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Use this list to start your summer theme park vacation planning.

Best US Theme Parks: (Jump To)

We certainly haven’t visited every theme park in the United States but we have taken a pretty big bite out of the list. Here ranked lowest to highest is our list of the best theme parks in the USA that we have visited.

Six Flags Darien Lake

Corfu, NY - Darien Lake is one of the smallest parks in the Six Flags group. It’s conveniently located near Niagara Falls which makes it a great park for a quick half-day visit.

Read more about our trip to Niagara Falls and Darien Lake.

Six Flags America

Woodmore, MD - Another in the Six Flags chain, Six Flags America hasn’t had a new rollercoaster since the opening of Ragin' Cajun in 2014 (which was just relocated there from another Six Flags Park).

It’s a regional favorite and a great park to visit if you live locally or are planning a day in Washington DC and need a break from all the Smithsonian-ing.

California’s Great America

Santa Clara, CA - If you’d like to visit this great little park in the Bay Area of California, make sure to do it soon. They recently announced the park was sold and will be demolished within the next ten years.

This is home to our favorite wild mouse coaster, the Psycho Mouse. The park has a solid lineup of coasters and thrill rides. It’s a shame we’ll be losing it.

Six Flags Over Texas

Arlington, TX - This was the first Six Flags park to open. It has some of the best theming in the chain but suffers from a lack of new coasters. That is set to change with the planned 2023 opening of an Aquaman-themed launch coaster.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal City, CA - If this list were ranking parks based on theming alone, Universal Studios Hollywood would be much higher on the list. The park is extremely easy to visit during a trip to Los Angeles, even offering a subway stop on the Metro Red Line.

Harry Potter fans will love The Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of the park. This is the only theme park that I know of that offers a real studio tour as part of admission. The Studio Backlot Tour takes you all around the busy Universal production lot.

Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Bay Lake, FL - The lowest-ranked park from Disney, Animal Kingdom is a great place to view animals while riding a few really great rides.

Tree of Life - Disneys Animal Kingdom - Lake Buena Vista - FL

The theming throughout the park is legendary. Visiting the Pandora section of the park at night is a real treat.

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Worlds of Fun

Kansas City, MO - A nice park in the Cedar Fair chain, Worlds of Fun is a great park for families. You’ll find a great mix of rides for all ages. The park is themed to different geographical regions of the world. In Planet Snoopy kids have their choice of 20 different rides to enjoy. Teens and adults will enjoy the other 7 rollercoasters in the park including the wooden favorite Timber Wolf.

Six Flags Great Adventure

Jackson Township, NJ - Located in the busy corridor between New York City and Philadelphia Great Adventure is a regional park loved by the locals.

Don’t miss El Toro, the current record holder for the steepest drop on a wooden coaster on the planet.

Sea World San Diego

San Diego, CA - A visit to any Sea World park is a great way to experience the wonder of marine life while making some time for rollercoasters and water-themed attractions. What makes this park special is its location directly on the Pacific Ocean.

Read our full park review HERE.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas

San Antonio, TX - Fiesta Texas is another Six Flags park with some great theming and coasters. The best part of the park is the western-themed Crackaxle Canyon home to the best three coasters in the park Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger, Iron Rattler, and Road Runner Express.

Also, seek out the food in Spassburg, an area themed to celebrate the German heritage in that portion of Texas.

entrance sign - Six Flags Fiesta Texas - San Antonio - TX

Six Flags Great America

Gurnee, IL - Great America holds a special place in my heart as my hometown park from childhood. It’s located slightly north of Chicago near the Wisconsin-Illinois border.

The wooden American Eagle coaster will always be a favorite. Enthusiasts will also love a ride on the 1950s-era Little Dipper.

little Dipper - Six Flags Great America - Gurnee - IL

Sea World San Antonio

San Antonio, TX - The largest of the parks in the Sea World chain, Sea World San Antonio has a ton of great attractions and animal experiences.

Read our full park review HERE.

Disney California Adventure

Anaheim, CA - This second park to the original Disneyland has a great collection of unique attractions and some repeats from the parks in Florida. Recent additions like Cars Land and the Avengers Campus have helped the park stand out.

The Incredicoaster is one of my favorite coasters on the planet.

Silver Dollar City

Stone County, MO - Located near the midwestern tourist mecca, Branson, Silver Dollar City is a wonderful park. Walking through the park’s beautiful landscaping makes for a pleasant day even if you never get on one of the park’s seven coasters.

Unique to the park is Marvel Cave a huge natural wonder that has been an attraction of the Ozarks since the 19th century. Tours of the cave are included in park admission

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Bay Lake, FL - The recent addition of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge has increased this park’s stature for lovers of the franchise. I’ve always been a fan of this park’s tribute to classic cinema of all kinds. I was disappointed to lose The Great Movie Ride, but there is a lot to love here including the Muppet-themed area of Grand Avenue and the wonderful The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

Vallejo, CA - Located near San Francisco, Discovery Kingdom is equal parts zoo and theme park. The expansive park gives you the chance to see elephants, penguins, dolphins, and lions. The park has ten rollercoasters to ride between animal experiences. The park is truly fun for all ages.

Sea World Orlando

Orlando, FL - The top-rated Sea World park on our list, Sea World Orlando is another great park for animal attractions. The coaster collection is good, but the shows and animal experiences are the real draw to the park.

Read our full park review HERE.

Knott’s Berry Farm

Buena Park, CA - Anchored by some of the best food at any theme park in the US, Knott’s Berry Farm is an easy-to-navigate park packed full of rides, coasters, shows, and shops. The park’s historic Ghost Town set the tone for theming when it opened as an original part of the park.

Ghostrider and Xcelerator are two of the best coasters in the western United States.

Kings Island

Mason, OH - Kings Island is another park in the Cedar Fair group. Like other parks in the chain the food offerings are elevated (theme park elevated, but elevated nevertheless). The park is known for breaking world records. The Beast opened in 1979 as the longest, fastest, and tallest coaster in the world. Their newest ride, Orion, opened in 2020 at a reported cost of $30 million.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

James City County, VA - Probably the most beautifully landscaped park on this list, Busch Gardens Williamsburg is part of the Sea World Parks group. The park is themed to different countries in Europe. Verbolten is a favorite in the park. The steel coaster runs into the wilderness and over a nearby lake.

Six Flags Over Georgia

Mableton, GA - Six Flags Over Georgia is easy to visit while in Atlanta. You can even reach the park on public transportation from the airport. The park is huge with great rollercoasters around every corner. The park’s only minus is the lack of new offerings, with only one coaster ride opening since 2004.

Universal Studios Florida

Orlando, FL - I’ve always loved the movie theming of this park and its attractions. I remember being blown away as a child when I rode E.T. Adventure for the first time. Harry Potter fans visiting this park and its sister park Islands of Adventure will be swept away by all things Potter.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Tampa, FL - This park is great on all fronts. The landscaping and beautification of the park are one of the country's finest. They also do a great job offering loads of unique animal experiences. The park is probably the closest thing to a zoo on the list.

Animals with Coasters - Busch Gardens - Tampa.jpg

They also have great thrill rides and family-friendly rides. A personal favorite is Cheetah Hunt.

Kennywood

West Mifflin, PA - I love this park. It originally opened in 1899 in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. The park loves to celebrate its rich nearly 125-year history.

The park has great classic wooden coasters like The Racer and Jackrabbit, great classic stand-alone rides like Whip and Turtle, and exciting modern coasters like the Steel Curtain.

Kangaroo - Kennywood - West Mifflin - PA

Six Flags Magic Mountain

Valencia, CA - located just far enough from Los Angeles to make it impossible to visit without renting a car, Magic Mountain is probably the greatest coaster park in the world. The park offers 20 exciting coasters with the newest, Wonder Woman: Flight of Courage opening in 2022.

Read a comprehensive guide to the park HERE.

Hersheypark

Hershey, PA - Built as a playground for workers of the namesake chocolate plant, Hersheypark leans into its candy history. This is another great park for families, with attractions for kids of all ages. Thrill seekers will find plenty of world-class coasters to fill their day.

Admission to the park includes a visit to the adjacent ZooAmerica.

Dollywood

Pigeon Forge, TN - Located in the Great Smoky Mountains, this theme park is owned by Dolly Parton.

Universal's Islands of Adventure

Orlando, FL - Along with the original Universal Park, Islands of Adventure is the only Central Florida rival to Walt Disney World. Packed full of amazing high-themed and high-thrill attractions the park is sure to wow any visitor.

Magic Kingdom Park

Bay Lake, FL - This Disney World park needs no introduction. Here you will all the classic Disney favorites like Space Mountain, It’s a Small World, and Pirates of the Caribbean. It is on everyone’s bucket list and a treasured pastime for families across the world.

Cedar Point

Sandusky, OH - On a sandy peninsula in Lake Erie, Cedar Point is a coaster park through and through. Boasting 16 coasters, enough to fill two days, the park excels at creating unique, one-of-a-kind thrill rides.

Millennium Force, once the tallest coaster in the world, is a favorite in the park.

Disneyland Park

Anaheim, CA - The original Disney dream, Disneyland is more intimate and quaint than Magic Kingdom with all the same classic attractions. Visiting the park is the best way to truly appreciate the concept of a theme park that Walt Disney envisioned.

Sleeping Beauty Castle and Partners statue - Disneyland - Anaheim - CA

With a shorter castle and smaller footprint, you may be quick to decide to go to Florida instead, but you would miss the far superior versions of Space Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean.

The food in the park is world-class.

EPCOT

Bay Lake, FL - I have spent days and days in EPCOT, the second park to open in the Walt Disney World Florida Project. With recent upgrades and ride additions, the park has become one of the most unique theme parks in the world.