Amusement Parks: Then and Now

When you were a kid, amusement parks seemed gigantic. If revisiting the same parks seems different now, it’s not just your childhood memories that have changed. Theme parks are under constant evolution — a giant new Wonder Woman roller coaster is opening July 16 — so looking back on their opening years will inevitably be quite a different picture. And, if you’re missing some of your favorite rides, you just might find them relocated to another park.

Related: Abandoned Theme Parks to Explore for Thrills, Chills, and Nostalgia

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Valencia, California1971 Magic Mountain was not a Six Flags property when it opened in 1971; Six Flags bought it in 1979. Opening rides like the 35 mph Gold Rusher roller coaster, El Bumpo bumper boats, the Galaxy exponential Ferris wheel, and the short-lived Billy the Squid and Log Jammer flume ride offered stiff competition to nearby Disneyland. Only the Gold Rusher remains.

Six Flags Magic Mountain

2022 This park provides a Justice League-focused experience with plenty of DC Superhero rides. The latest is Wonder Woman Flight of Courage, opening July 16 and billed as the world’s tallest and longest single-rail roller coaster. Batman the Ride makes you feel like Batman. Let Lex Luthor drop you from a tower; travel like The Flash on the Speed Force track; or fly like Superman with the Escape from Krypton ride. Once you’ve had enough superhero action, you can check out the park’s relatively new racing launch coaster. Or slow down with all the Looney Tunes rides for the kids.

Coney Island

Brooklyn, New York1895 For a place so iconic for its amusement rides, it’s bittersweet that so few remain. Sea Lion Park was the first amusement park to open on Coney Island, and it was indoors. The Shoot the Chutes was Sea Lion’s calling card, and the park also boasted the first looping roller coaster in the U.S. True to its name, trained sea lions performed for awestruck families.

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Coney Island

2022 Steeplechase, Dreamland, and Astroland have come and gone during the 20th century. Even Luna Park is not the same park that burned down in 1944. The current Luna Park opened in 2010 and pays homage with rides like the aptly named Steeplechase horse-themed roller coaster and the iconic Cyclone roller coaster. In 2019, it opened two new rides: Clockworkz and Atlantic Aviator. Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park, which turned 100 last year, still offers a few rides a la carte including its famous Ferris wheel.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal City, California1915 Studio chief Carl Laemmle originally opened the back lot to the public for just 25 cents apiece. Only 18 years into the film industry, observing production was a real attraction. This only worked during the silent era. Once sound had to be recorded, they had to keep noisy tourists out. The studio tour went dark until 1961.

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Universal Studios Hollywood

2022Universal — including CityWalk shopping and food venues — is open this season. Universal lets visitors be in the movies. The tram tour drives through active productions plus immersive King Kong and The Fast and the Furious experiences. You’re only as good as your last hit, so rides based on Back to the Future and Terminator 2 have given way to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Despicable Me, Transformers, The Simpsons, and, in 2019, Jurassic World – The Ride opened. It’s also worth noting that Universal went bicoastal with a Florida park in 1990.

Cedar Point

Sandusky, Ohio1870 Cedar Point calls 1870 its first season, when it was just a beer garden, bath house, and dance floor on the Lake Erie peninsula. The first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway, wasn’t opened until 1892. Many of the 19th century buildings are still part of the architecture of the modern Cedar Point.

Cedar Point

2022Since 1978, Cedar Point coasters have set height and speed records, from the race-themed Gemini to the Top Thrill Dragster, which drops from 420 feet in the air reaching 120 mph in 3.8 seconds. The relatively new Steel Vengeance coaster set new records for its intimidating drop. Peanuts characters welcome kids to Camp Snoopy with easy rides for the little tykes. It’s branched out beyond coasters with Forbidden Frontier, a “choose your own adventure” interactive-type attraction. 

Related: Roller Coaster Facts for Die-Hard Thrill Seekers

Six Flags Over Texas

Arlington, Texas1961 Six Flags opened its first park in Arlington, Texas. The six flags represented the countries that had a historical presence in Texas: Spain, Mexico, France, Texas, the Old South, and the U.S.A. Opening with 46 rides and attractions including a log flume and mine train, admission was only $2.75 for adults and 50 cents less for kids.

Six Flags Over Texas

2022 Since 2017, all six flags are now the United States flag and its six themed areas have merged or been replaced by the likes of modern superheroes. The gyroscope-like Harley Quinn Spinsanity has joined the park’s Batman-themed Gotham City section. The original steam train still rides, but it’s now called the Boomtown Depot. There’s also a Bugs Bunny section for kids. In 2019 the park added its 14th roller coaster, the El Diablo and Aquaman Power Wave, a water coaster with speeds up to 63 mph, is coming soon. 

Disneyland

Anaheim, California1955 Walt Disney would soon prove everybody who called it “Walt’s Folly” wrong. Despite a rocky start without enough food and not all the rides yet ready to open, Disneyland’s first visitors got to see Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland with now classic rides like Jungle Cruise, Mad Tea Party, and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Related: Vintage Views of Disneyland and Walt Disney World

Disneyland

2022 Over the years, rides like the Pirates of the Caribbean cruise, The Haunted Mansion ride, and Space Mountain roller coaster became Disneyland staples. The 21st century saw the addition of California Adventure Park. Now rides based on famous movies like “Indiana Jones,” “Star Wars,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and Pixar films let fans enter their favorite movies. Most recently, the park welcomed Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. 

Hershey Park

Hershey, Pennsylvania1907-1923 After Milton S. Hershey founded Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 1903, he opened a baseball stadium in 1907. That technically constituted the beginning of Hershey Park, but if you want to talk rides, 1908-1923 saw a merry-go-round, scenic train, Wild Cat roller coaster, Ferris wheel, aeroplane swing, and Skooter. Back then, you could tour the actual chocolate factory where Hershey made the sweets.

Related: Surprising Things You Didn’t Know About Hershey Kisses

Hershey Park

2022 Except for the Kissing Tower, which offers an amazing 360-degree view of the surrounding area, and the recently opened interactive gaming ride Reese’s Cupfusion, there are relatively few chocolate-themed rides. Hersheypark is all about thrills with new additions like Skyrush, its 12th roller coaster, and the bouncy Hershey Triple Tower. Classic coasters like the 1940s Comet and the ’70s-era SooperDooperLooper remain linchpins of the park. By the ’70s, tourist capacity far outgrew the actual chocolate factory, so now Hershey’s Chocolate World recreates the factory animatronically, with free samples, too. 2020 saw the debut of Hershey’s Chocolatetown.

Knott’s Berry Farm

Buena Park, California1940 1969Walter Knott had a vision bigger than his family berry, jelly, and pie business. In 1940, Knott built a ghost town attraction next to his shops and restaurants. In the ’50s and ’60s, he added rides like the Calico Railroad and Calico Mine Ride. It was only in 1968 that Knott charged admission ($1 according to Knott’s website) and one year later added the Calico log ride.

Knott’s Berry Farm

2022 The Knott’s tract has expanded to include Knott’s Soak City water park and a hotel, but the berry farm and Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner restaurant are still there. In the theme park, the GhostRider is the longest, fastest and tallest West Coast wooden roller coaster at 118 feet overlooking the classic Ghost Town. Knott’s got more intense with thrilling drops but still has rides for the whole family. Every fall, Knott’s turns into Knott’s Scary Farm, a Halloween themed scare-a-thon. The newest ride is HangTime, the first dive coaster in California. 

Lake Compounce

Bristol, Connecticut1846Lake Compounce may not have been the first amusement park ever built, but it is the oldest one still operating. Back in 1846, Gad Norton opened the park with science experiments performed for crowds by Samuel Botsford, picnic areas, swimming in the lake, and just a handful of rides.

Related: The Oldest Building in Major Cities Across America

Lake Compounce

2022 Today Lake Compounce has some 50 rides, including the Wildcat roller coaster since 1927 and 2000s Boulder Dash. Lake Compounce is perhaps most noted as a haunted amusement park. From the Native American heritage and failed science experiments to famous performers in the Starlight Ballroom (including Cab Calloway and Frank Sinatra), visitors claim they still hear the music and see the dancers. The park has updated its facilities and has a new waterslide called Storm Surge.

Busch Gardens

Williamsburg, Virginia1975 In 1975, Anheuser-Busch opened The Old Country, a European-themed park near its Virginia brewing plant. It offers quite a juxtaposition from Colonial Williamsburg, the American Revolution-era city that lets modern visitors interact with the past. “Tonight Show” personality Ed McMahon and Virginia Gov. Mill E. Goodwin Jr. welcomed more than 6,000 visitors to The Old Country.

Busch Gardens

2022 Like many modern theme parks, Busch Gardens now has an adjoining water park. In 2019, the amusement park added an Irish-themed swinging ride called Finnegan’s Flyer. Around 10 years ago, Sesame Street joined the European villas with rides like Grover’s Alpine Express coaster and Prince Elmo’s Spire drop tower. The 21st century has seen five innovative new coasters from the floorless Griffon to the seven-story InvadR, somehow the park’s first wooden roller coaster. The twisting Loch Ness Monster from 1978 still stands. 

Disney World Magic Kingdom

Orlando, Florida1971 The word “World” accurately describes this bigger, more elaborate Disney park that has become an international destination for millions of families a year. Initially, they actually charged for separate tickets to additional rides after entry. The Magic Kingdom opened with such famous rides as The Haunted Mansion, Hall of Presidents, Mad Tea Party, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

Disney World Magic Kingdom

2022 Always evolving, the last decade or so saw new attractions based on Disney animated classics like “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Families can still take an It’s A Small World boat tour as well as rides on the Big Thunder Mountain train and Splash Mountain water flume. Children’s greatest joys often come from meeting Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and the rest. 

Related: How to Do Disney on a Budget

Six Flags New England

Agawam, Massachusetts1870 When Six Flags took over the old Gallup’s Grove, it became the oldest park in the Six Flags chain. Gallup’s Grove opened as a picnic area on the Connecticut River, which visitors sailed by steamship. The name was changed to Riverside Grove and then Riverside Park when rides were installed.

Six Flags New England

2022 Once Six Flags took over in 2000, they moved the parking lot to make room for new rides. Six Flags added superhero rides and even imported some rides from other Six Flags like the Flashback roller coaster from Kentucky Kingdom and Goliath roller coaster from Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. The New England Screamer is the tallest swing ride in the world. Its water park also took the Six Flags name Hurricane Harbor. This year the park introduced New England SkyScreamer, which will take riders up 400 feet and — motion sickness sufferers take note — features lots of spinning. 

Dollywood

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee1986 In 1986, Dolly Parton partnered with the owners of the history-focused Silver Dollar City site to turn it into Tennessee’s most visited attraction. The Klondike Katie coal train and Robert F. Thomas Chapel still remain in Dollywood from the Silver Dollar days, although the Klondike Katie is now called the Dollywood Express. Long gone 1986 rides include the Flooded Mine and Smoky Mountain River Rampage.

Dollywood

2022 Now Dollywood has a water park, and thrill rides like the Lightning Rod and Tennessee Tornado coasters. The indoor Blazing Fury ride is still there and the Fun Country Log Flume has become Daredevil Falls. But you want to see Dolly-themed attractions, so take a tour of Dolly’s Home-on-Wheels and see how the country icon lives while she’s touring. Wildwood Grove — a new section of the park meant for families with young kids — features a massive tree sculpture and plenty of other diversions. The newest ride is Lightning Rod, a roller coaster based on a ’50s hot rod that reaches a top speed of 73 mph.

Lakeside Amusement Park

Lakeside, Colorado1908 Denver Mayor Robert Speer and brewer Adolph Zang opened the park in Lakeside to sell alcohol all week (Denver had blue laws on Sundays). 1908 featured the boat splasher Shoot the Chutes, Lakeshore Railway train, star-shaped Ferris wheel Staride, shake ’em up Tickler ride, two roller coasters, Circle Swing, and Merry-Go-Round. You could see its 100,000 white lights and Tower of Jewels entrance from the outside.

Related: Once Popular Tourist Hotspots That Are Now Totally Abandoned

Lakeside Amusement Park

2022 The Lakeshore Railway still rides. The Tower of Jewels needs some new bulbs after more than a century. The Cyclone coaster has been there since 1940, but visitors grow wary of hopping aboard now. In 2018, Lakeside Amusement imported the Zyklon coaster to give visitors a new ride after 30 years, but it doesn’t appear to be up and running yet.

Legoland

Carlsbad, California1999 After creating two European parks, the Lego company brought the joy of their brick parks to the U.S. Legoland opened with 40 rides to compete with the Disneys and Six Flags, but only Legoland has intricate brick towns over which kids can tower (or build their own with loose bricks). The inaugural Miniland took three years and 16 million bricks to build miniature scenes of New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, and rural New England.

Legoland

2022 The park celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019 and now boasts more than 60 rides. Visitors can experience a “4D” version of “The Lego Movie” at the park. The aquarium, water park, and Lego-themed hotel rooms add to the experience, but the highlights are still the new Lego builds like the Star Wars and Las Vegas minilands. Even a mini Death Star is bigger than you.

Disney Hollywood Studios

Orlando, Florida1989Originally opened as the Disney MGM Studios, which had only a Backstage Studio Tour and a single ride, it beat Universal to Orlando by a year. The Great Movie Ride was a funhouse through animatronic scenes from “The Wizard of Oz,” “Casablanca,” “Mary Poppins,” “Singing in the Rain,” “Alien,” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” They did teach kids how sound effects worked and let them make their own.

Disney Hollywood Studios

2022Currently open, this park’s name was changed and has been known as Disney Hollywood Studios since 2008. Toy Story Land and Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy are the newest attractions. Star Wars-themed Star Tours has been updated with multiple Star Wars attractions added. You can still watch a live version of “Beauty and the Beast” and brave the Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror.

Adventureland

Altoona, Iowa1973When Jack Kranz opened Adventureland, the centerpiece ride was the Sky Ride in the middle of a cornfield. A Main Town included small rides like kiddie helicopters, Jaunty Jeeps, Silly Silo, River Rapids, a trolley tour, and Bavarian Scrambler.

Adventureland

2022 Now with 100 rides, shows, and attractions, Adventureland is a full-blown theme park open for the season. Bernie Bernard is the mascot well known throughout the state, joined by other favorites like Toby the tiger, dogs Heather and Henry, Gilda the gorilla, and the animatronic barker P.T. Barnaby. In 2016, Adventureland debuted The Monster, its first new roller coaster in 23 years and more recently the park opened yet another attraction: a $6 million “family spinning roller coaster” called The Phoenix.

Epcot Center

Orlando, Florida1982“Center” would ultimately be dropped and EPCOT stood for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, but to families, it meant double the Disney World. Walt Disney envisioned Epcot as a functioning city. The company realized it as a theme park. Future World sort of eclipsed Tomorrowland; the World of Imagination was hosted by the dragon Figment himself; and World Showcase introduced American kids to international culture.

Epcot

2022

Perhaps the most significant change to Disney World is the Park Hopper pass, which grants families access to all three Orlando parks, rather than a la carte. Epcot, which is open, now includes Disney entertainment attractions such as Frozen Forever After. After a temporary hiatus from 1999-2000, the Figment the dragon is also back. There are a lot of new attractions at Epcot, including an innovative Play pavilion and rides based on “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Ratatouille.” 

Wild World / Six Flags America

Marlboro, Maryland1981 Wild World opened after buying a wildlife preserve from Jim Fowler of “Wild Kingdom” fame, who had taken over from ABC Television. Through the ’80s, it was more of a water-slide and wave-pool park with rides. It got a real roller coaster in 1986 when The Wild One was imported from Paragon Park in Massachusetts. 1980s kids can remember drying off on the rides after soaking on the water slides.

Wild World / Six Flags America

2022 Renamed Adventure World in the ’90s, the park was taken over by Six Flags in 1999. The Wild One turns 104 this year, and the water park is more of a separate attraction now. The rides have been expanded, including Six Flags’ DC Comics licenses, with a different spin on Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth. The park’s newest roller coaster, Harley Quinn Spinsanity,  is the tallest and fastest pendulum ride in the area and reaches speeds of 70 mph. No longer just a local day trip, Wild World became a full on Six Flags destination.

Nickelodeon Universe

Bloomington, Minnesota1992 The Knott’s family expanded their theme park empire out of California to open a Peanuts-themed kiddie park in Minnesota’s Mall of America. They still managed to fit 23 rides and attractions under the indoor dome, including river rapids and a roller coaster. Peanuts themes abounded, but just in case you weren’t a Snoopy fan — who wouldn’t like Snoopy? — there were also general rides.

Nickelodeon Universe

2022 Knott’s got out of the Camp Snoopy business in 1997, and when Nickelodeon took over the park in 2006, you can bet the Peanuts themes were replaced by rides with SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles themes. Nickelodeon Universe is now 27 rides strong, including the more recent openings of roller coasters Shredder’s Mutant Masher and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Shock.

Six Flags St. Louis

Eureka, Missouri1971 Six Flags Over Mid-America opened in 1971 with 16 rides, a dolphin show, and petting zoo, back when it took only 1,400 employees to serve the park. They didn’t even sell alcohol back then.

Six Flags St. Louis

2022The park adopted the name Six Flags St. Louis in 1997, and you can still drive the original Moon Antique Cars. Attractions include a Typhoon Twister in Six Flags St. Louis’ Hurricane Harbor, an additional Funnel Cake Factory because you need immediate funnel cake access, and now Batman: The Ride goes backward. A Supergirl spinning wheel debuted in 2019 to test your stomach of steel.

Santa’s Village

Jefferson, New Hampshire1953 Dry cleaners Norman and Cecile Dubois opened Santa’s Village with pony rides and a Francis the Mule and Santa Claus show. They charged $1 to get in and a quarter to ride a pony. Playgrounds, restaurants, and rides wouldn’t become part of the village until the ’60s as Santa’s Village remained in the Dubois family, with its third generation operating the park today.

Santa’s Village

2022Tickets here cost $43, but a few decades of added rides make it a steal compared to the Six Flags and Disneys of the world. Classic rides get a yuletide twist like the Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree swings, Chimney Drop free fall, and Little Drummer Boy spinning drums. Who needs teacups? Santa’s Village is open with the park noting on its website that it will limit capacity and require reservations.

Six Flags Great Adventure

Jackson, New Jersey1974 Businessman and Hollywood scion Warner LeRoy had big plans for his own magic kingdom, but on opening day, only two areas were ready: The Enchanted Forest and Safari. The Fort and Western sections were developed soon after. Its Antique Cars ride lasted only one season and its short-lived roller coaster, the Jumbo Jet, lasted only one year in 1975. The undersea-themed Pretty Monster spinning cars were next on the chopping block.

Six Flags Great Adventure

2022Six Flags turned Great Adventure into one of its standard-bearing parks, and a handful of original rides — the Log Flume, Runaway Mine, Big Wheel, and Carousel — are still nestled among big coasters and superhero rides.  The park has the Jersey Devil coaster, the world’s tallest, fastest, and longest single rail coaster. Another thrill ride: Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth, a pendulum ride that reaches gut-lurching speeds of up to 75 mph. Need something calmer? Great Adventure also has a Six Flags branded Hurricane Harbor water park next door.

Family Kingdom Amusement Park

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina1966Grand Strand Amusement Park opened to compete with nearby Pirateland and the older Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park. The Swamp Fox roller coaster that opened in 1966 still rolls, thanks to refurbishment by Family Kingdom. On the peak of the Swamp Fox and the top of the Ferris Wheel, riders can see the Atlantic Ocean.

Family Kingdom Amusement Park

2022 Family Kingdom now has upward of 35 rides including many added in the last 10 years or so. The Twist ‘n Shout is a steel roller coaster opened in 2013. The Kite Flyer lets riders lie face down and does the flying for them. Flight School is a circular plane ride, and the Frog Hopper is a bouncy kids ride.

Kings Dominion

Doswell, Virginia1975 Virginia made a good day trip when East Coasters couldn’t go all the way to Orlando. Opening rides on May 3, 1975, included The Rebel Yell roller coaster, Lion Country Safari monorail, Log Flume, Steam Train, and a one-third scale Eiffel Tower. In the Happy Land of Hanna Barbera, children could meet Scooby-Doo, Fred Flintstone, and other animated favorites in person.

Kings Dominion

2022The Rebel Yell is now called Racer 75, one of 13 coasters. The classic 1982 Grizzly wooden roller coaster is still there, too. In the ’90s, Hanna Barbera land became Nickelodeon. Peanuts took over in 2010, so the Scooby Doo coaster became the Woodstock Express in 2013. Many old favorites (King Cobra, Smurf Mountain, The Hurler, and The Shockwave) are gone, too, in Kings Dominion’s pursuit of more thrills. Twisted Timbers, a roller coaster with a decidedly dark back story, is a must-ride for coaster lovers.

Related: The World’s Oddest Theme Parks