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10 of the Best Amusement Parks in California

You’re likely to never run out of places to explore and things to do while in California, but even with all of those options, sometimes you just want to tune everything out and scream your lungs out on a roller coaster or simply have a relaxing family-friendly outing. Thankfully, California has no shortage of theme parks and amusement parks full of world-class attractions.

Below are 10 of the best amusement parks in California;

1. Disneyland Park

Disneyland Park, California – Flickr

Disneyland is an amusement park located in Anaheim, California. It is the only Disneyland Park that was designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. It was opened on July 17, 1955, during a special televised press event on the ABC Television Network.

Disneyland Park consists of nine themed “lands” and a number of concealed backstage areas. The park opened with Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, Mickey’s Toontown and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

The park is famous for its “Hidden Mickeys”, representations of Mickey Mouse heads inserted subtly into the design of attractions and environmental decor. Have fun spotting them.

2. Six Flags Magic Mountain

Six Flags Magic Mountain, California – Flickr

Six Flags Magic Mountain, formerly Magic Mountain, is a 262-acre (106 ha) theme park located in Valencia, California, 35 miles (56 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was originally developed by the Newhall Land and Farming Company and Sea World Inc. but in 1979, Six Flags purchased the park and added the name “Six Flags” to the park’s name.

Magic Mountain was the first park in the world to have a modern, 360-degree steel looping coaster. There are currently eleven separately themed areas within the park, with each zone featuring its own distinct rides, attractions, and food service venues.

The park is renowned for its 19 roller coasters, Six Flags Magic Mountain holds the world record for most roller coasters in an amusement park. Enjoy a ride

3. Knott’s Berry Farm

Knott’s Berry Farm – Flickr

Knott’s Berry Farm is a 57-acre (23 ha) theme park located in Buena Park, California. The theme park began in the 1920s as a roadside berry stand and over the decades grew into a modern amusement park. It consists of four themed areas; Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, The Boardwalk and Camp Snoopy.

The park features 40 rides including roller coasters, family rides, dark rides, and water rides. Perilous Plunge, Shoot-the-Chutes ride, had the record of being the tallest and steepest water ride in the world until September 2012 when it was closed and removed.

The park’s annual Knott’s Scary Farm is a must-see, where the entire park re-themes itself into a “haunted house” style attraction in the form of mazes and “scare zones” in the evening.

4. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – Flickr

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk is an oceanfront amusement park in Santa Cruz, California It was founded in 1907, making it California’s oldest surviving amusement park. Two of its rides are National Historic Landmarks, the 1911 Looff Carousel and 1924 Giant Dipper wooden roller coaster. The entire property is also a State Historic Landmark.

The boardwalk extends along the coast of the Monterey Bay, from just east of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf to the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.

Santa Cruz Beach Broadwalk is renowned for its indoor arcades which offer the largest selection of games in Northern California with the latest video and redemption games, pinball machines, a vintage game collection, two-story miniature golf course, and laser tag arena.

5. Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood Archway Wikipedia

Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood film studios still in use. It is split into two areas on different levels, connected by a series of escalators called the Starway. These areas are known as the Upper lot and Lower lot.

The Upper Lot consists of a variety of family-based attractions. The theming of the Upper Lot includes a Mission Revival entrance pathway, known as Universal Boulevard, that features the large Universal Plaza. The Lower Lot is the smaller of the two lots. There are three thrill rides at this section of the park that each have height restrictions.

Explore behind-the-scenes of the world’s biggest and busiest movie and television studio.

6. Disney California Adventure Park

Disney California Adventure Park – Wikipedia

Disney California Adventure Park, commonly referred to as California Adventure, is a theme park located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The 72-acre (29 ha) park is themed after the history and culture of California, which celebrates the adventure of the state through the use of various Disney, Pixar and Marvel Studios properties.

DCA park was opened on February 8, 2001. It is divided into eight themed lands; Buena Vista Street, Pixar Pier, Paradise Gardens, Pacific Wharf, Grizzly Peak, Hollywood Land, Avengers Campus, and Cars Land.

The California theme might seem odd for a park based in California, but it’s a classic Disneyland experience, worthwhile to visit.

7. Legoland

Legoland, California – Flickr

Legoland California Resort is a theme park, miniature park, and aquarium located in Carlsbad, California. It was opened on March 20, 1999, and based on the Lego toy brand. It is the first Legoland park outside of Europe. The first Sea Life Aquarium in North America opened at Legoland California in 2008.

The park is divided into nine themed lands; Explorer Island, LEGO Friends Heartlake City, Fun Town, Miniland USA, Castle Hill, Imagination Zone, Pirates Shores, Land of Adventure and LEGO Ninjago World.

Enter a world of knights and princesses to conquer the Dragon Coaster in Legoland California.

8. Aquatica San Diego

Aquatica San Diego – Flickr

Originally, the park was owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company as Knott’s Soak City San Diego before being acquired by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment in November 2012. It was rebranded and reopened on June 1, 2013, as Aquatica San Diego.

The park closed for its final season on September 12, 2021. It is planning to rebrand as Sesame Place San Diego in 2022. The Sesame Street-themed Park will feature tame roller coasters, carousels and other family-friendly rides, the street made famous on TV, a parade, live shows and character interactions, among other things.

Be among the first people to experience the newly rebranded park that will incorporate many of the existing water attractions into the new park.

9. California’s Great America

California’s Great America – Flickr

California’s Great America, commonly known as Great America, is a 112-acre (45 ha) amusement park located in Santa Clara, California. It was originally opened in 1976. The park is divided into several themed areas, laid out along an oval pathway nicknamed the “Duell Loop”. This allows all areas of the park to be serviced from a central corridor, while visitors can experience the entire park by completing a single lap around it.

The park features over 40 rides and attractions, and one of its most notable is Gold Striker, which has been featured as a top-ranked wooden roller coaster in Amusement Today’s annual Golden Ticket Awards publication.

10. Children’s Fairyland

Children’s Fairyland – Flickr

Children’s Fairyland, U.S.A. is 10 acres (4.0 ha) an amusement park, located in Oakland, California, on the shores of Lake Merritt. Fairyland was built in 1950 making it one of the earliest “themed” amusement parks in the United States. The park is also home to the Open Storybook Puppet Theater, the oldest continuously operating puppet theater in the United States.

The park is a must-see as it one of the many parks that sparked Walter Disney’s ideas for what is now Disneyland. It also inspired numerous towns to create their own parks. Explore the park to find out what ideas it might ignite within you.