Little Family Getaways: 20 Amusement Parks Every Thrill-Seeking Family Should Visit

Located in sunny California, Universal Studios Hollywood has something for everyone. There's the World-Famous Studio Tour, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a Fast & Furious ride, a King Kong ride, and more. Don't miss Super Silly Fun Land, WaterWorld, and Universal's Animal Actors show! In addition to other shows and attractions, there are also delicious food options and tons of opportunities for shopping.

SeaWorld Orlando isn't just a place for people who like sea creatures. From rides to shows to animal experiences, it's an incredible vacation destination for the whole family. Plus, it's home to Infinity Falls, a whitewater rafting experience unlike any other. Have little kids with you? Make sure to check out the new Sesame Street Land! SeaWorld Orlando is also a Certified Autism Center.

Located in Buena Park, California, Knott's Berry Farm has a lot to offer to kids of all ages. This theme park dates back all the way to the 1920s, when Walter Knott and his family started selling berries at a roadside stand. Over the next 20 years, they expanded their berry stand to include shops, a restaurant, and other attractions. In 1968, Knott's Berry Farm became a bona fide amusement park and started charging admission. Now the park has more than 40 rides, including roller coasters, water rides, and family-friendly rides.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a one-of-a-kind amusement park. Of course, like other theme parks, it has numerous rides and shows, but it also offers unique animal experiences. In addition to being an amusement park, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is also Tampa's largest zoo, with more than 200 animal species. If you want to get an up-close view of the animals — like elephants, cheetahs, and penguins — you can do a tour! You can also do animal encounters with sloths and rhinos.

Cedar Point, located in Sandusky, Ohio, is one of the oldest amusement parks in the United States. Cedar Point opened in 1870 and has been operating ever since. Cedar Point is the amusement park for people who like roller coasters and thrill rides. Boasting 72 total rides, Cedar Point has 17 roller coasters, 17 thrill rides, and a number of family-friendly rides.

Kings Island, located in Mason, Ohio, is known for its awesome attractions, award-winning kids' area, and unique events. In addition to having an array of terrifying roller coasters, Kings Island also has a huge water park. Soak City has 36 water slides, two huge wave pools, relaxing lagoons, and more. If your family loves water rides, this is the place for you.

Located in Hershey, Pennsylvania (where else?), Hersheypark is a local favorite. Originally built as a getaway for employees of the Hershey Chocolate Factory in 1906 by Milton S. Hershey, Hersheypark is now a thriving amusement park with 76 rides and attractions. Right next door are Hershey's Chocolate World and ZooAmerica.

Six Flags Great America (previously known as Marriott's Great America) is an amusement park located in the Chicago metro area. The amusement park has 53 total attractions, including 17 roller coasters. Its water park, Hurricane Harbor, has 17 attractions.

Located in Charlotte, North Carolina (and Fort Mill, South Carolina — it crosses the state line), Carowinds is a large amusement park. Created in 1973, the park was inspired by businessman Earl Patterson Hall's earlier trip to Disneyland. Hall wanted to bring the people of North and South Carolina together with his amusement park. Carowinds has 56 attractions, including a brand-new double-launch roller coaster, the Copperhead Strike.

Kings Dominion is a large amusement park in Doswell, Virginia (it's the sister park of Kings Island). Kings Dominion has 12 roller coasters, including Twisted Timbers, which is a hybrid steel-and-wood coaster. Kings Dominion also has a water park, Soak City, which has 14 attractions.

Six Flags Magic Mountain, located in Santa Clarita, California, is one of the many great amusement parks located in the Los Angeles area. Of the 19 roller coasters, there are a few that stand out: Twisted Colossus, a maximum thrill hybrid coaster; Scream, a 15-story coaster with seven flips; and Tatsu, a flying roller coaster with zero G rolls.

Universal Studios Florida, located in Orlando, is both an amusement park and a production studio. At Universal Studios Florida, you can visit various "locations," including New York City, San Francisco, Hollywood, Springfield (from The Simpsons), and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Visitors can also check out Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, and CityWalk.

Lagoon amusement park is located in Farmington, Utah. Lagoon has 53 attractions, 10 of which are roller coasters. Lagoon also has Pioneer Village, a Wild West replica, and Lagoon A Beach, a surf-and-slide water park. If you want to visit Lagoon on a road trip with your family, you're in luck: The amusement park also has a campground and full-service RV park.

Located in Arlington, Texas, Six Flags Over Texas opened in 1961 as the first Six Flags theme park. Now it has the world's largest loop coaster, El Diablo. The park also has 12 other roller coasters, three water rides, and 29 additional unique attractions.

Disney World, formally called the Walt Disney World Resort, is one of the most well-known amusement parks in the world. Located near Orlando, Florida, Disney World has four unique theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios (with the brand-new Toy Story Land), and Animal Kingdom —  and two water parks — Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. And that's not all! Disney World has other attractions, too, including the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and Disney Springs.

In 1955, Walt Disney opened his first theme park, Disneyland. Now, six decades later, it is still one of the most iconic amusement parks in the world. In 2001, Disney California Adventure Park opened — in what had previously been the Disneyland parking lot. Disneyland itself has a number of "lands," including Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, and more. In 2019, Disneyland debuted an all-new land: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

Located in Cobb County, Georgia, Six Flags Over Georgia features themes and characters from Warner Bros. (like DC Comics and Looney Tunes). Six Flags Over Georgia was the second amusement park built by Six Flags, and it opened in 1967. The park has 44 attractions, including 11 roller coasters and three water rides.

Located inside Mission Bay Park in San Diego, California, SeaWorld San Diego has some incredible rides (like Electric Eel, a multilaunch roller coaster, and Tidal Twister, a dueling coaster), fun shows (with dolphins, orcas, and sea lions), and amazing animal encounters. Get up close to otters, turtles, penguins, sharks, and more!

Located within the Universal Orlando resort, Universal's Islands of Adventure shouldn't be missed. There are a number of "islands" that each have their own unique vibes — Marvel Super Hero Island, Skull Island, Toon Lagoon, and Seuss Landing are just a few of the islands. Part of the Harry Potter world — Hogsmeade — was added in 2010.

Six Flags New England, located in Agawam, Massachusetts, opened in 1870. The park has previously been called Gallup's Grove, Riverside Grove, and Riverside Amusement Park. Six Flags New England has 63 attractions, including 17 water rides and 12 roller coasters.