Uproxx
Theme or amusement parks have been a part of American culture since the 1800s — when people looking for family-friendly entertainment flocked to “pleasure gardens.” In true American fashion, these parcels of land set aside for recreation and entertainment pushed themselves to get larger and flashier with each passing year, transitioning from boardwalks and bandstands to roller coaster paradises forever promising the “NEXT BIG THING!”
When compiling our list of essential theme parks in each state, we realized that this evolution may create expectations in the hearts of readers. So, we want to preface this: the essential isn’t all about what is the biggest or brightest. Instead, we define “essential” as those parks that connect us with a state, with those around us, and with the past in a way that no other attraction can. In some cases that means they’re weird AF; in other cases, they may simply be the most fun (as decided by us, of course). Either way, they are all must-visit destinations.
Check out our picks and tell us about your formative theme park experiences. Did you work at one? Do you make a yearly pilgrimage? Did your fave from childhood close and leave a hole in your heart?
Washington: Wild Waves Theme Park (Federal Way)
Before we get to our pick for current parks in WA, let’s talk a little about Luna Park — a Seattle amusement park that was only in business from 1907 to 1913. It was designed and operated by Charles I.D. Looff, who both carved and installed Coney Island’s very first roller coaster. In fact, the park took its name from Coney Island’s Luna Park. We would have gone with Looff Park if we designed it, but whatevs.
Fun fact: Luna Park was the site of Seattle’s first manned flight on July 4, 1908. Plus, there were acts like Uncle Hiram the clown, Don Carlo’s Trained Monkey and Dog Circus, and the Original Human Ostrich. How big is the human ostrich competition getting in the US when you have to emphasize you are the OG Human Ostrich? If this park had made it to today, we know it would have been our pick. Sadly, people kept snapping their necks and things of that nature on the rides and sustaining sufficient patronage was impossible.
Okay, back to present day. We think the must-see theme park in Washington is Wild Waves Theme & Water Park, opened in 1977, the same year as The Enchanted Village (lots of enchantment in the Pacific Northwest). It was opened by Byron Betts and was initially only 12-acres with a half-dozen rides. Now, it is over 70-acres and serves as a destination for the entire state.
We are big fans of the 1906 carousel. But the Ring of Fire, a 60-foot, 360-degree looping coaster that propels you up, down, and upside down, is a can’t miss thrill ride. And, the I-5 Dive Skycoaster, which is one part bungee jumping and one part skydiving is also hella cool.
Oregon: Enchanted Forest (Turner)
This theme park has it all. It has been family owned by the Tofte family since construction began in the mid-1960s. It has history. And… it’s genuinely a bit creepy.
Though Enchanted Forest is beloved by nostalgic Oregon adults, its genius wasn’t initially appreciated when Roger Tofte determined the Salem, Oregon area was lacking in family entertainment and set out to correct what he saw as a problem. He bought some land off of Interstate 5 and started painting fairytale inspired attractions all by himself. His co-workers thought it was the stupidest thing they had ever seen and started calling the project “Idiot Hill.”
Obviously, things worked out for Tofte — the park has been popular for over four decades. The attractions are fun. There is a log ride and a bobsled roller coaster. But the real draw are the cement sculptures depicting a variety of fairytales. Humpty Dumpty chills at the entrance. That’s pretty normal. Later, there are the psychedelic mushrooms, the giant witch face tree, and the flowers with fairy and rabbit and dog heads coming out of them. It’s a trip.
One neat aspect of the park is the 359-jet fountain that is used for a water light show. The music was written by Tofte’s daughter Susan Vaslev, who penned all the muzak heard in The Enchanted Forest.
California: Gilroy Gardens (Gilroy)
Why not Disney, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, or Legoland? They are all great, right? But you’re going to go to those spots anyway and we knew that. Instead, we tussled over two lesser-known options, and the runner-up is worthy of a mention. Visitors to coastal Klamath, California (and residents, too) are perfectly positioned for a visit to Trees of Mystery, a park owned and operated by the same family for 67 years. The theme? Trees, we guess. Though, it seems to be best known for its 49-foot statue of Paul Bunyon and the 35-foot statue of his companion, Babe the Blue Ox. So, it’s really a tree and logging extravaganza.
Oddly, our essential pick is also tree-based. Apparently, we cannot get enough horticultural good times. Designed and built by Michael Bonfante, the park was originally known as Bonfante Gardens, and it took 25-years to construct. There are 19 garden themed rides, 27 attractions, and six gardens. The signature garden features 24 “circus trees” grown and shaped by Axel Erlandson, a Swedish-American farmer who appeared in Ripley’s Believe It or Not 12 times for his trees.
Ride the vintage carousel. Twirl around in the bulbs of garlic that operate like teacups. But don’t miss the trees (or the little garlic mascots; jeez, they are cute).
Idaho: Silverwood Theme Park (Athol)
Silverwood Theme Park may not have the sort of beat-you-over-the-head weirdness that we are into, but it is exceptional in quite a few genuine ways. First of all, it is the northernmost theme park in the continental United States. And with its 413-acre site, it is also the largest theme and water park in the American Northwest. Pretty awesome for a simple park opened by a man named Gary Norton in 1988.
At first, the park was just a few carnival rides with a “main street” lined with fun shops and eateries. There was also an authentic steam train that circled the property in 30-minute loops. But it stopped being a small, local amusement locale a while ago. Now, it’s literally a regional theme location that draws people from across the country.
One of the big draws of this park is Aftershock — one of only five giant inverted boomerang coasters in the world. After being relocated from Six Flags Great America, the coaster opened in 2008. It is considered part of the third generation of the boomerang and it’s super thrilling. No lie, this coaster goes 86.8 miles per hour and at one point it drops riders 177 feet. There is a g-force of 4.6. To put it in perspective, that is 1.6 g faster than the maximum g-force of a space shuttle during launch and re-entry. Wowza.
Montana: Amusement Park Drive-In (Billings)
Is this a bit of a cheat? Yes. Let us happily explain why. Montana primarily has water parks and none of them come with a particularly cool history or a quirk that makes them essential in our eyes. Though, certainly, they are damn good fun. So we picked a drive-in movie theater. But we picked one with carnival rides and the term “amusement park” in the title. We think that’s an allowable bit of slippery skullduggery on our parts.
Though the drive-in boom certainly sits early mid-century, this little oddity isn’t a remnant of the 50s, 60s, or even 70s. Nope. Owner Riley Cooke tore down the screen from the Park Drive-In in Cody and drove it to Billings, where he started rebuilding, in 2004. On June 26, 2005, the place was open for business and locals flooded in to enjoy films from their cars, lawn chairs, and air mattresses.
The 468-car theater also has a bunch of rides (including a roller coaster) because Vicky and Riley Cooke were in the carnival attraction game prior to opening the drive-in. There’s even a 9-hole mini golf course. How could this not be an essential piece of fun and history?
Wyoming: Snow King Mountain (Jackson)
Look, we get it. This isn’t a theme park either. And we don’t even have some cool weird olde timey nonsense to write about because Wyoming is more cowboys, dude ranches, incredible mountains, and sprawling plains. It is breathtaking country. It is not, however, rife with water slides and coasters.
Given the dearth of amusement attractions of a conventional sort, we opted for this mountain resort, which features a bungee trampoline, a roller coaster, and an alpine slide when there isn’t snow to attract guests. In October 2015, construction was completed on the Cowboy Coaster. Riders climb 465-feet up the mountain and hit top speed on twists and turns as high as four stories on the way down. You’ll also find Jackson’s only alpine slide, which lets guests ride down 350-feet of track at up to 25-miles-per-hour.
It is fun, and it is unlike anything else in the state.
Hawaii: Wet n Wild Hawaii (Kapolei)
There aren’t a lot of theme parks in Hawaii either. Get it together, western states. We imagine it’s because the islands are themselves are already a tropical paradise theme park of sorts. However, there is Wet n Wild Hawaii located in Oahu’s “Second City.” And it is certainly the essential theme park of the state.
Wet n Wild Hawaii opened in May 1999 as Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park and it has grown to occupy 24 acres of land covered in 25 rides and attractions. It is also literally the only water park in the state, which is likely why it is among the top 10 most visited attractions on the island of Oahu.
We are fans of Shaka, which plummets adrenaline seekers down a sheer 36-foot drop almost vertically into a u-shaped slide, causing the sensation of zero gravity. The Tornado is also a lot of fun. It catapults you through a swirling 45-foot funnel until you are in the eye of the storm and pass into smoother waters.
Alaska: Mukluk Land (Tok)
When it comes to exploring Alaska, your best bet is to spend a lot of time outdoors. It is a total wonderland when the weather isn’t making it impossible to traverse (and even sometimes then). Go to a national forest. Take in some whale watching. Grab some reindeer facetime at a farm. But if you want to hit a theme park unlike any other, please allow us to introduce Mukluk Land — which isn’t wrong when it calls itself “Alaska’s Most Unique Destination.” Seriously, this spot is fifteen different kinds of bonkers.
This theme park with no clear theme (besides “Alaskan stuff”) is located in the Alaskan interior and is essentially a junkyard. The grounds are littered with rusting snowmobiles and punctuated with attractions like a giant cabbage and a vintage red and white vehicle with “Santa’s Rocket Ship” written on the side. But it’s inside that things get truly bizarre.
At first, it’s just a little grimy and junky, but the skee-ball and whack-a-mole seem to fit the theme. Then, there is the room of a million beer cans, one with a ceiling plastered in flattened cereal boxes, and the room of dolls. Man oh man, the dolls. A log cabin is home to hundreds of old dolls, who cover the floor, shelves, and all furniture. You can’t walk into the cabin, but you can look through a window, a window that every doll is facing with watchful eyes. Yeesh.
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