The best theme parks in L.A. and beyond

Reservations required.

The longstanding Disneyland Resort is as much a spectacular piece of pop art as it is a set of theme parks. Incorporating two parks—the almost seven-decade-old, near-mythic Disneyland, and the younger, recently revamped Disney California Adventure—the resort calls itself “the Happiest Place on Earth.” And if you bring the right mood (and enough money) with you, it’ll likely live up to its nickname. There’s something for everyone here: roller coasters, stage shows, fireworks, family-friendly rides and familiar properties ranging from princesses and Pixar pals to Marvel and Star Wars (which both now have their own lands with Avengers Campus and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge).

Before you go, make sure to check out the best Disneyland rides as well as the best things to eat—and brush up the Disney Genie ride reservation system.

Though the rides lack both Disneyland’s charm and the sheer terror inspired by Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios Hollywood’s hillside theme park has carved out its own stable of worthwhile thrills fueled by silver-screen memories. You’ll find some slick motion rides mixed with familiar properties like Transformers, The Simpsons, Jurassic World and Despicable Me alongside the surprisingly memorable studio tour tram ride. While some of the park’s less-than-stellar relics remain, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and its centerpiece thrill ride have injected some much-needed magic into the park (look out for Super Nintendo World, too, in 2023).

Six Flags delivers adrenaline-pumping thrills for strong-stomached visitors. While there are some gentle rides here, the park is most famous for the ones that’ll push your heart into your mouth and your lunch onto the person sitting in front of you. The half-hearted theming leaves much to be desired and the lines can become oppressively long, but unforgettable thrills like X2, Tatsu, Goliath and more than a dozen other coasters make up for that fact. It’s a raucous place, both on the rides and off them: If you’ve got very young kids in tow, Disneyland and Universal Studios are both better bets.

Although Ma Knott and her family are long gone, her jams and fried chicken dinner are still on sale. But on the whole, the folks at Knott’s Berry Farm have realized that it can’t get by on nostalgia (and boysenberry-flavored treats) alone: There seems to have been a concerted effort of late to haul this formerly old-fashioned enterprise into the 21st century. A few tame, nostalgia-fueled attractions remain, but much of the park has given way to compact roller coasters and kid-friendly Snoopy tie-ins. You won’t find many magical moments or flights of sheer terror, but there’s something to be said for a compact park with cheap admission and manageable wait times.

Considered the focal point of Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Pier includes Pacific Park, a traditional set-up stocked with a Ferris wheel, aquarium, fairground games and cotton candy stands. It’s a busy spot to say the least, especially on warm weekends. The carnival attractions are nothing amazing, though the roller coaster and Ferris wheel certainly have their oceanfrot setting going for them; consider shelling out for an unlimited wristband if you’ll be going on more than just those two.

Reservations required.

More so than any other park, there’s a real tight age window for getting the most out of Legoland. If you’re a kid obsessed with those buildable bricks—and who wasn’t—then you’ll love its worlds of knights and pirates alongside silver screen and toy properties like The LEGO Movie and Ninjago. But the tyke-sized coasters aren’t likely to hold parents’ attention. That said, they may enjoy Miniland USA, which features more than 32 million LEGO bricks in its globe-spanning dioramas.

The home of Shamu has faced an uphill battle in a post-Blackfish world, but that hasn’t stopped millions of people from still visiting the San Diego aquatic park each year. You’ll find that Seaworld is increasingly turning its attention toward non-marine mammal entertainment—the park touts an observation tower, gondola ride, motion simulator, log flume and a handful of roller coasters, including Manta, a twisty low-flying one, and Emperor, a dive coaster.