It looks like there are at least a few roller coasters in New Hampshire, and unlike Nevada, they’re in proper amusement parks. One of which is over 100 years old! Due to the parks in question, there are more kid’s coasters than big ones, but there are a few mountain coasters too, which kind of evens it out a little. As always, check hours and prices before your visit!
As always, click on the ride name for a video of each coaster. Ride all the roller coasters in New Hampshire from your couch!
Canobie Lake Park
Canobie Lake Park in Salem is an old trolly park, first opened in 1902! They have a true classic wooden roller coaster in the Yankee Cannonball, built in 1936. (It reminds me a little bit of my local roller coaster – the Cannonball at Lake Winnie.) Other coasters include the steel Untamed and the kid’s Dragon coaster. Untamed reminds me of The Monster at Adventureland in Iowa, with its one-car trains and over 90-degree first drop.
The other rides at Canobie consist mainly of spinning/flat rides, like an indoor scrambler, a big Ferris wheel, and a short blast tower. Plus there are seasonal water rides like a log flume and a Boston Tea Party-themed boat splashdown. On the tamer side is a park train, a couple of carousels, and a lake cruise on a large pontoon boat. They even have a dark ride! Any park with a ride called the “Mine of Lost Souls” has my eternal regard. Canobie excels at attractions for the littlest riders with 18 rides just for them.
Admission
It costs $59 to visit Canobie this year, but you can save by buying date-specific tickets online ahead of time, for as low as $49 for adults. For kids under 48″ tall, it costs $36. For seniors age 60 and over, it’s also $36. On nights in the summer when the park doesn’t close until 9 or 10 pm, they offer an after-5 ticket for $33.
Canobie Lake Park also features a water park side that is included with admission. Parking is free, though you can pay up to $40 for preferred parking closest to the entrance.
Santa’s Village
True to many Santa Claus-themed amusement parks around the country, Santa’s Village in Jefferson is squarely aimed at families with smaller kids. The two-ish roller coasters are all suitable for children. Rudy’s Rapid Transit Coaster is due to be retired at the end of the season this year, but it will be replaced by the Midnight Flyer in 2024, which looks like it might be a bit more thrilling. The other coaster is one of those spinning figure-8 (and a half) models called Poogee Penguin’s Spin Out.
Other rides include the Skyway Sleigh – a sort of one-party monorail attraction, a laser-shooter dark ride, a train, antique cars, Ferris wheel, bumper cars, a log flume, and an array of spinning rides. All of it surrounds a village featuring Santa’s home, Elf University, a chapel, and a reindeer barn. A water park side is included in admission.
Admission
The cost to see Santa in his own home (plus all the rides & slides) is $45 for anyone over age 4. Kids 3 and under don’t need a ticket. If you’re in the military or age 62 or older, it’s $40. There are three “Fall FEASTival” Sundays in September where $64 buys you admission and all the food you can eat is included. Parking is always free.
Story Land
Another park aimed at younger kids is Story Land in Glen. They feature two roller coasters, the Roar-O-Saurus, a really decent wooden coaster, and the Polar Coaster, a meandering family ride on the hillside. Otherwise, there are fairy tale meet & greets, a log flume, a raft ride, spinning rides, play areas, games, even swan paddle boats, and a dinosaur safari.
Admission costs $60 at the gate or $52 online ahead of time. Choose the day you visit and save even more, as low as $45. Active & retired military get a further 10% off! And all tickets potentially allow you two visits to the park. Enter after 2 pm with your admission and get a free pass to return anytime during the rest of the season! Parking is free.
I love that they have occasional “Nostalgia Nights“, an adults-only evening event with drinks, rides, and photo ops with all your childhood favorites. There’s also an aquarium next door that you can add to your ticket for $20.
Fun World Game Center
Fun World in Nashua is an arcade with an indoor playground and a few amusement rides. Their Orient Express coaster is for kids (and currently not working.) Otherwise, there’s a small carousel and a small himalaya ride. Everything is on a token system and no word on how much the rides cost. You do get an extra $5 in tokens for every $20 bill you feed the token machine, however.
Cranmore Mountain Adventure Park
Next, we move on to a trio of mountain coasters. First up is the Mountain Coaster at Cranmore Mountain Adventure Park in North Conway. Unlimited rides on the mountain coaster is included in a Mountain Adventure Park ticket for $49. This also includes a giant swing, a seated zip line, summer tubing, a climbing wall, and some inflatables. Early and late in the season, you can buy a 2-hour ticket for just the coaster, zip line, swing, and a scenic chairlift for $39.
The website says individual ride tickets for the coaster can be bought “based on availability” but doesn’t say what the cost is.
Attitash Mountain Resort
Another mountain coaster can be found at Attitash Mountain Resort in Bartlett, called the Nor’Easter Mountain Coaster. They didn’t open the mountain for summer activities this year due to construction, so I can’t see prices. But it’s part of the Vail Resorts management company that operates in Vail, Breckenridge, and ski resorts around the world.
Gunstock Mountain Resort
The third mountain coaster is at Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford. The Gunstock Mountain Coaster costs $20 for a single ride, or $35 for unlimited rides on the coaster and the scenic chairlift. The mountain park also features a zip line tour, a ropes course, and an off-road adventure tour.
Water Parks in New Hampshire
There are a couple of big stand-alone water parks in New Hampshire and a water park side to the amusement parks I list above. And none of those neighborhood aquatic parks, as best as I can tell.
- Water Country in Portsmouth is the largest water park in New England! It has a whopping 15 slides, 4 kids’ areas, a wave pool, a lazy river, an activity/open swim pool, and a swirling whirlpool. Admission costs $55 at the gate, or they have a Labor Day sale right now for as low as $35
- Whale’s Tale Water Park in Lincoln features 8 slides, 2 kids’ areas, a wave pool, a lazy river, and a whale-shaped heated pool with hot tubs around the sides. A FlowRider surf simulator stands as a separate attraction and is open longer throughout the year than the rest of the park. Whale’s Tale also has a summer concert series with live music, mostly on the weekends. Admission is $50 on the weekends and around $44 on weekdays, though there are extra fees involved in buying online.
- Canobie Lake Park has 3 slides, a big splash tower/slide complex, a toddler splash area, and a lazy river with a wave pool element. The water park side (“Castaway Island”) is included in the park’s admission, $33-$59
- Santa’s Village features Santa’s Water Park, with 3 slides, a splash tower, a toddler splash pad, and an activity pool with 4 smaller slides. The water park is included with admission, around $45.
- Story Land is building the Moo Lagoon, which looks like mainly a splash tower with maybe a couple of bigger slides. It’s hard to tell. It will be included in admission price starting 2024, around $45-$60.
Did I miss anything? Have you been to any of these parks? What are you looking forward to doing this year? Let me know in the comments below!
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