The six best amusement parks in New England (and the scariest ride at each)

Boston Globe

24-04-2025

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Roar-O-Saurus at Story Land
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Biggest thrill:
Roar-O-Saurus is a rite of passage at
850 NH Route 16, Glen, New Hampshire; 603-383-4186
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Funtown Splashtown USA
As you hurtle toward the trees on the Excalibur, a half-mile wooden roller coaster that winds through the woods, you might forget you're at a spot known for its easygoing vibes. With plenty of kiddie rides at the
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Biggest thrill:
Funtown's 220-foot Dragon's Descent drop tower is a must. 'At the top it sounds like a dragon breathing,' says spokesperson Mariah Hawkins. 'The views of the beach or the woods are amazing' — at least for the 11-second pause before the bottom falls out beneath you.
Route 1, 774 Portland Road, Saco, Maine; 207-284-5139
The Wave Swinger at Lake Compounce
Handout
Lake Compounce Amusement & Water Park
Built in 1846, Connecticut's
Biggest thrill:
The award-winning Boulder Dash races 4,725 feet, much of it through the woods, at speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour. 'It's great at night, an experience you can't forget,' says the park's Meg Forno.
185 Enterprise Drive, Bristol, Connecticut; 860-583-3300
The Yankee Cannonball roller coaster at Canobie Lake Park.
JIM DAVIS/Globe staff / File
Canobie Lake Park
It's hard not to feel like a kid when you're spinning in
Biggest thrill:
To feel your heart in your throat, don't miss Xtreme Frisbee, where riders are strapped to a spinning saucer at the end of a swinging pendulum. It's hard to tell which way is up.
85 North Policy Street, Salem, New Hampshire; 603-893-3506
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Six Flags New England
From the chain-swing carousel of Gotham City Crime Wave to the tilt-a-whirl action of Supergirl Sky Flyer, New England's largest amusement park taps into the DC Universe of superheroes. There's plenty for all ages at
Biggest thrill:
Superman: The Ride, which has a stomach-lurching 208-foot drop that earns it the designation of 'hypercoaster.' It reaches a top speed of 77 miles per hour.
Route 159, 1623 Main Street, Agawam; 413-786-930
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Water Country
BEN GIBBS
Water Country
It's not really summer until you find yourself humming the theme song for this Portsmouth, New Hampshire, classic (you know the one). A lazy float in an inner tube down the quarter-mile Adventure River is pure summer.
Biggest thrill:
You might find you're still scared of the dark on the twisting, 40-foot plunge inside Dr. Von Dark's Tunnel of Terror. 'It's pitch black,' Hehl says. 'You can't see the twists and turns and drops coming, but everyone comes out smiling.'
2300 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, New Hampshire; 603-427-1112
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Patricia Harris can be reached at