Best amusement parks in North Carolina

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 North Carolina 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.