Canobie Lake Park

When they say ‘take off your earrings’ listen to them. Maybe I’m getting old, but I swear it didn’t hurt before when I left them in.
Great little park, but I wish we could picnic there – I guess you used to be able to (as my friends who had been before said) but they got rid of it recently, probably to make you spend more in the park. The Italian place was good though, and the staff were great and accommodating (or maybe we thought we were ordering weird things but it was normal).
It’s only 3 stars because of rules (I guess). We were on the merry-​go-​round and one person (not in my group) stood up so the ride stopped and everyone had to get off. We waited in line while the people in front of us got 2 songs and we got half of one. It still does not make sense to me. We don’t know that person, why were we being punished?

It was a pleasant experience to be honest. I think my company made it more fun than the park actually is. It’s unfair of me to compare it to the theme parks in Disney World but I used to live in Orlando for years so my expectations for amusement parks are very high. Honestly I feel that $ 36 is a tad too much for the amount of adult rides, how unique they are, and how big is this place. I also feel they are being super unfair at charging people extra for some rides that are not even that great. The death simulator seemed cooler in person and when i walked over to the ride it was crap. The food is horrible to be honest, but not too expensive. I was really looking forward to be walking around the park and be walked up to by people dressed up in costumes but that only happened until the end when we were ready to leave and were waiting in line for a candy apple. It was an ok park. Would I go out of my way to come here again? NO! Would I recommend anyone here? Probably NO!

I go here every summer with my family and friends. This summer I went in July, and it was a rainy day (even though it drizzled for a good ten minutes).
The drive from Boston to Salem isn’t very long, but it is totally worth the ride. The admissions fee is a bit pricey (it’s lowered at five as the park is almost closed). I would totally recommend going on a rainy day, mainly because lines are cut short.
I would like to point out that there are a TON of cute boys working there, if you wanted to know. The staff are very friendly and are always in a good mood. The food is pretty expensive for mediocre theme park eats, but it’s not as bad as Water Country’s.
Some of the rides I would totally recommend are the Star Blaster (long wait on a regular day), the Untamed (very fun. Each ride is about one minute long so the wait is about fifteen minutes from the entrance of the ride), the Pyscho Drome (pretty underestimated. Located in the back near the woods. Seems sketch, but air conditioned inside and a very entertaining ride. Unless you’ve eaten right before. Not so entertaining for you or the other people around you), and the Wipeout. The Wipeout is a very fun ride, but I was almost squished to death when some random chick was pressing me against the door. Ouch, my ribs! But at least they played Check Yes Juliet by We The Kings. Would’ve passed out to one of my favorite old songs.
One ride I would not recommend is the Corkscrew. Honestly, it’s very boring and definitely not worth the headaches. My head was tossed from side to side like a mofo and I was in pain for the rest of the day. If you are planning on going on it, take caution and stick your head out!!! Please, it hurts. No wonder why there was almost nobody lined up for the ride when I was there.
Overall, Canobie Lake is an amazing place to visit with your family. The rides and the park in general are painted vivid, beautiful colors. They also have some really nice shows there! I am planning on attending Screeemfest in October!

Excellent park for families. Price of admission is reasonable in comparison to other parks. Rides are clean and well maintained, make a point to hit the Rowdy Roosters! Food prices are over the top as expected but the quality was decent. Stroller rentals for $ 8 seemed high but we’re very useful and helped the kiddo keep going all day.

Overall a pleasant experience. The $ 36 dollar admission price is a bit high considering the amount of adult rides inside the park. Children under 3 are free which is a huge plus. The lines are very very long and the rides very very short. The Untamed coaster had an hour + wait time and the ride was 30 seconds. I get rides can only hold so many people but the loading and unloading process is extremely slow here. We did see several people with special bracelets to skip the line but no idea how they got them, there was no option to upgrade.
There is a lot of children’s rides which is wonderful and the lines at those rides appear much shorter.
The food was very reasonably priced 7.95 for a cheeseburger and fries, not too bad for an amusement park. My only complaint with the concessions is the drinks. It is 2.75 for a soda (only one size) they have them pre-​poured and ready to go, so you get a warm flat drink. The park was clean and well kept. They might want to beef up security a little more since we did encounter park guests smoking marijuana inside the park several times.
All in all a great time and great family fun.

Yesterday was the third time my family has been to Canobie this year! We have such a great time there! They have great rides, great food, & great shows! All the people that work at the park are so friendly & helpful! And a plus that the bathrooms are all clean!

OVERVIEW: I had a weekday off in the summer so I decided to check out Canobie Lake Park. I went by myself, which I have found can be really fun at amusement parks since you can do whatever you want! But unlike some other amusement parks like Disney World, there weren’t many singles lines (at least not on the day I went– perhaps they open more when it’s really packed. The day I was there only had a singles line for Untamed.) so I still had to wait in long lines to ride the quick thrills. But that’s all part of the experience.
COST: An adult ticket normally costs $ 36, but I got my ticket for $ 30 at AAA.
RIDES: I spent about 5 hours there, and I rode Untamed (roller coaster with a crazy straight up/​straight down part at the beginning), Yankee Cannonball (old school wooden roller coaster), Davinci’s Dream (long swing ride), Policy Pond Log Flume (self explanatory!), Tall Timber Splash (a water slide that you sit in a raft to go down– there’s a «wet» and a «wetter» slide), and the Blue Heron Boat Ride (a 20 minute ride around the lake). I loved all the rides I went on, and found the boat ride especially fun.
GAMES: I played old school skee ball– 25 cents for 6 balls. There are prizes but I got nowhere near winning anything. That’s ok– it was still fun to play! I also played Rampage in the arcade. Yeah Lizzie!
ENTERTAINMENT: There were all kinds of live shows to choose from, from dance acts to music to a magician. I saw Fagerman’s Vaudeville Magic Show, which was 30 minutes of very clever tricks.
FOOD: There are plenty of food options at the park, but I followed suit with most of the park-​goers and brought my own lunch. You can leave things in your car and leave the park to get them– they will stamp your hand with a sweet badge of your awesome day so you can brag about how much fun you had later.
CONCLUSION: Sure, there are bigger, wilder theme parks in the world, but Canobie Lake Park is a great, affordable, close to Boston option for a day of fun. I’d love to go back and check out the rides I missed this time around.

I have been coming here for years, since my childhood. It’s been a few years since I’ve been up as an adult, and it’s still my all time favorite amusement park ever. Sure I’ve been to Disney, Six Flags, Universal, Bush Gardens — but nothing quite warms the nostalgic heart of my childhood than Canobie Lake Park.
The roller coasters are a mix of old-​fashioned wood and modern steel. All are fast and furious with dips and corners to pump up the blood pressure.
There’s a vintage Carousel which is beautiful and elegant no matter how old you are. The haunted house ride is a haunted mine shaft and it is charmingly quaint with bits of scare and fright.
The Turkish Twist is my all time favorite ride — it’s a ride where you are inside a round room and it spins at speeds enough to supersede gravity, and you stick to the walls as the floor drops. Epic.
There are a handful of water rides, a flume, a hue boat ride with a wicked drop called the Boston Tea Party, and he rides give you choices as to how wet you want to get — gently splashed or absolutely drenched. There are changing rooms, lockers to rent, and also a pool.
There are carnival games like toy horse racing, whack-​a-​mole, skee ball, etc. Play for glory or for a giant teddy bear.
Plenty of food, mostly greasy and fried but still of better quality than a fast food joint. Places to sit in the shade as well to much away. They sell beer, too, which is a plus for adults who like to indulge.
Parking is free and plentiful, and you can leave and return if you wish. The $ 36 ticket for adults is an all day pass.
The staff here are generally local kids working summer jobs, and they are usually cheerful, friendly, and helpful.
It’s generally very clean and well kept, although it does have standard family amusement park litter and sticky spots, but hygienic and not a turn off.
PS — they have the best freshly squeezed lemonade on the planet, hands down. Each one comes with huge chunks of real lemon and it is soooo good.

The admission price is only the start of what you will pay. Very long lines for almost all the rides discouraged my 9 and 11 year old grandsons who were then attracted by the «games,» which cost $ 2 to $ 5 cash only. The food is all unhealthy. Couldn’t get iced tea that wasn’t sweetened. My grandson ate a pizza slice under the warming lights at Pizzaria and 5 hours later was vomiting. That indicates Salmonella poisoning. Sodexo runs the food concessions and must train their employees better on hand hygiene. Yech.

For a fun, safe amusement park experience that won’t obliterate half your mortgage payment I can’t say enough good things about Canobie Lake Park. One set price to enter? Yep. Free parking? Yes, indeed. A clean, well run park that won’t price gouge you for every little thing? It’s here. There are enough rides for people of all ages. Sure it doesn’t have the latest high-​tech, super loop coaster but the adult rides it does have are very fun. Lines aren’t completely outrageous. The Longest might be for the Yankee Cannonball but if you love old wooden coasters this one is worth standing in. The crowd seemed very well behaved and everybody just looked like they were having fun. Huge points for the relatively quick ride from the Boston area. If you’re looking for an amusement park experience that won’t have you wondering why you bothered in the first place this is the one.
One more note. If you plan to ride or stand anywhere near The Boston Tea Party be prepared to get completely soaked. It’s great fun in the hot days of summer but this is not a ride where you only get a little wet.

Small, unhurried, relaxed, cheap, and family friendly. It’s an old amusement park with a wooden coaster and quirky names for rides. The crowd here isn’t ever as bad as six flags or Disney. All this makes for a chill fun day in the sun with family and friends.

Haven’t been here in a long long time and yesterday my husband and I brought our 2 kids (ages 8 and nearly10) for the day. The park was immaculately clean, including the bathrooms, the staff was helpful and the lines were well under control. There is almost nowhere to get water unless you buy it bottled for 2.75 from the park, which was a drag since it was 90 plus degrees, and the food concessions are mad expensive but I can deal with that for a one off.
The only really poorly managed thing in the park is the water park area. There were clearly too many people allowed to enter due to the heat and as a result the entire space was jammed right to the edges. I’d say it had about 200% capacity and one of our kids immediately began crying when they tried to walk up the stair to the water features. Other guests were frustrated too I guess, since an adult, parent (I assume) actually took an aggressive jab at our 8 year old for stepping in front of him! I tried to speak with an attendant on our way out but they just frowned and said we know, it’s hot. I’d skip the park if this is what you are coming for on a hot day.

I used to go here every summer between 1996 – 2003. It was a tradition. Yankee Cannonball with my aunt, Spin art shed, the caterpillar, the flume ride;It was the best growing up. But when your younger your perspective of amusement parks are skewed by the angst of rides, cotton candy and all the fun «other stuff».
Canobie lake was clean. Like really clean, no garbage on the ground, no sticky tables, no dust on the arcade games. Literally spotless. The bathrooms always had an attendant in them actively cleaning and making sure all the stalls were up to par. They had young men cleaning every table after people left them!
Safety is a main concern and I love that! We brought our nephew whose 2 ½ and enjoyed all the kiddie land rides! I was afraid to let him go on the little boats and yellow jeeps but the attendant assured me that the rides are slow and if she saw him try to get up she’d stop the ride (even though he did not). She even recommended that we tighten the safety belt even tighter and double checked all the children in the ride. And this was for all of the rides. They are clearly vintage rides yet Canobie has maintained them beautifully! I would definitely bring your child if he/​she is between 2 – 5 they would love it! Every attendant was so nice! Plenty of High fives after each ride and that goes not only for the kid rides but the adult ones too.
UNTAMED is one of the best rides I have ever been on! It is a MUST!
I would HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Canobie Lake Park! I am already planning a trip in September!

Like to come here a lot with my friends and family, for the summer and scream fest. Lots of fun, pretty clean. Long lines and short rides. Wouldn’t recommend waiting for the phsyco drome. It’s about a two minute ride and a two hour wait. Other than that Canobie is a fun time for everyone!

Great local amusement park with good assortment of rides. My biggest complaint is prices. You pay $ 10.25 for a souvenir cup and it’s still up to $ 3.00 for every refill. Food is pretty good.

Review #300
I’m happy to use my three hundredth review for the hometown place every kid in Salem goes to, works at, and goes back to with their kids.
Firstly, the people saying the lines are long on weekends are just like those lines, slow. If you come here on a weekend, you will wait in long lines in the heat. Also, the sky is blue. It’s not a thrill ride park, as more slow folks are complaining about. It’s certainly not Six Flags and that’s how we like it here in Salem, NH.
The park is 112 years old and has the old school charm that was there the day it opened. From the hundred year old carousel and the 75 year old Yankee Cannonball to the modern Untamed coaster and DaVinci’s dream, there are rides for all kinds here including Thin Lizzies, bumper cars, log flume, tea cups and scrambler rides like the Psycho Drome. They have done a great job in the past decade or so of eliminating some of the past their prime rides for newer ones and they do so in such a small area. There is something for everyone and a large, large amount of children’s rides.
Food stands and sit down restaurants can be found inside or take off with your hand stamped to grab some food elsewhere and come back. Overpriced games and souvenir stand are found throughout as well and the parking is free.
It’s a great place and affordable for all they offer to come with the family for a day and have a blast. Try to come on a weekday or take advantage of the after 5 pm discount if you want to check it out and ride with fewer people. The old school charm is what makes this place such a great place and I’m sure you’l have a great time as well.

Been coming here since I was ten. Awesome rides with cool games. Great for families! I used to go to Rocky Point in Warwick, RI and then they went out of business.
I’ve become one of those people who can’t ride roller coasters much anymore. I’ll go on other rides though. Games are cool, but I don’t care for them too much. I was a little disappointed to see the Matterhorn ride disappear. It was right by the carousel. I’m getting old apparently. Haha.
It’s definitely changed a lot in the past 20 years. Prices have gone up but I like the family style feel of the place.
Yays: Boston Tea Party ride in the summer, bumper cars, Yankee cannonball roller coaster, xtreme ride, and the skateboard ride
Nays: Screemfest can be a pain. It might take the entire day to get into a haunted house. That DEFINITELY changed since I was here last for Screemfest. Oh! And painting your face is not allowed for Screemfest.

it’s a good amusement park close by that doesn’t charge you to park like some other one. Yes it can’t compete with that one but thus one makes it a little easier for smaller kids.
We went for screamfest and had a blast with haunted houses they had and kids loved the monster parade. It definitely was worth the 28.50 for the rides and haunted houses.

Went last week for my nieces Bday Get together… OH MY GOD… Its the exact same place (minus some new coasters) since I was 10 and went last…
The Caterpillar was still there, the Same old Log RIde, Same Carousel…
If you are an adult going with no Children you might be bored fast, unless you like to ride the same rides over & over again… Otherwise there are several kiddie rides & several arcades… We were there 3 hours and pretty much did ALL we could…
What gets me is every stand I went to for water (it was randomly 99′ last week when we went)… would say, Ooh that stand over there sells water… its water. Why cant EVERY STAND just sell it. Ugh…
The same little fish for a prize water hole (that was my fave & my son loved it)… I probably wouldnt go back again this year…
We got there at 1020ish and for the first 2 hours or so it was dead ish down back in the kid area, so I would suggest getting in early — all the adults in our group rode some big Coaster in the back with no lines… but when we were leaving you could see the lines starting to get longer…
$ 99 for 2 Adults and one 4 year old — for what was there I think thats a little steep — with coupons you can get in Six Flags cheaper & there is WAY More to do there…

Now that the weather is getting better, it must be time to go to Canobie Lake! This park has to be one of my favorite amusement parks. I know that it is small in comparison to Six Flags, but for some reason it still has that nice «family owned» feel to it. I love to ride the coasters as well as the Boston Tea Party, and I also love to spend time hanging out near the lake while having a beer.
The food here is typical fair food, and the games here are also generic. They have a little bit of everything, and I actually appreciate the atmosphere more than its competitors. The other great thing about this park is the fact that you don’t have to pay for parking. Weirdly enough, that is one of the reasons that we keep coming back as well as for the fun!
Overall, this is a great little park with a lot of character!