It’s almost time for amusement park season! Many of our area’s theme parks typically start opening their doors in April or May for the summer season. We found all the best parks within a day’s drive of Philadelphia just in time for you to start planning your summer fun. These offer so much more than your typical roller coasters and water slides (though there are certainly some of those too). There’s also a Sesame Street-themed park, a destination where kids can operate heavy machinery, and storybook lands.

Diggerland USA

100 Pinedge Drive, West Berlin, NJ 08091

Diggerland USA is the only construction theme and water park in the country, and we’re lucky it’s just over the river in New Jersey. Kids can operate and ride on real machines and vehicles, and there are also construction-themed rides, water park activities and games.

Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom

4000 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, PA 18104

Dorney Park has more than 60 rides, shows, attractions, a waterpark and Planet Snoopy, the Peanuts-themed area just for the littlest ones.

Dutch Wonderland

2249 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602

This amusement park in the heart of Amish country has been consistently recognized as a top family destination in Pennsylvania. It’s a great option if you’re looking for somewhere to take younger children.

The Funplex

3320-24 NJ-38, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

More than just an amusement park, the Funplex also has bowling, indoor rides, a water park, and arcade.

Hersheypark

100 West Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, PA 17033

What’s better than chocolate? Other than maybe tons of fun rides? Well, Hersheypark has both, in abundance! Hersheypark also offers special rides designed for families and younger kids.

Knoebels

391 Knoebels Boulevard, Route 487, Elysburg, PA 17824

A free admission amusement park, Knoebels is a classic family destination that has been operating for nearly 100 years. They also have the #1 wooden roller coaster in the world!

Land of Make Believe

354 Great Meadows Road, Rt. 611, Hope, NJ 07844

The Land of Make Believe is an affordable, classic amusement park that encourages fun for both parents and their kids.

Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park at American Dream

1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford, NJ 07073

This huge indoor theme park is dedicated to all things Nickelodeon. There are tons of games and rides centered around your kids’ favorite cartoon characters.

Sesame Place

100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, PA 19047

Have some Sesame Street fans in your family? Sesame Place, just a half hour outside of Philly, is the place to go. It has Sesame Street-themed rides, shows, dining experiences, and opportunities to meet and take photos with all the furry characters of the favorite kids’ TV show.

Six Flags Great Adventure

1 Six Flags Boulevard, Jackson, NJ 08527

Six Flags Great Adventure, located between Philadelphia and New York, has tons of roller coasters, a water park, and even a drive-through safari with 350 acres of exotic animals.

Storybook Land

6415 Black Horse Pike, Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234

The sweet rides at this children’s theme park are themed around classic stories and perfect for little ones.

Lead photo courtesy of Diggerland USA