Travel Guides Family Friendly Amusement Parks
Caitlyn Knuth
When you’re looking for a family-friendly vacation destination to enjoy, theme parks have long had a way of topping itineraries. According to IBISWorld, there are over 600 amusement parks and associated businesses in the U.S. This is a number that’s impressively and steadily increased by over 9% in the past five years.
While destinations like Florida’s Walt Disney World consistently top visitor records year over year, there are many more options for travelers to consider when theme park fun is a priority. If you’re heading Northwest and looking to enjoy the largest family-friendly theme park in the region, you’ll want to set your sights on Silverwood. Over 650,000 visitors enjoy time at Silverwood each year as they take time to explore the park’s 413 acres of terrain which includes rides as well as a combined water park.
Before it was the Northwest’s largest theme park, the land Silverland sits on was used as a regional airport. It was transformed into a popular theme park in 1988 and today offers travelers a place to enjoy rides, shows, on-site dining, and a variety of seasonal attractions. This theme park even has a campground for visitors to use as well as an RV park for remaining as close to the fun as possible.
Rides you won’t want to miss
Coaster Studios/YouTube
Travelers can spend time at Silverwood between May and September for traditional theme park fun. Once October rolls around, Halloween-themed attractions reign supreme with the arrival of the annual event known as Scarywood. The park is conveniently located in Athol, Idaho which is less than an hour from Spokane, Washington.
More than 70 rides are on-site, meaning families heading to Silverwood will find it easy to customize the day according to varying interests, ages, and heights. The park has a thrill level scale in place to help visitors determine how intense a ride will be. Categories include low-intensity, medium-intensity, or high-intensity experiences. The smallest travelers in your crew will likely enjoy time on the low-intensity antique cars, riding the carousel, or exploring the climbing trees. Older kids can enjoy time on some of the medium-intensity rides and attractions like the Krazy Koaster, the Scrambler, or the Tilt-A-Whirl. The most adventurous and thrill-seeking members of your group with a passion for roller coasters will love high-intensity rides like the Corkscrew, Panic Plunge, or the air coaster known as Timber Terror.
When all of the rides have you looking to cool off, you can head over to Boulder Beach Water Park to do exactly that. Access to the water park is included in the cost of general admission to Silverwood. Here, guests can enjoy everything from water slides and wave pools to splash pads, a lazy river, and water racing lanes as well.
Exciting attractions, celebrations, and shows
Midway Mayhem/YouTube
Silverwood hosts many special events throughout the year designed to elevate the entertainment factor. May is a great time for families thanks to the arrival of Mother’s Day Weekend celebrations and Kids Weekend, too. On Mother’s Day Weekend, special family pricing is available and mom makes her way into the park at no cost. Kids Weekend includes a free kid’s entrance with every purchase of a general admission ticket.
All season long at Silverwood, visitors can look forward to some incredible shows to enjoy. A fan-favorite performance is Phantasm which is crafted by resident magician Nick Norton. This is an all-ages magic show complete with vibrant lights, music, tricks, and illusions that are sure to thrill. After the show, guests can indulge in retail therapy at Silverwood. This theme park is a great place to pick up fun souvenirs of all kinds. Head over to General Stuff Mercantile to find custom shirts and hats or make time for a stop at Mine Shack when the kids are excited to pick out a toy.
When cravings come calling, Silverwood has plenty of dining options to savor. Check out Caselli’s Pizzeria when a savory slice would hit the spot or an oversized pretzel is exactly what you’ve been wanting. Country BBQ is the place to be for pulled pork and burgers while Caramel Apple on Main Street serves up hand-dipped delights to end your theme park day on a sweet note.
