5 of the Best Amusement Parks in America

On the state border between North and South Carolina, Carowinds is a particularly unique experience that likes to straddle the edges in many ways including a number of roller coasters that take you across the state line and back again. The park embraces the Stateline of the Carolinas by bringing together Carolina culture from its BBQ to the events. Further, their ride Fury 325 was voted the best roller coaster in the world by Golden Ticket Awards, and they have one of the best water parks around, especially after their recent upgrades. The park is a 7 hour drive from the Franklin area, but if you make it part of a sightseeing road trip, you’re just adding to the experience and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Holiday World is much closer at just a 3 hour drive and located in Santa Claus, Indiana. If your child loves holidays, they’re sure to love this one as all the rides are split between the four different themed lands of Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and 4th of July. Like most great parks, it has a water park, Splashin’ Safari. The best part is that the price of the tickets includes a lot of the things that add up to expensive trips in the end; their free sodas, sunscreen, and parking means a lot more funds for other great things and a worry-free vacation for you!

There’s a lot of Six Flags parks that could be mentioned in this list or in this place, but Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey deserves the recognition as one of the best. Located in Jackson, New Jersey and at a hefty 13 hour drive away, it is also the worlds largest amusement park. It includes 13 roller coasters, great family rides for smaller kids, and a safari for some low-key adventures. One of the rides that makes it one of the greatest is the Kingda Ka ride, which is not only they tallest in the world at 456 feet high, but also the fastest ride in America. It also has the best wooden roller coaster, the El Toro. If you’re looking for a lot of variety and experience in a single location, this just might be the amusement park for your family.

Little known to most of America, but a family favorite of anyone who grew up in or around Ohio, Kings Island located in Mason, Ohio is a little closer to home, about 5 hour car ride. Kings Island has been voted as the amusement park with the best kids area and several of their rides have been recognized as the best of their kind. The Diamondback, Banshee, and the Beast are known to roller coaster enthusiasts as some of the best and you’ll find these and more at Kings Island. If you’re a fan of the wooden roller coasters, this is the place to go as they have the most of any amusement park in the world.

This article would be pretty lacking if it didn’t mention Dollywood, just 4 hours away, and located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. If you’re looking for someplace where fun is encased in southern charm, food, and friendliness, Dollywood is the answer. Dollywood offers tons of rides, eight great roller coasters, and a host of great shows for all around entertainment for your family. In fact, Dollywood won the Golden Ticket Award for best shows and for best Christmas event. Great for events year-round, this is one to keep in mind if you just want a short getaway from home with a ton of fun. It’s also recently added Lightning Rod to their list of roller coasters in 2016, which was named for best new coaster of the year and is the fastest wooden coaster in the world.

With Spring Break coming up and summer just a few short months away, plan your next family vacation with a short (or perhaps longer) drive to one of these great amusement parks to create some new memories.

This article is brought to you by Ford Lincoln of Franklin. Ford Lincoln offers new and pre-owned vehicles, helping your family take great trips like these. Check out their inventory here and visit them in person at 1129 Murfreesboro Rd, Franklin, TN 37064.

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