California’s Great America Amusement Park Is Open March Through October

California’s Great America claims to be home to the most rides and most water rides in Northern California and is the only theme park in California to offer a complete water park inside once you pay park admission.

That free water park thing always seems to be a double-edged sword to me; can we actually enjoy both vibes in one day? Are we going to spend all day in our swimsuits or riding (mini) roller coasters? Can we split the day, and if so, which part of the park should we tackle first?

The 100-acre theme park is located in Santa Clara about 45 minutes south of Oakland and is open March 25th through October. From kiddie rides like bumper cars and carousels to massive thrill rides, Great America has a wide variety of experiences included with admission.

I was lucky to visit last year as a guest of a company party. While we liked it enough to go back over and over, I have little tolerance for crowds and struggled to find a weekday date to return before Great America returns to their weekend-only schedule in mid-August.

So while I was tempted by the economics of a season pass, which pays for itself in just two visits, I realized we were more likely to be annual visitors.

Why we’d go back to Great America

My middle son especially liked the Gold Striker roller coaster, below.

Oakland mom, Brandi Jeter shared, “Even though there are a ton of new attractions, there’s still a really sweet, quaint feel about the park. Everything is modern and clean, though, it’s just the aura of the park (and the kindness of all of the staff!) that put me in a different era. My daughter Ayva loved that the Peanuts gang are the official California Great America mascots, and couldn’t get enough of Charlie Brown and his friends. Usually tentative around characters, she ran right up to Linus like they were old friends.”

Shari Wargo Stamps from Navigating Parenthood offers these tips for visiting Great America for families with special needs:

If anyone in your family has different abilities, Great America has special services available to ensure that they have a safe, fun experience at the park. Simply read their Guest Assistance Guide, or guide on how to enjoy the amusement park from the Autism Society. Service dogs are also welcome! More info can be found here.

Planning a visit to Great America

• Admission fees claim to be $80 full price at the door, but there are always discounts online. As of this writing their website offers a $39.99 per person. Includes admission to the waterpark. I also see a dining bundle for $59 that includes food every 90 minutes. Please don’t pay full price. Season Passes come in two flavors: summertime-only or year-round for those who look forward to the winter holiday lights at Great America.
• www.cagreatamerica.com
• 4701 Great America Pkwy, Santa Clara, CA 95054
• Call (408) 988-1776

Interested but intimidated? Read our round up of Bay Area Amusement Parks – some are ideal for little kids.

Oh, and want to know more about the included Great America Waterpark? It’s called South Bay Shores, and we dedicated a whole visit to getting to know it.

Note: If you grew up in the midwest, you may easily mistake California’s Great America (this place in Santa Clara) with Six Flags Great America (outside Chicago) or  Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (pretty close, in Vallejo) as I did … sorry about that, they’re all different places.

[Photo credit: Heather Flett right before getting drenched on log flume; the rest of the photos are from CA Great America]