a swinging pendulum. It’s hard to tell which way is up. 85 North Policy Street, Salem, New Hampshire; 603-893-3506

Six Flags New England

From the chain-swing carousel of Gotham City Crime Wave to the tilt-a-whirl action of Supergirl Sky Flyer, New England’s largest amusement park taps into the DC Universe of superheroes. There’s plenty for all ages at Six Flags; little ones will love the vintage Illions Grand Carousel. And the park is slated to open its 12th coaster, the family-friendly Quantum Accelerator, this spring. It won’t have upside-down loops but its 11 moments of “air time” — when riders feel a sensation of weightlessness — “will make you feel airborne,” says Sydney Snow, a park spokesperson.

Biggest thrill: Superman: The Ride, which has a stomach-lurching 208-foot drop that earns it the designation of “hypercoaster.” It reaches a top speed of 77 miles per hour. Route 159, 1623 Main Street, Agawam; 413-786-9300

Water Country

It’s not really summer until you find yourself humming the theme song for this Portsmouth, New Hampshire, classic (you know the one). A lazy float in an inner tube down the quarter-mile Adventure River is pure summer. Water Country has plenty for adrenaline junkies, too. “Even the bravest riders have second thoughts” on the 58-foot, body-slide drop of the Patriot, says general manager Matt Hehl.

Biggest thrill: You might find you’re still scared of the dark on the twisting, 40-foot plunge inside Dr. Von Dark’s Tunnel of Terror. “It’s pitch black,” Hehl says. “You can’t see the twists and turns and drops coming, but everyone comes out smiling.” 2300 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, New Hampshire; 603-427-1112

Patricia Harris can be reached at harrislyon@gmail.com. David Lyon can be reached at harrislyon@gmail.com.