Carousel Gardens Amusement Park and Storyland
Opening year: 1906
Admission: $3 for adults and children 3 and older; free for children under 3
Carousel Gardens's antique wooden carousel is one of only 100 in the country. The carousel was so painstakingly renovated and restored that it earned the Gardens a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. Other rides include the Red Baron mini plane and the Umbrella cars. Adjacent to the gardens is Storyland, which has more then 25 climbable storybook exhibits—all sculpted by New Orleans Mardi Gras float makers. New Orleans City Park, 1 Palm Drive, New Orleans, Louisiana
Enchanted Forest
Opening year: 1971
Admission: $10 for adults; $9 for children; free for children under 2
At Enchanted Forest, there's a storybook land and kiddie rides, and the Big Timber Log Ride, the biggest log ride in the northwest, for older kids. The park also offers places for families to picnic, plus the famous Fantasy Fountains water-and-light show, which includes 359 water jets enhanced with lights and set to music. Your family can also step back in time in the Old Western Town or visit Issac Newton in the Old World Village. 8462 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, Oregon
Fairyland Amusement Park
Opening year: 1950
Admission: $7 for adults and children 1 and older; free for children under 1
Fairyland is America's first storybook theme park. Children will find colorful kid-size rides, such as the Jolly Trolly (the oldest ride at the park) or the Wonder-Go-Round (a whimsical carousel with an Alice in Wonderland theme). They can also visit places from their favorite stories, like Pinocchio's castle or the Old Lady in the Shoe's shoe. A "magic key" can be purchased for $2 to activate the talking storybook boxes at each site. There are also live animals throughout the park and a children's theater. 699 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, California
Holiday World
Opening year: 1946
Admission: $36 for adults; $28 for children
This theme park, owned by the same family for three generations, was originally created as a way to bring Santa to Santa Claus, Indiana, year-round. In the beginning, the park had just a Christmas toy shop, toy displays, themed children's rides, and Santa, but now its attractions also celebrate Halloween, July 4, and Thanksgiving—plus it has a water park that houses the country's tallest water drop. 452 East Christmas Boulelvard, Santa Claus, Indiana
Idlewild Park
Opening year: 1931
Admission: $29 for adults and children 2 and older; free for children under 2
Originally founded as a picnic ground along the Ligonier Valley Railroad in 1878, this park has withstood the test of time and has even been named by Amusement Today as the second best kids' park in the world. The park is broken into seven manageable themed areas—the two most popular are Olde Idlewild (with traditional amusement rides and an antique merry-go-round) and Mister Roger's Neighborhood of Make-Believe (which features a trolley ride through the famous TV neighborhood). There is also a turn-of-the-century mining town and the Jumpin' Jungle, a shaded play area with ropes, ladders, nets, and slides. Route 30 East, Ligonier, Pennsylvania
Lakeside Amusement Park
Opening year: 1908
Admission: 50 cents a ride
Known to locals as the White City for its glittering display of over 100,000 neon lights, this family-run amusement park has been a favorite for decades. The park now has 55 rides; 40 of in the main park and 15 in Kiddie Land. The classic wooden Cyclone roller coaster was built in 1940 and was named one of American Coaster Enthusiasts' Coaster Landmarks in 2003. 4601 Sheridan Boulelvard, Denver, Colorado
Playland
Opening year: 1928
Admission: $30 for adults; free for children under 36 inches
Playland is the only American amusement park to be owned and operated by the government. The park has retained its original architecture and art-deco beauty, as well as most of the rides, like the Derby Racers and the 75-year-old Little Dipper roller coaster that originally made it famous. It also has a beach, a swimming pool, a pier, and an indoor skating rink. Exit 19 off Interstate 95, Rye, New York
Storybook Island
Opening year: 1959
Admission: Free
Storybook Island is an eight-acre family theme park with live theater performances and over 140 fairy-tale sets. The fairy-tale sets include themes from old nursery rhymes as well as newer sets from Disney movies and cartoons. After the children are done exploring the grounds, they can take a seat at the playhouse and enjoy one of the daily performances at the Storybook Island Children's Theatre, the oldest children's playhouse in the state. 1301 Sheridan Lake Road, Rapid City, South Dakota
