Best Theme Parks in the USA
28 theme parks • Updated August 2026
The best theme parks in the USA for a family day out. We have rounded up 28 theme parks, from Navy Pier to family favorites across California, ranked by what actually matters with kids: age suitability, ticket value and how easy they are to get to. Compare the top five below, then browse every theme park by state. Need a different angle? Try our other things to do in the USA.
Editorial oversight by James Morgan. AI-assisted, human-edited. Our editorial standards
Theme Parks in the USA: what to expect
the USA has 28 theme parks we would happily take our own kids to. Belmont Park is the one most families start with. Ride classic coasters steps from the sand at San Diego's beachfront amusement park, open since 1925. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is the other name that comes up again and again. Florida's coaster capital pairs record-breaking thrill rides with a 200-species zoo and Serengeti safaris. Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park rounds out the pick of the bunch. The Coney Island park behind the landmark Wonder Wheel, with free entry and rides for everyone from toddlers to thrill-seekers. Also worth your time: Pirate's Cove Children's Theme Park, Morgan's Wonderland, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Universal Orlando Resort.
Published prices run from $10 at Pirate's Cove Children's Theme Park up to $189 at Discovery Cove. 15 of the 28 listed here quote a starting price. The others vary by season or by what you add on, so check before you travel. Age guidance is worth reading first at Pirate's Cove Children's Theme Park (ages 2-13) and Morgan's Wonderland (ages 2-12).
The theme parks on this page are spread across California (10), Florida (6), Texas (5) and New York (4), so it is easy to pair two into one trip.
All theme parks
28 theme parks across the USA
Theme Parks
Pirate's Cove Children's Theme Park
Elk Grove Village, Illinois
A pirate-themed kids' park where grown-ups get in free.
Theme Parks
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Tampa, Florida
Florida's coaster capital pairs record-breaking thrill rides with a 200-species zoo and Serengeti safaris.
Theme Parks
Morgan's Wonderland
San Antonio, Texas
A fully accessible San Antonio theme park where kids of all abilities play side by side.
Theme Parks
Six Flags Fiesta Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Home to the largest DC Universe land at any US amusement park, plus its own water park next door.
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Universal Orlando Resort
Orlando, Florida
Four theme parks, the Wizarding World, and the all-new Epic Universe in one Orlando resort.
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Six Flags Magic Mountain
Santa Clarita, California
Some of the tallest, fastest, and steepest roller coasters on the planet, plus a Looney Tunes land for the kids.
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Discovery Cove
Orlando, Florida
An all-inclusive Orlando day resort built around hands-on animal encounters, swim with a dolphin, drift the reef alongside rays, and swap theme-park queues for a reserved place in the sun.
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SeaWorld San Diego
San Diego, California
Meet orcas, dolphins, and sea lions, then plunge down Emperor, California's tallest and fastest dive coaster.
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Walt Disney World Resort
Orlando, Florida
Four theme parks, two water parks, and 400-plus dining spots across one Florida resort.
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Six Flags Great America
Gurnee, Illinois
Seventeen roller coasters earn this 300-acre park its title as the Thrill Capital of the Midwest.
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Luna Park in Coney Island
Brooklyn, New York
Ride coasters and a 50-foot ropes course on a boardwalk with 130 years of seaside history.
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LEGOLAND California Resort
Carlsbad, California
A LEGO theme park, water park, and aquarium rolled into one multi-day Carlsbad resort.
Theme Parks
LEGOLAND Florida Resort
Winter Haven, Florida
The second-largest LEGOLAND on earth, with 50-plus rides and the historic Cypress Gardens.
Theme Parks
Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier
Galveston, Texas
Ride roller coasters and a Ferris wheel that hang right out over the Gulf of Mexico.
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Santa Monica Pier & Pacific Park
Santa Monica, California
An admission-free amusement park perched over the ocean on the famous Santa Monica Pier.
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Six Flags Over Texas
Arlington, Texas
A pioneering Arlington theme park stacking high-speed coasters next to gentle family rides.
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Peppa Pig Theme Park Florida
Winter Haven, Florida
A whole theme park built to preschooler scale, straight out of Peppa's world.
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Disneyland Park
Anaheim, California
The original 1955 Disney park, where Sleeping Beauty Castle, themed lands, and nightly fireworks create the Happiest Place On Earth.
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Navy Pier
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago's lakefront playground stretches six blocks along Lake Michigan with rides, cruises, and shows.
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SeaWorld San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
Orcas, roller coasters, and in-water dolphin swims meet at this San Antonio marine park.
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Jane's Carousel
Brooklyn, New York
Ride a hand-painted 1922 carousel inside a glass jewel-box pavilion, framed by two bridges and the Manhattan skyline.
Theme Parks
Belmont Park
San Diego, California
Ride classic coasters steps from the sand at San Diego's beachfront amusement park, open since 1925.
Theme Parks
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Santa Cruz, California
A century-old beachfront amusement park where the wooden Giant Dipper still rattles above the Pacific.
Theme Parks
Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park
Brooklyn, New York
The Coney Island park behind the landmark Wonder Wheel, with free entry and rides for everyone from toddlers to thrill-seekers.
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Knott's Berry Farm
Buena Park, California
Roar through an authentic 1800s Ghost Town and ride mammoth coasters near Anaheim.
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Disney California Adventure Park
Anaheim, California
Disney's California park where Pixar and Hollywood worlds come to life next door to Disneyland.
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Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal City, California
Race through SUPER NINTENDO WORLD and ride the famous Studio Tour in one LA park.
Theme Parks
SeaGlass Carousel at The Battery
Manhattan, New York
Ride iridescent fiberglass fish through a glowing underwater fantasy at the tip of Manhattan.