Spring break is right around the corner, so chances are, your family is overdue for a getaway. Carnivals and amusement parks offer lots of attractions, thrilling rides and live entertainment that the whole family can enjoy while soaking up the sun, whether you’re riding the waves at a water park or soaring high in the sky on a roller coaster.
Here are five carnivals or amusement parks to check out this spring or summer for a fun day trip with the family:
Maryland State Fair
2200 York Road, Lutherville-Timonium, MD 21093
Join in the largest celebration of agriculture in Maryland, with signature
food, free entertainment, world-famous concerts, family-friendly activities, exhibits, competitions and contests. Pet farm animals at the petting zoo, and then crack into a blue crab for dinner before a funnel cake dessert. This state fair is a not-to-miss annual end-of-summer tradition for many. Visit during the fair’s three long weekends in 2025 : Aug. 21-24, Aug. 28-Sept. 1 and Sept. 4-7.
marylandstatefair.com
Six Flags America
13710 Central Ave., Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
Are you brave enough to withstand the 200-foot-tall “Superman: Ride of Steel”? Find out at this classic amusement park just a half-hour drive from Anne Arundel County. Everyone in the family can enjoy its 10 roller coasters and more than 100 rides designed to sweep you off your feet. If you need a break from all the loop-the-loops, ride waves at Maryland’s largest water park or take the family to see a show or attraction. A children’s area offers rides for little ones.
sixflags.com
Edit 5/2/25: Six Flags America will be closing after the end of the 2025 season, on Nov. 2, 2025.
Jolly Roger Amusement Park
2901 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD 21842
Ride the giant Ferris wheel, test out your driving skills at Speedworld and get drenched at Splash Mountain Water Park all in one day. If you have younger members of the family, the carousel, circus or themed mini golf may be more their speed. There’s much to see and do within the five family-friendly parks at Jolly Roger Amusement Park, whether you’re racing at the largest go-kart facility on the East Coast or making a splash at one of the Travel Channel’s top five water parks in the country.
jollyrogerpark.com
Kings Dominion
16000 Theme Park Way, Doswell, VA 23047
This family favorite is celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer, so gather your family to join in on the festivities. Over its half-century operation, the park has developed record-breaking rides and has live entertainment, carnival games, an arcade and dining. Thrill seekers may be clamoring for the 300-foot-tall WindSeeker or perhaps the Night Slider, the world’s tallest free-fall slide, at WaterWorks. For explorers looking to learn some history, venture into the immersive Jungle X-Pedition to explore an ancient jungle civilization.
kingsdominion.com
Dutch Wonderland Family
Amusement Park
2249 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602
With a theme of “kingdom for kids,” Dutch Wonderland is geared primarily towards families with young children. Enter the castle doors to this park featuring more than 35 rides, attractions and shows, from kiddie rides and games for children to Merlin’s Mayhem, a steel inverted roller coaster, or a haunted swing ride. Take a gondola out to Exploration Island, where the Prehistoric Path is home to more than a dozen animatronic dinosaurs.
dutchwonderland.com
