Need a Last Minute Vacation?
Summer is the perfect time to vacation at a theme/amusement park. Parks offer a big bang for your buck and most are located within an easy drive of major metropolitan areas. Enjoy live entertainment, exciting rides, casual dining, and fun shopping – all in one place. Just park your car and stay for the day or plan a long weekend at one of over 400 theme/amusement parks and attractions in the US.
The amusement park industry generates more than 600,000 jobs a year and contributes about $57 million to the US economy. According to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), in 2011, 25% of US adults visited an amusement park!
Take a vacation at one of our favorite theme/amusement parks: Six Flags Great America, Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari and Santa’s Village Azoosement Park.
Family Friendly Amusement Parks
Six Flags is well-known for offering family fun at the 18 theme parks across the US, Mexico, and Canada. In the Chicago/Milwaukee area, Six Flags Great America offers endless adventure for the whole family, including rides, shopping, live shows, and dining. The park is celebrating its 40th year with a refreshed Home Town Square and Carousel Plaza. Great America offers 14 rollercoasters, including the black-ops themed X Flight and Goliath, the tallest, fastest, and steepest wood coaster in the world. Hurricane Harbor waterpark offers 20 acres of water fun for everyone. A trip to Great America would not be complete without a spin on the charming 2-tier carousel. The park is located in Gurnee, IL, a Chicago suburb. Trip Advisor offers many suggestions for fun activities outside of the park including Gurnee Mills Mall.
Experience Thunderbird, the world’s first launched wing coaster and Mammoth, the world’s longest water coaster, when you visit Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari. Holiday World is the world’s first theme park and opened as Santa Claus Land in 1946. Located in Santa Claus, IN, Holiday World offers something for everyone in the family, from rides and live entertainment to shopping and dining. Trip Advisor lists the park as one of the top 25 water parks in the US. Another reason to love Holiday World: free parking, wi-fi, sunscreen, and soft drinks! During Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, the park is decked out in special decorations and offers themed events worthy of a return visit when the summer season ends. A variety of lodging choices are available in the Santa Claus area, including vacation homes, hotel rooms, cottages, and campgrounds – make your reservation today.
Little kids and their parents are sure to appreciate a trip to Santa’s Village Azoosment Park in East Dundee, IL. Families with kids ages 2 to 12 enjoy the family-friendly park and Critter camp programs. Originally opened 54 years ago, the park offers rides, dining, appearances by Santa Claus, a mobile petting zoo, pony rides, and exotic animal shows. Little ones can be the captain of their own boat, swing with the Vikings on a pendulum ship, and ride with the dragons on the park’s 19 themed rides. Plan your visit and take advantage of free parking and discounts. Hot Tip: save $4 on each ticket by attending the park with your children later in the day. The park offers admission free of charge to active duty military and their immediate families. Get a better idea of all that Santa’s Village Azoosment Park has to offer by viewing this video by WGN TV. The park was rated “excellent” on Trip Advisor.
Summer is the perfect time to visit an amusement park. Parks offer tons of family fun and entertainment for your vacation dollars – plan your next vacation at an amusement park today.
