Everyone’s heard of Disney World and Sea World and Legoland. Perhaps you’ve even been there. Perhaps, however, you’re looking for a more unusual theme park, one that will make you scratch your head with curiosity and pay a moderately large entrance fee to find out more. Here are 10 highly unusual theme parks in the United States from our team at DCH Millburn Audi.
Dollywood. Dolly Parton’s country music theme park provides “a blend of thrilling rides, spectacular shows and master craftsmen in the Great Smoky Mountains,” according to the online description. There’s a good chance your kids don’t even know Dolly Parton was a famous singer, actress, and icon, or that she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. You can tell them while waiting in line for one of the park’s outstanding attractions.
Hersheypark. There are few things in life that equal the pleasure of a day at an amusement park. One of those is a visit to Chocolate World—think Willy Wonka but with only chocolate. You may want to postpone your chocolate feast until after the thrill rides.
Fair Oaks Dairy Adventure.® Nothing screams fun like dairy. The Fair Oaks Dairy Adventure in Indiana includes educational exhibits, a 4-D movie experience, and their “world famous Birthing Barn.”
Wild Adventures.® This Georgia theme park name doesn’t sound unusual. The fact that it’s a theme park with a zoo, however, makes it unusual. Wild Adventures features a zoo with hundreds of animals, a water park, and a wide variety of roller coasters, all with animalistic names.
Holiday World. Christmas, 4th of July, Halloween, and Thanksgiving are combined with roller coasters, wave pools, and thrill rides in the United States’ oldest amusement park.
Gatorland. It’s only natural that the gator capital of the world should be located in Florida. Gatorland is a “110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve, combining ‘Old Florida’ charm with exciting, new exhibits and entertainment.”
Rockome Gardens. Located in Illinois, Rockome Gardens features delightful rock creations located within several of the park’s beautiful gardens. Other attractions include train rides, buggy rides, an Amish museum, a blacksmith shop, and the Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken.
Holy Land Experience. You don’t have to travel to Jerusalem to explore biblical sites—just visit the Holy Land Experience in Orlando. Attractions include The Scriptorium, The Wilderness Tabernacle, the Great Temple, and the Smile of a Child Adventure Land.
Silver Dollar City. Old mining towns would have been a lot more fun if only they had a few roller coasters, some children’s rides, some thrill rides, and numerous entertainment options. That’s the thinking behind the Silver Dollar City Theme Park in Branson, Missouri.
Tweetsie Railroad. Appalachia loves their trains, and there’s no better tribute to trains than to build a theme park to honor them. Attractions include train rides galore, Miner’s Mountain, and Deer Park.
Now you have an alternative to Disneyland.
