Travel Guides Family Friendly Amusement Parks
Christine Estima
New York can be an expensive state to visit, especially when you’re traveling with kids. If there’s one thing that entertains kids, it’s riding roller coasters or going slip n’ sliding at water parks. So despite the price point, New York becomes a no-brainer for family fun because it boasts some of the most famous and popular amusement parks and theme parks, like Six Flags Darien Lake, or Luna Park in Coney Island. During the summer season, these amusement parks might be at the top of your list, but there’s another New York amusement park that you shouldn’t sleep on.
Seabreeze Amusement Park is farther north in New York state, up in Rochester. In fact, it’s right by Lake Ontario, meaning you’re close enough to throw stones into Canada. It’s also one of the best parks for family fun that won’t break the bank. Opened way back in 1879, it’s the fourth oldest amusement park in North America, and the 12th oldest in the entire world, but it’s still packing in the crowds every year due to its budget-friendly tickets. Children under 2 are free, military personnel get free admission, seniors can visit for free every Tuesday, and on the final weekend of the summer (usually in September), everyone gets $4 off their ticket price. NEA Member Benefits also notes that tickets purchased online are cheaper than at the gate, but there are a lot more reasons to pack up the kids and head over to this popular park.
Seabreeze offers free parking and allows outside food
@thisisroc
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♬ Dreams – shawty 🌙
Seabreeze Amusement Park is one of those rare amusement parks that not only offer free parking all season but they also don’t mind if you bring your own food. Plus they offer a cheaper Spectator Pass for those who don’t want to ride on rollercoasters, merry-go-rounds, or water slides.
President Rob Norris is super proud to offer budget-conscious fun, telling the Rochester Business Journal, “The average stay for most families is six to seven hours. They come in, ride the rides, play in the waterpark, have snacks, eat lunch and watch our entertainment acts. So if you break it down, that works out to only about $3 per person, per hour. Where else can you get so much activity for that price? This is truly a terrific value.”
Park enthusiasts agree, taking to TikTok to share how much fun they had at the park, or to gush about their favorite rides. Influencer family @doughertydozen shared to their 6.1 million followers just how much fun they had at the park all day — and it’s clear others agree, with their video liked more than 35,000 times! Based on one TikTok video, Musik Express appears to be a favorite among visitors while Whirlwind looks like dizzying fun. With an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor, you’re missing out if you’re not spending your summer at Seabreeze.
