Fun and thrills go so well together in New York. It's why the state's many amusement parks are big attractions here. From high-tech super –roller coasters to family parks by the lake to old-time classic rides, the many flavors of speed and daredevil fun are here for discerning thrill seekers and kids of all ages.
With the iconic
Wonder Wheel and Cyclone wooden roller coaster, the motley mix of rides at
New York City's Coney Island is a classic. The carnival-like seaside atmosphere here has been attracting visitors since the late nineteenth century. Connoisseurs of amusement park rides will also want to visit the Hudson Valley's
Rye Playland. The park opened in 1928 and has been declared a National Historic Landmark for its old-time carousel, derby racer, and the Dragon Coaster, its famed wooden roller coaster.
If you're in the
Adirondacks, get your heart rate up the 140-acre
Six Flags Great Escape. Enjoy the loops and corkscrews of rides like the 12.5 stories-tall Boomerang Coast to Coast, as well as the Comet, often considered one of the best wooden roller coasters in the country.
At
Darien Lake, near
Buffalo and Rochester, dangle your legs in the air as you drop and roll at nearly 50 miles an hour through the Mind Eraser, a steel inverted roller coaster. Also close to
Rochester,
Seabreeze is another place to really grip the restraint bars. Enjoy more than 70 attractions by the shores of Lake Ontario. The park's most well known ride is the Jack Rabbit, operating since 1920 and on the record books as the fourth oldest roller coaster on the planet.
If the weather's really hot, stay cool as you zip down a water park slide. Can you feel your heart already thumping faster?