Best Amusement Parks in San Francisco

California’s Great America Amusement Park is one of the topmost and premium places to visit in Northern California. It is located in Santa Clara and is a combination of theme and water park offering more than 100 acres of world-class entertainment. It offers a wide range of exciting rides for both, kids and adults. Some of them being Delirium, Orbit, Drop Tower, Tiki Twirl and Xtreme Skyflyer.

A day spent on a wide beach and a vibrant boardwalk with a bunch of rides, games and music is why this place is one of the favourites among locals and tourists. The best thing about this place is that it is alongside a beach, those who might not want to experience the thrilling rides, can also sit by the coastline of the Atlantic ocean and enjoy the view.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is in California and America’s only combination of a theme park, oceanarium and wildlife park. Covering over 135-acres of land and sea area, this place is also called the Thrill Capital of Northern California. It offers more than 40 rides for kids and adults along with a tour of the animal kingdom.

Six Flags Hurricane Harbour is among the best waterparks in the state of California. It has about 35 water-rides and 7 complexes. Guests can hop in the gigantic wave pool and flow on the longest lazy river in the region. Along with many 600 ft high water slides for adults, there is a whole Water Kingdom for the kids to enjoy, splash and play.

Boomerang Bay Waterpark, also known as South Bay Shores Waterpark, is a waterpark adjacent to the premium Great America Amusement Park. Located in Santa Clara, this is a great place to spend a fun-filled weekend with your family or friends. The huge wave pool, lazy river and splash area for kids are some of the favourites among the visitors.

The adventure park, which is situated at the ‘East Bay’ City of Fremont, CA, is among the top places to visit in San Francisco. Aqua Adventure Waterpark is a terrific choice to spend a weekend with your family, providing numerous water slides and wider pools, interesting water activities and great, delicious food. The Park has activities that cater to all age groups, with 3.5 - 4 feet pools and others that are specifically designed for children belonging to the 3 to 8 years of age group. The park remains open every day in the months of June, July and August and only on weekends in the months of May and September.

From thrilling water rides to great food, this waterpark is where you can experience your perfect weekend getaway. Raging Waters is said to be Northern California’s largest waterpark and was founded in 1985. Featuring 23-acres of water rides, large endless rivers, river rafting and the infamous 350,000-gallons Wave Pool, this is a great place to host family gatherings, picnics, corporate get-togethers or parties.

Looking for a purely fun-filled day for your little ones? Children’s Fairyland is the place to visit. This amusement park is located in Oakland, California and is one of the earliest “themed” parks in the USA with a 70 year old history. It is said that Walt Disney got his inspiration for Disneyland from here. This magical park is specially made for children where they can have an educational experience.

Happy Hollow Park & Zoo is one of the top 10 places to visit in San Jose. It is a great place for a perfect weekend getaway with your family, with a combination of amusement rides, a puppet theatre, play areas for children and a zoo that accommodates over 150 animals. Along with loving the vibrant jungle-like atmosphere, visitors also stroll the park to see various animals from endangered lemurs to miniature horses, jaguars, meerkats and goats.

It is a small-sized amusement park but guarantees huge amounts of fun. Pixieland Amusement Park is a great place for your little ones. Also known to be a smaller version of a Fairyland, this amusement park, located in Concord, California has a bunch of rides and a play area for kids. The rides are not too intimidating and can be enjoyed by parents and their children, both. The surroundings are beautiful and the staff is really helpful, which also makes this a great spot for holding picnics with friends and family.

Small World Park is a favourite amongst children under the age of 12. Carnival rides like spinning whale, carousel, a train that goes around the park, a zip line and a Ferris wheel are some of the highlights of the place. With several playgrounds, a pond by the side and a lot of greenery, this is also a perfect place to plan a picnic for your children. In case you want to plan a birthday party, the staff can be contacted about the same.