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Canobie Lake Park
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- Good for Kids:
- Yes
34 reviews for Canobie Lake Park
Canobie Lake Park is a great fun place to take the kids! I've received deeply discounted tickets each year to Canobie Lake and I've taken my friend and his boys (ages 3 and 7 now) for the past 3 years. Though it's far from being a Six Flags or Disneyland, there are enough rides and attractions to keep the youngins' happy. It's also very close to my home (15 minutes) and the parking is free. The atmosphere at the park is very family friendly.
Some of the rides, my friend and I will accompany the kids on such as the Canobie 500, Rowdy Roosters, Log Flume, and the Caterpiller. There are smaller rides we let the boys go on by themselves including Mini Dinos, Flower Power, and Sea/Land Rescue (there were no lines for this ride last time, so the boys stayed on several times).
My favorite thrill rides here are the Yankee Cannonball (wooden rollercoaster), Starblaster, Xtreme Frisbee, Pirata (big swing), and the Corkscrew rollercoaster. However, the Wipeout ride can be dizzy if you are seated backwards. There are some waits for the popular rides on the weekends, which are not super long (30 minutes at the most) compared to the bigger parks.
When the temperature gets really hot, we head over to Castaway Island to cool off, just bring a change of clothes. The kids love this water playground. However, I really enjoy the Boston Tea Party, which is a boat ride where YOU WILL GET SOAKED! The boys like to stand close to where the boat comes down and get soaked by the big splash from the boat. My friend and I like enjoy draft beers at the nearby Tavern afterwards.
As for shows,we watched the Soul Man (Blues Bros tribute) and Mystique, an indoor magic show (old folding seats/sound system was loud/distorted), both shows were enjoyable and decent.
The kids really enjoy games, so we take a break in the arcade and casino to win some small prizes. My friend and I like to challenge each other's egos on the Rock Wall ($5 pp) to see who can climb to the top first. I hit my buzzer first!
The food and drinks at the park tend to be overpriced. A hot dog and drink is almost $7. A medium (grande) caramel macchiato was $4.50. I did find the ice cream prices seemed to be in line with other places outside the park. Before we enter the park, we've stopped for lunch at the nearby McDonald's at Exit 3, spending less than $20 for 2 adults and 2 kids.
Overall, we have lots of fun each year at Canobie Lake Park. With the discounted tickets, free parking, and short travel distance, we will surely be back to Canobie Lake for years to come.
Yelp #1600
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Ahhhhhh.....Canobie....so many memories.
Driving by Canobie in the winter was the saddest thing ever. It was like someone took your summer vacation, locked it up and dumped 10 feet of snow on it. How could July seem SOOOO far away. Dead of winter in New England, it can feel like aeons!
Soon enough, the nightime visit to Canobie would be upon our family. My family notoriously avoided crowds (and was also "thrifty") and so we went after 6 pm. The carousel, the galaxy, the log ride, the ferris wheel---all of which are surely called something different by now, were my favorites as a kid. That fishing pond game, and the floating ducks......so awesome! My dad used to hold on to me while I held my pole into the water to catch one of the metal fish.
My big sister would tease me endlessly for being too chicken to ride the Matador and the Yankee Canonball (aka "The Big White Rollercoaster"...cue horror music in my 5-year old mind).
Oh---and who could forget the Caterpillar! That thing was nuts! If you were a regular to Canobie in the 80's, you know what I'm talking about!
(how old was that thing?---it smelled like our ancient camping tent)
The glass maze---so great. Again, my sister mercilessly taunted me for that one. She would blaze through that maze effortlessly while I would smack into panes of plexi-glass trying to get through. I think I still have a bump on my head somewhere...
At closing time this synthetic elevator music lulled us to the exits. Smelling of popcorn and cotton candy.
Hot summer nights. Tired but so happy to just be there.
You were just a kid and knew that tomorrow you'd get to watch cartoons. No school, no thoughts of paying bills or work have even entered your innocent mind. Priceless.
My very last memory of this place was our 8th grade field trip. I was on the Umbrellas (now called something completely different) and my friend threw up on me. Wow, you can't beat that.
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Great place! It's clean, the prices are reasonable, the people working there are pleasant, the attractions are constantly being added to and updated and they have beer! We stayed at the Holiday Inn less than a mile away. We got there around 11am when it opened, stayed a few hours, got our hands stamped ,left and checked into the hotel and walked back into the park for the rest of the day.
The place is a real bargain. It cost us less to go there and stay overnight than it did for us to go to the Topsfield Fair for 2 hours...and they have beer!
Did I already say that?
Canobie Lake Park is a great distraction between those far too infrequent jaunts out to Six Flags. Yes, Six Flags is a giant corporate monster who will do anything to squeeze more money out of you, but let's face it. Everything there is bigger and better. That being said, I always have a great time at Canobie Lake, especially since my company has their summer outing here and we get heavily discounted tickets.
My two favorite rides here are without a doubt the Yankee Cannonball and the Starblaster. Yankee Cannonball is a classic wooden coaster with a whopping top speed of 35 mph. Nothing overly thrilling, just good solid fun for the whole family. Starblaster is one of those vertical drop rides. It shoots you 50 feet in the air and lifts you up and drops you a couple times. Who wouldn't love that?
Ride lines tend to be pretty quick. I remember overhearing some kid complaining that he waited 20 minutes for a ride. As we all know, that is nothing compared to the waits at Six Flags. You can really cram in a lot of rides in a short time here. We stayed for only 4 hours or so and felt we really got our money's worth. My one big complaint about this park is that far too many of their rides are spinny. I can handle roller coasters, even those with loops, as long as I'm still moving on a forward path. It's these crazy puke fest rides, like Turkish Twist (imagine riding a washing machine on the inside), that I can't stand. I wish they'd add some more roller coasters, but I wonder if they have any more space to expand.
Admission is not cheap anymore. I think it's up to $30, but that's still a big savings over Six Flags, plus parking is free so it's a pretty good deal in the end. Definitely something I try to hit at least once a year.
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OK. It's no Six Flags, but there is fun to be had here. There are a few rides the adults will love, and kids will definitely have a good time. The water park here is pretty crazy and the employees working the park seem to enjoy what they are doing and are all very friendly.
Downside - like most amusement parks, most food options and the like are just way overpriced. However, I brought my own juice and snacks into the park in my own bag and nobody even looked in my bag to see. I saw people coming in with coolers. That's a way to save some cash. Good way to enjoy a late-summer day.
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Took the boys, ages 8 and 10, on a hot August Saturday. We stayed seven hours, and the guys had a great time. Lines were long for some rides - and both kids warn you to skip the line for the Mine of Lost Souls. HIghlights: Boston Tea Party, the roller coasters (this is for kids who have not yet scaled the heights of Six Flags, etc.) and Castaway Island. (Heat the water in C.I and I'd spend the afternoon there too!) Clean bathrooms, pleasant staff and better than mediocre food made for a great day. Oh, parents - there's a pseudo-Starbucks for an espresso fix. My quad shots over ice made the day much better...
Ok so I've been going to Canobie Lake since I was a kid and while a little bit has changed, a lot is still pretty run down. If it weren't for the newer rides, I think the park would have died out by now. I went again today on our company outing and the kids had a blast...even though we only stayed for a few hours. Our lunch was catered by the park, food was pretty good, and there was actually ice at the soda machines this time. My favorite ride is still the Corkscrew although I could have done without going on it with a headache. The kids enjoy Castaway Island the best, what's better than a water park inside an amusement park? There seemed to be a lot under construction so maybe next year there will be newer attractions to see. Make sure you bring cash, even the water is expensive here!
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My friend took me here the day before my birthday this year. Seemed like a good idea at the time, except the place was crawling with fat parents and their spazzy kids. Ugh.
We didn't really have an agenda going in, but there were two things we had to check out--the dog show called Jump and the boy band, Lyrix.
We darted straight for the Pirata ride where the ship swings back and forth. There was a crazy looking 12-year-old kid screaming his guts out. He stayed on the ride after everyone got off. Before we loaded on, I saw him cupping his hand in front of his mouth. I grabbed the bars on either side of me in the line and exclaimed to everyone without earshot "HE'S GONNA HURL!!!!" and sure enough, he did. I don't need to see this. We boarded the ride and apparently, whoever screams the loudest gets to ride [and barf] again.
After that, we decided to eat hot dogs and cheese fries. We milled about for a while to find a ride with a short-ish line. Not much luck.
The Corkscrew Coaster is a short snore. While waiting in the line, we saw two goths smoking cloves and gliding. IN THE SUN! WTF? Also, there were lots and lots of teenage dudes rocking the guyliner. Hawt.
The Xtreme Frisbee was one of the newer rides and we had to go on it. The hot dog and cheese fries were churning in my stomach. While waiting in line, I experienced a case of the nervous farts. I advised my friends to stand in front of me, and apologized in my head to the people behind me. Sorry guys :( Xtreme Frisbee was easily the best ride there and it totally fucks up your equilibrium. Who fucking needs it, amirite? For whatever reason, the scaffolding in front of Xtreme Frisbee has a poster of Mona Lisa on it. Huh??? I think Mona Lisa is more of a lawn darts sort of lady.
The dog show was okay. The first thing the guy on stage asked was if it was anybody's birthday so my friends started pointing at me. He tossed me a Frisbee which I gave to a very confused and ungracious little girl in front of me. I heard this tiny voice echoing behind my head, "But I wanted the Frisbee!" Tough luck, kid.
Probably my favorite thing was the boy band, Lyrix. It's five untalented guys covering boy band songs--including synchronized dancing!--while they making fun of themselves. I just imagine them dicking around one day playing Xbox and smoking a joint like, "You know, fuck this summer vacation. We could totally make money this summer singing shitty songs shittily instead of painting houses. Hey, we got already got a gig without even practicing. It's at Canobie Lake Park!" You've finally made it, fellas!
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When we arrived I felt like I was driving up to Camp Candy, with the dated wooden gate..but lacked the trust-exercise forest where you walk on a one inch plank blindfolded, get boosted up into a rope spider web, or trust fall off a van into a pile of conjunctivitis ridden hands. Other summer camp field trip touches around the park haunted me like 'nam flashbacks, but I had to remember I wasn't lugging around 30 smelly dydie kinders, I was among friends now. -quake-
I adored the park, and it was a perfect sunny day for such an outing, contrary to the bleak 10-day rain reports on http://weather.com.
The first area we came upon was the Haunted Mine which Chloe hyped up for weeks prior with loosed jaw skeleton cackles. In this 1.5hour or more wait I learned a lot about my comrades and myself. I also learned that there are too many children that resemble walrusii(?) and pigmy shrews...inbreeding sweeps NH next on the nightly news. I am a scaredy cat at most things and kept my nail tips positioned tightly on the arm of my beau, ready to clench down at any glimpse of a strobe-monster. But unfortunately it was pretty tame animatronic miners and a foam-core grim reaper that I wanted to leave some suggestions with.
I see scarier stuff in DTX, someone should set up a mine cart on Washington Street for serious.
We emerged thankfully in front of a Nathans hotdog stand where I got the fakiest cheesiest adorned hotdog and watched the Blues Broth..I mean "Soul Brothers" performance at the nearby stage. No copyright infringement here...no sirree....-kicks up dirt-....
The thinner brother had quite the following, puffy paint t-shirts in the front row and and a tepid cheer section. They signed autographs, and took photos afterwards, but my thoughts drifted to how much tail these guys pull and how incestuous the Canobie performers are.
Thanks to our seasoned veterans, we passed by the other bastard flume rides and headed for the Boston Tea Party which was like the opening sequence of Step by Step..only if the opening sequence had a splash guard. Where is Patrick Duffy when I need him??? I saw some of the worst tattoos I have ever conceived on this wait-line..like a Nascar #3 with checkered flags, irregular circles, a few regretful initials that appear self inflicted, a dirty bellybutton henna and the mandatory barbed wire.
After passing a few masterpieces illustrating the Battle for Bunker Hill and Washington crossing the Delaware illustrated by an ominous "KEN", we boarded, front row of the log.
Up we go, past a sparkling Canobie lake and a setting sun, and down we go into a soakfestival which made me laugh at our misfortune. When in Rome, I ran up onto the bridge for an additional soaking, and one more on the sidelines for the road.
My squishy sauconies and prune feet were worth it as we stopped into the Stupid Pet Trick show with puppies who walked on 2 legs, did backflips, and probably caused at least 15 ill-equipped children to demand Australian Sheperds from their parents afterwards.
We tackled the Psychodrome which luckily was a short wait because of our coupledome. A glorified indoor scrambler that made me happy I had not drank prior, and was extremely leery of the young operator who was texting on his sidekick while we were thrashing around at high speeds.
Mandatory shwoopy rides included the Ferris Wheel and gondala that goes over the park. The best part of ferris wheels is getting stuck at the top at night and stealing a kiss or two. Or in this case, hearing about a bloody hair follicle. Keeping.the.romance.alive.
I tackled my favorite pinball game of all time, Addams Family which after my 3rd try or so I had fallen back into my stride of Thing triggering, mansion bonusing, and smiling to myself at the automated flipper snaps that coincide with the theme song. Only $4,000 and I can set one of those babies up in my bedroom. Yelp fundraiser?
My visit was complete after I picked up the caramel apple of the millennium. A warm gooey treat with smelty mini-M&Ms and a sugar coated top. One bite managed to obliterate an entire side, and I'd like to think my slobbery eating habits encouraged other Canobie goers around me to join in.
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This is one of the better traditional parks in the US. The atmosphere is truly unlike any other park I've been to, and the lakeside setting is quite lovely.
Ride highlights include the so-bad-it's-good dark ride, the fine log flume, plenty of spinny flatrides and the Cannonball which is one of the best coaster in the Northeast and one of the most criminally underrated coasters in the country. Food is also quite good by park standards.
Canobie could use a couple more marquee rides (a new Gravity Group-built woodie would go a long way) but overall Canobie is a terrific little park everyone should try.
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For my 100th review... nothing seemed more appropriate than reflecting on my trip to Canobie Lake Park, on the first day of Summer and during the year of the unofficial 50th anniversary of the Park becoming "Canobie Lake"...
Between lines and rides, I have to agree with Damien... stay close to the Boston Tea Party, because there is NOTHING better on a hot sunny day than a flash flood tidal wave of refreshing coolness. Trust me on this one.
Overall, the park is smaller than Six Flags, and has more of a carnival sort of feel to it, but the rides are smaller, faster, and therefore the lines go quicker... and today there wasn't a huge crowd.
Three main highlights:
The X-treme Frisbee... this is quite possibly one of the most awesome rides ever built. In fact, it's awesomeness couldn't even be described... it's a back and forth and twirly ride that goes really high and really fast at the same time and probably runs on a mix of deisel fuel and crack. And... it's probably really pretty at night.
The Skateboard Ride... I don't remember it's actual name, but it's basically a ride like the pirate ship... back and forth... but you're sitting on an enormous oversized skateboard (and I LOVE things oversized). So it's like the ship, but the board twists out as if it was actually involved in skateboarding tricks... it's rad and badass all at the same time.
Okay, now for the cheesiest and most spectacular...
The shows.
They were so effin funny and random, but they had us clapping and dancing. Bob the Builder had a great little musical show, complete with cheesy a C-grade cast and, as simon cowell would say, "Cruise Ship" singers... but it had me yelling, "Yes we can!" (Okay... Bob the Builder for VP?... sounds a lot like Barack's motto these days)
And Lyrix... yes that is Lyrics with an X... they are like NSYNC, but worse... less attractive... cheesier... and the choreography... let me just reflect on this choreography for a minute. It was like jazzercize meets justin timberlake. Awesomely amazing. But, the girls screamed, tons of them... with their hands in the air... just as if the Backstreet were right there in the flesh. (or NKOTB for those of you from my generation)
There's a lot more to rave about at Canobie Lake, but you'll just have to get in there and experience it for yourself. I highly recommend getting a locker first thing as well, so you can keep your cell phone and cigarettes dry.
Happy 50th Canobie Lake!
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Before I went and busted a rib, we had talked about coming up here this weekend. Well, that's a trip postponed for me.
I don't think I can add any more pertinent info to Alicia D.'s review, as it was pretty much what I wanted to say.
I love smaller amusement parks, and Canobie Lake is the last good one near here. It's right on a Lake (hence the name), and the location is truly lovely. Even if you aren't a roller coaster nut, there's plenty of fun rides to go on.
I always make time for the Gondola ride, as it's nice and relaxing amid the tides of grubby kids that ebb and flow through the Park....
But, you'll most likely find me on the Bumper Cars, cackling like a fiend, as I sideswipe, and broadside anyone who dares cross my path...
Bring a picnic, honestly. Nothing like unpacking a feast, while folks around you munch on barely edible park food.
Go on the Water Rides, but bring a change of clothes. Don't wear jeans, because chafing will ruin your day. Alicia D.s comment about the lockers at Castaway Island is something I'll take advantage of, the next time I come up here.
The only bummer is the lines. I hate lines more and more, every year. I really ought to come up here on an off time, if there is such a thing.
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Oh Canobie, I have so many fond memories of summer days spent eating your canobie dogs, running into the walls of the house of mirrors, getting sloshed from side to side with gonorrhea water on the log flume, eating entirely too much penny candy, and spending $47 on arcade games only to walk away with a 6" plushy of Snaglepuss wearing a flourescant yellow pimp hat.
There's been many additions since my last visit to the park such as the new waterpark, where you can smell the chlorine killing the lice on the heads of babes. One of my favorite additions is the "dance hall" which on Saturday featured a lanky spastic equivalent of Jack 5 from Tekken. That is, if Jack 5 lost about 50lbs of steroid muscle mass and had a penchant for silver sequinned stripes along the sides of his pants. He also rambled like an auctioneer while he talked about the various dogs and the stunts they were about to perform. It was almost as if he were speaking in an entirely different language altogether while the dogs proceeded to do backflips off his spine and catch up to 15 frisbees in a row!
We took the time to wait in line for an hour to creep through the wonder that is the HAUNTED MINE! Decrepit robots holding sticks of TNT while cackling, potential cave-ins, and not a canary in sight to warn us of potential oxygen deficiency! We then finished that leg of the journey with Nathan's hotdogs and cheesefries while 2 Blues Bros impressionists performed on stage behind us. I sort of imagine them at the end of the day, flipping through their wads of 5's saying "I USED TO BE IN CATS!" and sobbing into a gin and tonic at the bar of the Salem Ninety-Nine Restaurant chain.
One disappointment was that a lot of the arcade games weren't functioning so I missed out on the Uncle Fester Shockathon, that represents pretty much every summer I've had since I was probably 15. I inevitably end up at Funspot, Hampton Beach, or Canobie Lake park and can grab onto those cold stainless steel handles and have something to brag about as I work my way past MAXIMUM VOLTAGE and Uncle Fester's lightbulb lodged in his mouf goes berzerkerz.
One ride that is always worth the wait is the Boston Tea Party. Perfect for wearing your pilgrim shoes and waiting in line while children in muddy Crocs and bikinis (with dirty looking henna tattoo sublime suns around their bellybuttons) run back and forth hoping to be splashed by the tidal wave that overcomes the crowd as it descends it's slalom down what I like to term as a Salmon Ladder. What? I went to a salmon hatchery once. This ride is the sole reason one should NOT wear jeans to canobie lake park. While in past times, I have managed to ride and barely get wet, this run was entirely different. Water managed to come up over the sides, from the front, and probably miraculously from the back and consumed my entire self. Just think about one of those cranky LOL cats when they get a bath, and that was me.
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I really like Canobie Lake park. I never feel like i'm being pickpocketed at avery corner like at most amusement parks. It's a great alternative to that other park in Springfield!
It's a small park with relatively short lines and it's a short ride up from Boston so this place wins in my book.
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Wow! I use to go to Canobie Lake Park years ago. The last time I went was about 6 years ago and it was so dirty and gross, I swore I'd never go again. But, when I heard Spooky World was going to be there for the month of October, I had to give it another try! I'm so glad I did!
It's not the same place. If you went here years ago and thought it was dirty and gross! I'm telling you, give it another try! They've really improved this place tremendously! The parking lot, entrance, rides, bathrooms and even the landscaping all had a complete make-over.
The entrance was extremely clean and the woman behind the window where you purchase your ticket was nice. Entering was really clean and they had pumpkins, corn stalks, huge spiders and webs. It was all done very tastefully. A huge difference from the last time I was there and it was really gross. Trash was everywhere, the place was falling party and it was just really dirty.
They've really kept up with the place and I definitely will go back now. I can't give reviews for the entire place because a lot of the rides were not open being that it was so late in the season. But, from what rides were open, it was nothing but a pleasant experience! The only bad experience we had was the food there was nasty. If it wasn't for the food, I'd give it a 5 star rating. We had a hot dog and it was disgusting! Let's not forget the $4.75 french fries..and you got...yes count em..exactly 9 yes.."9" french fries..ahm yeah. and a $2.75 coke. YIKES.. But, I really wasn't there for the food...more the rides.
The secret is...eat before you come. Everyone knows that. The fried dough was very good. I went with a group of people and everyone was raving about how great the place looked! One other major thing that was cool..the bathroom was so clean I heard the old lady next to me go: "Margaret, you there? This place smells like the pool at the "Y"
I was cracking up in the stall next to her. I had to see this lady so I waited outside..and pretending to wash my hands. Why I waited for this lady my hands got wrinkly..she looks at me and goes: "Isn't this bathroom just so spic-span, Dear?" I said, "Yes...and it does smell like the pool at the "Y" because it's so clean from the bleach." Don't know why that was so funny to her..but she cackled all the way out of the bathroom with her Grandchildren and was just so happy that she could pee in cleanliness..
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This is the place that amusement parks need to take note of! Modern enough for thrill seekers, old fashioned enough for the rest of us, shade!!!! I cant stress enough how much I LOVE this park!
Went for Mothers day the kids had a blast plus mom's got to go for free! Also upon entering they gave us a free lunch coupon.. My kids loveeee this place as it's not to far from our house and Always offers plenty of enjoyment.. The kids favorite ride is the log flume whix i have been going on since i was little.. A few things need updating but other than that it's affordable...
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In the mood for a rolllercoaster, but you don't want to take the trek to six flags? Well just hop in the car and drive north on 93 for a half hour and you'll find yourself Canobie Lake Park!
They've got two decent rollercoasters (one is perhaps the oldest in New England, and one goes upside-down) They have a plethora of classic carnival style rides as well as some of the newest and most creatively state-of-the-art amusement park rides I've seen (skater, frisbee)
On a hot summer day you can stay cool by just walking by the "Boston Tea Party" chillin' at Castaway Island, or taking a plunge on the Log Flume! Also, I don't think a day at Canobie would be complete without catching at least one or two of the live shows... Bob the Builder never dissapoints, and the boys of "Lyrix" stole the hearts of every 12 year-old that walked by.
This place is also a great venue for company summer events. They have VERY affordable group rates and catering options. Aside from that there are practically a million places to grab a quick meal, a little snack, or a beer in the park!
Check this place out!!
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A small amusement park (compared to Six Flags, Universal Studio's, etc.) but it''s very, very fun and enjoyable.
It is totally worth the money(on average, about twenty or twenty five bucks). All the rides seem to be pretty great. The roller coasters (The Corkscrew, Yankee Cannonball) were pretty damn fun.(The Yankee Cannonball is the best ride in the park, either though it has a thirty minute wait at all times.) The park has a lot of thrilling rides too. My favorite ride in the park is "Psychodome". "Psychodome" is an inside scrambler with blaring techno music and strobe lights.
If you want to get wet, theres only four or five rides, but the two will get you very wet. The Boston Tea Party is pretty much a huge boat going down a very long flume.(it's like a party at Elton John's house, AMIRITE?)
Canobie Lake Park is for the budget person in you. It's cheap and fun.And what else can you ask for from an amusement park??
I've been to better rides at a county fair. Everything's wooden and hasn't been upgraded in decades. The technology and Aw! effect of any Orlando theme park would drown this pathetic excuse for a "funland." And the midway games? I see all sorts of kids running around with stuffed animals. Too easy! This place is too rustic and too relaxed to stay competitive with the Mouse and movie companies.
And that's exactly why I had a great time there.
Oh!
- Wear quick dry clothes and stay close to the Boston Tea Party on hot days. Nothing better than getting shoulder checked by a 30-foot wall of cool water.
- Steer clear of the catering. If the rides don't get you sick, the pan-poached chow in the tented areas might. Do what dozens did - pack a lunch.
- Free parking all day and discounted rates after 5p.
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Sadly, my dreams, they are crushed.
When I was a kid, it was always an argument whether Riverside or Canobie Lake Park was better. Typically you took whichever side you had been to, and most kids hadn't made the trip all the way CT from Scituate, but if they had been to Riverside, it was usually the winner.
Now, Six Flags took over Riverside, and tore it up into a soulless entity of their choosing, and Canobie Lake sits in the corner.
As I walked through here, everything feels incredibly dated, spare a few new rides that they recently purchased, like Skater, and EXTREME FRISBEE, which had of all things deathly, one of those "Best Of Scooter" cheese-trance albums on.
Rides that we went on:
DaVinci's Dream: Standard plop your butt into a chair and swing around with your feet dangling in a circle. I mistakenly sat in one of the "big butt" seats, so I got an extra thrill of feeling like I was going to slide out of my seat.
Skater: You basically go up, you go down, and sort of spin around instead of just going up and down a la a pirate ship ride. Semi-entertaining, but just didn't have it for me. Woo.
The Canobie Corkscrew: Metal-type rail runner corkscrew that everyone equates with big thrills, and relative newness. It's from the mid seventies and was moved from Chicago, and is slightly wowful.
Boston Tea Party - You get in with about 18 people, you go up, you slide down into the, you get drenched and drench everyone else. I think I would've had a lot more fun on this had I not been wearing leather shoes and socks.
Extreme Frisbee: A new ride for this year, it was vaguely interesting. You spin around and get swung 90 degrees, and Scooter plays in the background.
Yankee Cannonball - A neutered (it has those head rests on the back) old school style wooden coaster. You get up to a whopping 35 miles per hour and do some little dips and it's over in 2 minutes. Yawn. Bonus point is that you get to sit around the place and watch CL5 or the Sargent Fitness show, which [CL5] featured someone all the way from DETROIT. Wow, Detroit!
Log Flume: You ride around in a fiberglass wooden log and go up and down and float around before splashing down into the water. Yay this!
Dodge'm: Yay bumper cars. They tell you no front on collisions but screw that, I'm gonna ruin your day.
Arcade: Oh awesome, they have all the arcade games from my youth and before, and they only cost a quarter! Sweet! Wait. Those cool games that I always wanted to play when I was a kid don't work? And they haven't worked for 5 years? Well why are they plugged in? Why haven't they been fixed? Uh..... Good for a round of air hockey. I dunno
PsychoDrome: A big geodome that's well weathered and covered with pine needles, with a scrambler (one of those county fair rides that whips you around in circles sort of) in it, and warnings that you shouldn't go in if you have epilepsy, I had super high hopes for this to be a quasi horror ride that would totally fuck you up while playing a soundtrack from someone like Tetsuo Innoe or Merzbow, I got a smelly dome with no strobe lights, some crappy disco light balls, and ALICE GOD DAMNED DEEJAY. Holy cripes, I've never laughed so hard when they started playing "Better Off Alone", which somehow made for a binding moment between me and my girlfriend that I'm still singing 2 weeks later.
Ferris Wheel - It's a ferris wheel. You sit in it and it goes up and around. Whee.
Antique Carousel - An old carousel. Apparently quite old.
Food: Surprisingly not bad. I mean it wasn't awesome but it was edible and I didn't have any problems finishing my tacos. I recommend the beef tacos over the chicken, and the quesadilla was actually made fresh. Nice. My coke had way too much ice in it, but whatever.
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Perhaps I engage too much in dangerous behavior (racing cars, racing bikes with no brakes through traffic), but I dunno, the rides weren't so much thrilling as just a bonding experience with whom I was with. It was a fun time I'll say but it's a pretty low spot on the priorities for me to visit, which isn't to say I could never go there again, but I'm just not an "enthusiast".
I think if I had kids or I was younger, I'd rate it higher, but I'll take a day of snowboarding or a museum visit over it.
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Car ride there, We're here, awesome!
Bumper cars, Wahoo!
Roller coasters, Yippee!!!
Pirate ship, Woah....
Boston Tea Party, Sweet!!!
Shows, Hahahah
Fried Dough, mmmm!
Tired, Yawn...
Car ride home, Zzzzz
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PS - The Yankee Cannonball is gone people, you should go again because the Park had a face lift this past year.
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It's a smaller park, but it's a lot of fun. It will never be able to compete with Six Flags, but it's a lot easier to get to, and it's fun for all ages. The Yankee Cannonball is the oldest roller coaster, and the most fun attraction at the park.
There are 2 roller coasters, one is a corkscrew. Both are fun, but the corkscrew is an extremely short ride and usually a long wait.
The park is great for younger kids, with plenty of kiddie rides including a kid sized roller coaster and bumper cars.
I've been going to Canobie for about 20 years and it had been probably 7 or 8 since my last trip and I was very impressed that they have managed to keep the park up to date, but keeping the same feeling.
The Yankee Cannonball is my favorite roller coaster I've ever been on and yesterday I was like a kid again, riding it 4 times in 6 hours.
This place is a blast!
For an amusement park it's got good ides, nothing too high tech, but a lot of good classic rides. A big wooden roller coaster, corkscrew roller coaster, and other smaller ones whip you around nice and fast. The Turkish twister was a long time favorite of mine, the drum spins around so fast you stick to the walls and then the floor drops out. Good rides for people of all ages (ok, maybe not the elderly, but that's common sense ain't it?)
They have arcades and other things for those who can't take the rides. A mini water park area that I have never been to, but the Boston Tea Party ride and flume are always good ways to cool off.
Another huge plus...
It's a hell of a lot cheaper than Six flags too!
A staple visit for a good New England summer!
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This place has the look and feel of a classic carnival, but the rides are better and bigger, and are actually stuck to the ground. While some may argue this place is nothing compared to Six Flags, I say quality beats quantity. Also, freaky punks go to Six Flags, and Canobie has always had a friendlier feel to it, its impossible to get lost. Plus, there are tons of trees to offer shade and to add green, which is sometimes forgotten in amusement parks.
Best rides: Boston Tea Party, Turkish Twist, Round Up, Pyscho Drome, Giant Sky Wheel :), and Timber Splash
By the way: In six flags there have been people who fell off theBatman and Superman rides and died. Yikes.
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Canobie Lake Park is the place to take the kids or just have fun with family or friends for a day. It is about an hour north of Boston in Southern NH just over the border. It is an amuseument park with many options.
Canobie lake has a huge wooden rollercoaster, the Yankee Cannonball. THe Corkscrew Rollercoaster, The Galaxy Rollercoaster, Several other rides, a water park, games, food vending areas, and a swimming pool. There's also a train ride that goes around the park.
There is so much to do it will keep anyone occupied at least for a few horus.
http://www.canobie.com/
According to the canobie website the prices for 2005 are
Regular All Day Pass $26
2005 Under 48 inches tall & Seniors 60+ years old $17
2005 After 5 p.m.all ages $17
Ages 2 and under FREE
Directions:
From Boston: Take I-93 North to Exit 2 in Salem, NH. Bear right off exit, left at lights onto North Policy St.1 mile to Canobie Lake Park.
From Nashua and southern NH: Take Route 111 east into Windham, take a left at the golf driving range, go 1.5 miles, then right onto North Policy Street to Canobie Lake Park.
From Maine/NH Seacoast: Take I-95 South to Route 495 South to Route 213 West to Route 93 North to Exit 2 in Salem, NH. Or take Route 111 West from Exeter NH to North Policy Street, 500 yards west of Route 28.
From Rhode Island: Take I-95 North to I-93 North to Exit 2 in Salem, NH
From Worcester MA: Take Route 495 North to I-93 North to Exit 2 in Salem, NH
\From Hartford: Take Route 84 North to Route 90 East (Mass Pike), to Route 495 North to I-93 North to Exit 2 in Salem, NH
From New York City: Find Hartford Conn., then see above.
Enjoy!
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Canobie took down the park rules from their website, so I can't verify this with them, but you could, as of the last time I went, bring your dog into the park provided it is leashed at all times. They get a little antsy about large dogs - like dogs over 100lbs (Beethoven included) - because if the dog does do anything, it's larger than small children. If you do bring your dog, be prepared to be able to do very little as puppy still can't go on the rides.
One piece of advice - do not bring your dog, no matter how heat prostrate it is acting - by either of the flume rides for a refreshing soak unless you want to spend the next 20 minutes chasing the conveniently wet enough to slip their collar and scared silly canine under tables at the food court. Also be warned that people drop lots of food around this park, so if your dog has a nut, dairy or hot dog allergy but keeps forgetting...
The anti-star rationale: Crowds are getting to be ludicrous with the updated rides, and the atmosphere is creeping towards the crudity and hedonism of a Six Flags. Me no likee.
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I have been on dozens of roller coasters all over this great country. I've been on a steel coaster with a first hill so tall it had airplane lights on it, wooden racing coasters with more twists and turns than a soap opera and crazy newfangled 0-60 coasters.
The Yankee Cannonball remains my very favorite of them all.
Why? Because it's the only coaster I've been on where I'm not sure I'm actually safe. Sitting in the back seat on this guy is an absolutely unrivalled rush.
They have a bunch of other rides and an awesome 1960's vibe, but the Yankee Cannonball is worth the price of admission for me. I ride it at least a half-dozen times every time I go there.
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I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! it takes the stickiness out of summer life! everytime i visit Massachusetts my awesome cousins take me here and win me giant blue beavers and pirate Kermits!
east coast totally makes west coast water rides look like chumps!
Many reviewers here have compared Canobie to Six Flags or even Disney. But I would say that there is simply no comparison. They are just two different things altogether. Canobie is, of course, much smaller, has a comforting old time charm to it, but also includes some great more modern rides like the corkscrew and Frisbee. The Yankee Cannonball, the wooden coaster, is REALLY old! And the thrill comes from the clacking and clanking of the old school machinery that takes you to the highest point. You really think you could die on this one, and that's a blast. (However, I do think that this particular old wooden coaster has a clean record--everyone has walked off it much intact) The carousel is museum quality-- If you know anything about carousel animals, some of these are the real deal--rare, hand carved, and beautiful. The cheesiness of some of the features of the park are worth a laugh and even a tear in the eye if you remember Nantasket, Riverside, and the much lamented Whalom Park. Three Massachusetts old time amusement parks that are now just memories. Canobie has "The Mine of Lost Souls", its haunted house attraction, which is fun, funny, cheesy, and even a little scary! But as a mom of an 8 year old, Canobie can't be missed. He has some growing to do before they'll let him on the Frisbee ride so that one remains undiscovered territory for us at this time. The water rides are all amazingly fun. Nothing is quite like the Boston Tea Party. A huge wall of water coming down on unsuspecting tourists. We love it. The food is varied and pretty good, but you'll see many families tailgating in the parking lot with picnic lunches. I'd advise bringing water bottles if you lock them up at Castaway Island or don't mind carrying them. There are Dasani machines all over the place but water costs $2.50 a bottle. Say what? You can refill a water bottle at water bubblers near the main rest rooms if you dare. As for lockers, they are a great idea. You can get soaked on the Tea Party, Flume, Tall Timber, and Castaway Island, so towels and a change of clothes are in order. The lockers at the main entrance are $5 (you give them $10 and they return $5 to you when you give them back the key) and the ones at Castaway Island are a one dollar token. So, if you want to save a couple of bucks, lock up your gear at Castaway Island. The lockers are smaller, though. It's up to you--just some insider information. Check out http://canobie.com for the scoop. A few weekends are left to this 2008 season! Have fun!
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i love coming here. it cost like 30 bucks to get in. all the food is expensive. i would order a sub and bring it and eat it at my car. i miss some of the old rides like galaxy, matterhorn, paratroopers. they were the greatest
Canobie Lake Park is the first thing that comes to mind when I think about fun summer days of my childhood. It is not the place to go if you are looking for a bunch of modern rollercoasters, but it it is a relatively inexpensive amusement park, and one with lots of character. My favorite rides are the Matterhorn, Roundup, Psycho Drome, Turkish Twist, Tilt-A-Whirl and Haunted Mine. I can't do drops (rollercoasters, log flumes), so that basically wipes out half of the rides for me and I still have a blast. There is also plenty of delicious amusement park food i.e. fried dough and cotton candy, and fun stuff like old timey photos and carnival games.
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Canobie Lake is so freakin' awesome. The place has been through some serious wear and tear, but it is home to SO many childhood memories...from birthday parties gone terribly wrong to countless dollars lost to those impossible little games. I can't give this place anything less than 5 stars :)
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This place is really fun. It's a decent sized amusement and water park. There are a good amount of rides with two rollercoasters, two flume riders, and a few water slides (not sure how many as we didn't go on the water rides). We spent a long time here this past Saturday and had a great time. The tickets are $26, or $17 for kids and seniors. I know some McDonalds in the area have discount coupons (I think $4 off). This is definately a good place to take a date or the kids. Smaller than Six Flags as well as less crowded, and it's only a 35 min. ride or so from Boston.