Vacations Blog

There’s not much thought usually given to amusement parks or theme parks when you’re planning New York vacations, considering that most visitors to the Big Apple look upon it as an urban oasis for adults, rather than a place for the kiddies. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find a range of unique amusement and theme parks spread across the East Coast.

And by unique, I do mean unique. New York, as a whole, has a wacky sense of humor, and that gets reflected down the line, even to the thrill rides and the arcades. So what I’m going to do here, is to list out the best options – in terms of fun and ability to combine a weekend getaway with the theme park visit – while on a trip to New York. I figure that’ll be more useful than a laundry list of every single the amusement parks in New York.

Coney Island in Brooklyn, NYC – Its decrepit and chaotic, but Brooklyn’s Coney Island is the one place which most closely has the kind of attractions and rides and fun stuff which appeals to the bored New Yorker – Young and old. The latest attraction is a WaterBoard Thrill Ride – Robots re-enacting a Guantanamo Bay waterboarding torture skit. One of the robots is wearing a yellow jumpsuit, like the detainees at Gitmo, and he is tied up and spread out on a table. Leaning over him is a torturer in a dark hooded sweatshirt. You drop a dollar into the slot, and they come alive. The ‘dark one’ starts pouring water from a jug onto the face of the detainee, who then promptly flaps about, like he’s choking.

And it helps that the creator of this freak sideshow – Graffiti artist Steve Powers – has painted a sign at the entrance featuring Spongebob Squarepants as the detainee and he’s saying ‘It don’t Gitmo better!’ Maybe you think its funny, maybe you don’t. Either way, your kids (who probably have no idea about the whole flap over waterboarding) will love it. Oh, and its just a stone’s throw from Nathan’s Famous, so you might as well wolf down some hot dogs. More details about Coney island and all its attractions and rides, including Astroland, here.

Great Escape, Lake George, NY – Run by Six Flags, this 140 acre theme park is a typical Six Flags mix of rides, a water park, entertainment, food and festivities. Your kids will most definitely enjoy it, and if you’re the kind who enjoys a carnival atmosphere, then so will you. They also have a neat lodge, if you want to stay over for a weekend. More details here.

Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ – This one is a couple of notches above Great Escape. 2200 acre park, and in addition to the usual thrills and roller coasters, also features the largest drive-thru safari outside Africa – A 350 acre wildlife preserve with over 1200 animals, including rhinos, lions, elephants and kangaroos. Details here.

Rye Playland in Rye, Westchester County, NY – Arcade games and over 50 major rides and attractions, plus the Ice Casino, which is kind of a big deal, as far as ice skating events and games on the East Coast are concerned. Plenty of free fun with a beach, pool, boardwalk and pier on Long Island Sound, with lake boating, a picnic area, and mini golf. Deatils here.

Photo copyrights Astroland Amusement Park