DESTINATIONS

Be Very Amused!
This Summer, There’s a Park for Everyone

What better way to while away a free summer afternoon than speeding around a sharp bend on a roller coaster or floating high above the ground on a Ferris wheel? Whether you’re a fan of chilling out or thrilling out, we have the amusement park for you.

All-American
As far as Ferris wheels are concerned, everything really is bigger in Texas. Dallas’s Fair Park is home to the famous Texas Star. This wheel tops out at over 21 stories high and provides a bird’s-eye view of Fair Park’s 277-acre sprawl. The park dates to 1936, when it was constructed for the Lone Star State’s centennial celebration. What was once a beacon of modern art and architecture stands today as the world’s largest exhibition of Art Deco design. Fair Park is as much a time capsule as a theme park. This year, the State Fair of Texas kicks off on September 25 and features 70 amusement park rides, live music, and enough corndogs to feed Big Tex, the fair’s iconic 52-foot-tall mascot. (www.fairpark.org, state fair admission: $15)

Thrill Seeker
If the words “Giga Coaster” don’t send you running in the opposite direction, consider Cedar Point for a hands-up day of joy-riding—although you may need more than one day to conquer all 17 coasters at the Sandusky, OH, park billed as the Roller Coaster Capital of the World. Nine years after its debut, Millennium Force is still the longest steel coaster on this continent at the record length of 6,595 feet with an 80-degree drop from 310 feet! And if you have budding coaster enthusiasts on your hands, Cedar Point has plenty of downsized rides for the under 48-inch crowd. (www.cedarpoint.com, adult admission: $44)

Beachcomber
Ever wish you could recreate that classic cinematic first date, the one where the couple strolls down a boardwalk arm in arm, stopping only to win a prize or share an ice-cream cone? It turns out that movie set has existed in California since 1915. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, now a historic site, isn’t the kind of amusement park that leaves you exhausted and ready for another vacation. That’s because it sits right on the Pacific. Once you’ve taken a twirl or two on the 98-year-old brass-ring carousel and dropped from the 125-foot-tall tower ride, you can spend the rest of the day relaxing in a beach chair on the sand. (http://beachboardwalk.com, all-day unlimited rides: $30)

Kid at Heart
It won’t take more than these 51 acres of old-fashioned rides to bring out your inner child. The main attraction at Lakemont Park in Altoona, PA, is Leap the Dips, the world’s oldest operating roller coaster, built in 1902. Traveling at a gentle 18 mph and dipping only 9 feet, this coaster continues to provide wholesome entertainment. Even the water park has Old-World charm with its pools and paddleboats. And compared to the average amusement park admission prices these days, Lakemont seems happy to stay behind the times. (www.lakemontparkfun.com, all-day Ride and Slide pass: $10)

City Slicker
New York City’s Coney Island has a few classics to attract visitors of all ages. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has raised its tent over the boardwalk and is putting on shows through September 7. Among the fabled landmarks are Deno’s Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone roller coaster, which is included on the National Register of Historic Places. And what might as well be a historic site is Nathan’s Famous nearby. Don’t leave until you’ve chowed down on a hotdog or two. Until the end of the year, the second Coney Dog costs only 5 cents, the original 1916 price. (http://www.coneyisland.com, fun comes a la carte)
—Olympia Kyriakides