Best amusement parks in New Jersey

Written by:
April 17, 2024
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Best amusement parks in New Jersey

When you hear the phrase "amusement park," chances are the first thing that comes to your mind is Disney; however, in 2023, nearly 600 businesses described themselves as amusement parks in the United States. There are places to enjoy thrill rides, view animal shows, swim, and play in nearly every state across the country, and one that might be near and dear to your heart may be unfamiliar to someone else, depending on where you live.

For instance, Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut, holds the title of America's oldest amusement park. It's been in continuous operation since first opening to the public in 1846 when local scientist Samuel Botsford demonstrated electricity experiments for entertainment, but if you don't live nearby, chances are you don't know it (unless you're an amusement park or history buff).

On the flip side, there are behemoth parks that are destinations all their own. People travel from all over the world to visit Disney's and Universal's theme parks in California and Florida. If you're a thrill ride, water park, or roller coaster junkie, Six Flags is another huge name, with 24 parks scattered throughout the U.S. These types of parks truly transport you to another world and are full of their own kind of magic, but the quaint or historic parks like Lake Compounce are just as special—if not more so—to locals.

Stacker compiled a list of the best amusement parks in New Jersey using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks businesses using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, a business with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of April 2024.

Read on and see how many of these local amusement parks you've visited.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story included Eagleswood Amusement Park in the rankings, which is permanently closed.

#20. Big Snow At American Dream

- Rating: 4/5 (4 reviews)
- Address: 1 American Dream Way East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. The Wheel at Steel Pier

- Rating: 4.5/5 (15 reviews)
- Address: 1000 Boardwalk 1000 Boardwalk Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. Field Station: Dinosaurs

- Rating: 3.5/5 (79 reviews)
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#17. Clementon Park and Splash World

- Rating: 3/5 (167 reviews)
- Address: 144 Berlin Road Clementon, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#16. Nickelodeon Universe at American Dream

- Rating: 3/5 (107 reviews)
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Keansburg Amusement Park

- Rating: 3.5/5 (206 reviews)
- Address: 275 Beachway Ave. Keansburg, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Mountain Creek Water Park

- Rating: 3.5/5 (274 reviews)
- Address: 200 Route 94 Vernon, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Gillian's Wonderland Pier

- Rating: 4/5 (424 reviews)
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#12. Splash Zone Waterpark

- Rating: 4/5 (297 reviews)
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#11. Fantasy Island Amusement Park

- Rating: 4/5 (308 reviews)
- Address: 750 North Bay Ave. Beach Haven, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Casino Pier & Breakwater Beach Waterpark

- Rating: 4/5 (434 reviews)
- Address: 800 Ocean Ter Seaside Heights, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. Steel Pier Amusement Park

- Rating: 4/5 (429 reviews)
- Address: 1000 Boardwalk Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. Land of Make Believe & Pirate's Cove

- Rating: 4/5 (397 reviews)
- Address: 354 Great Meadows Road Rt. 611 Hope, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. Playland's Castaway Cove

- Rating: 4.5/5 (335 reviews)
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#6. Wild West City

- Rating: 4/5 (277 reviews)
- Address: 50 Lackawanna Drive Stanhope, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. Diggerland

- Rating: 4/5 (471 reviews)
- Address: 100 Pinedge Dr. West Berlin, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Storybook Land

- Rating: 4.5/5 (569 reviews)
- Address: 6415 Black Horse Pike Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. Wildwood Boardwalk

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,516 reviews)
- Address: 4501 Boardwalk Wildwood, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#2. Morey's Piers and Beachfront Water Parks

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,739 reviews)
- Address: 3501 Boardwalk Wildwood, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. Six Flags Great Adventure

- Rating: 4/5 (3,701 reviews)
- Address: Route 537 Jackson, New Jersey
- Read more on Tripadvisor

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Katrina Sirotta, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 45 states.

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