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Gilroy Gardens
Rating Details »
Categories: Amusement Parks, Swimming Pools
3050 Hecker Pass HwyGilroy, CA 95020
(408) 840-7100
Middle Earth at Gilroy Gardens
Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, Wizards and Orcs! Children can search the Park for treasure and collect fantastical artifacts at our Treasure Hunt!
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
113 reviews for Gilroy Gardens
My kids had a lot of fun here, the favorite being some of the simplest rides; Bulgy the Gold Fish, race cars and fire engines that go in circles, and South County backroad car ride.
We made the mistake of going on a weekend when the school is out next week, so the place was packed. We thought we would beat the crowd by going early but that didn't help. Most of the rides had long lines and it was difficult to keep a 2-year old entertained while we are standing in line, not moving. On the other hand, when we eventually got on the rides, he had a great time and I was happy to see that.
We stopped by San Juan Grill for lunch and that was met with mixed feelings. First of all, the place was packed. I mentioned above I came on Columbus Day, and that's probably why, but there were no seats and it was fairly cool outside so nobody wanted to sit in the patio area outside. The food was ok, we ordered Meat Lover Platter ($12.99) and BBQ Chicken platter ($10.99). The portions are ok, not super huge and the food tasted fine. For the price, I was expecting to find gold nuggets hiding in the plate; we didn't find any.
There were people constantly asking if we are done, and standing over us while we were eating, that was not a fun experience. Nonetheless, the purpose we were here was not to have a good dining experience, but to let the kids have fun. And to that point, they did, mission accomplished.
3 times this season since I have a season pass. Park is still great and the little one loves all the rides.
Lines have been very short, the max was 10 mins. This is for the boat ride and the balloon ride. Essentially, anything where parents can ride with the children. The children's rides normally have no wait. But....this is late fall we've been going. Might be different in the summer.
Food- 1 star, maybe ZERO. Went to the burger place near the water feature. The cheese burger is dry and tasteless. Right next to it is an "American BBQ" place with......Teriyaki chicken and Kabli, yes they can't spell Kalbi. How American is that? Anyways, $10 for.....wait for it.....wait for it......
a heaping serving of overcooked wet rice, steamed veggies, and 2 pieces of kalbi. Yes, 2 pieces. Let me describe the pieces. They were 2 inch x 2 inch pieces. I'm not kidding. NO exaggeration. 2 pieces, 2 x 2 inch in size. I felt SO ripped off. I think I need to smuggle in my lunch next time.
Really, if you're going to sell $4 bottles of soda and $10 meals, please at least make it decent. The food is bad, but I guess it's my fault, it's been said repeatedly on other yelp reviews.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/7/2009
purchased the season pass and after the 1st trip, i know we'll be making great use of the fully… Read more »
I have 2 children, age 1 and 3. This is the most toddler friendly amusement park that I've been to. I was also able to go on a few rides with my 1 year old which was great. As long as I could sit next to him (not on my lap) and I can still put my arm around him, then I was comfortable with letting him go on a ride. The Caterpillar ride in particular was one he enjoyed.
My 3 year old love to ride the race car that went around in a circle...perfect size for him. We were worried that he would not like the Goldfish ride which goes up and down and in a circle. But after 1 revolution, he had a big smile on his face and even waved a couple times from his Goldfish car. Some of the rides were probably a bit too much for a 3 year old, like the mushroom ride and the banana boat ride. But for the rides he did do, he really enjoyed them.
The park is clean and very stroller-friendly. You can also rent strollers if needed...they have both single and double strollers.
There are 2 water parks there. One is geared more for 3 to 8 year olds, and one was geared more for 1 to 3 year olds. So it was great that they had age appropriate water parks there.
There wasn't a huge selection of food like you would get at Disneyland, but the food they did have was decent. Some that I can remember are Dippin' Dots, churros, soft ice creams, rib sandwich, chicken strips, fries.
Overall, this place is great for young ones. I will probably look into season passes for next year.
We take our kids, and they love it. It's great for toddlers through age eight or so. If your little one is two or older, take him! Very few teenagers--nice.
We love the splash areas, and most of the rides. There are a few rides that the younger set can't get on, so if you have a mixed group, let the older kids run off on their own and ride the roller coaster.
I hate that they charge $10 (!) for parking, but we normally get one of the season passes that includes parking--and a 20% discount on overpriced food and merchandise--so it's not as bad as it might be.
Most of the people who work here are nice, but there are a few losers. Complain to the management if you encounter them--the management wants to know, and you'll be doing everyone a favor.
Have toddlers and looking for a place to go that has things they can actually do? This is the place! This is a great place for kids who are much younger than 4 - bring your 1.5 or 2 year old also!
Our daughter is at that awkward toddler age where she wants to run around but still gets intimidated by the older kids who invariably end up taking over the toddler playground. Although she would love to go on rides at the amusement park, most of them are too old for her and even the carousels are usually too big and a little scary.
At 2 (and pretty short for her age), she could go on almost every ride and could go on some of them by herself. The ballon ride with mommy was a huge hit as were the mini carousel and car ride. Kidsa can even steer the cars themselves a little bit - the steering wheel actually makes the cars move to the left or right.
She also loved looking at the waterfall and all of the plants and flowers - so much so that she didn't want to leave even though she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.
Until the end of the 2009 season, they have a promotion where you can sign up for a 2010 membership and get your ticket price *and* parking refunded. Since you also get a discount on food, it comes up to a really good deal and makes the admission cost much more reasonable. We figured out that it would only take 3 more visits in all of 2009 and 2010 to pay for itself.
This is a wonderful place to take younger kids (I would say kids under eight) for a day of fun. We went there last month with my brother-in-law's family (daughter age 6 and son age 4) and had a blast.
First off, this is the cleanest amusement park I have ever been to...I mean EVER! It was great. Another thing I really like about GIlroy Gardens is that since it is geared more towards the younger set, you don't have to deal with obnoxious older kids (I think you all know what I mean).
They have many rides that even my 21-month old little girl can ride, most with a chaperone. She rode on a carousel for the first time, although she was a little scared to ride on a horse so she just sat in the chariot with me. The paddle boats are swans and ducks (so cute!). She went on that one with my husband and I think she liked it, although from the photos you can't really tell.
The part she liked the most was the Splash Garden area. It's a water play area that gives kids a place to cool off on a hot day...and you know it gets hot down in Gilroy! So if you're going on a day when it's supposed to be sweltering, make sure you bring your kid's swimsuit and a towel.
The food is only so-so and of course is overpriced. I was excited to see that they had funnel cakes there! Mmmmmmmm!!! And they have this drink there called the Orange Freeze, which is vanilla soft serve mixed with some kind of orange slushie-type concoction (I'm a sucker for orange creamsicle flavored kinds of things).
The gardens are beautiful and very well-maintained. I can't wait for the Holiday Lights thing they have in December, which I can only imagine how awesome the gardens will look then.
There comes a time in a man's life when he turns two, and that day was yesterday for my son Dash. Where to celebrate big time? Gilroy Gardens! We're talkin' Bulgy the Goldfish, Big Red Engine, the Supreme Carousel (on which he rode by himself), Pit Stop Racers, South County Backroads (his favorite, although he sucks at steering), and even a Monorail (he just qualified for his own seat at 36 inches!).
It's beautiful there, and hot, but not that crowded during the week, so the lines are easy. Plenty of room to run around, and it's a guarantee your little person will be conked out on the ride back home.
Next time, we take on the paddle boats!
Around noonish, we met up with some of our most dearest friends at Gilroy Gardens, formerly known as, Bonfante Gardens. Home of the world famous Circus Trees, Themed Gardens and beautiful waterfalls, this nonprofit amusement park offered a number of rides, attractions, entertainment and activities for young children.
Before we all headed out for lunch, the kids got in a few rides on Bulgy the Goldfish and the Illions Supreme Carousel. Shortly after that, we walked to the San Juan Grill Restaurant and placed our orders.
There was no room inside so we lounged patio style and waited for our food to be served. We ordered cheeseburger with fries for the kids, wife ordered salad with oriental dressing and I ordered the Meat Lover's Platter - 6 oz sliced Tri-Tip Steak, 3 Baby Back Ribs with beans, corn and a dinner roll. Overall food is not bad.
After that we took the kids to play at Splash Garden where they soaked themselves silly. Temperatures in the afternoon rose a bit so I soaked myself as well to cool off.
Several more rides for the kids which included the Garlic Twirl, Paddle Boats, Balloon Flight, Pit Stop Races and South County Backroads.
Had Funnel Cake at Skeel's and we called it a day...
Dummies: You go to a Children's park and rate it one star because it's geared towards children. This causes confusion when someone with children wants to know whether or not the park is good.
It's like going to an amazing ice cream shop and giving it only one star because you are lactose intolerant. You don't have to write a review for every single experience you have and every store you visit.
Gilroy Gardens is AWESOME for young kids.
We took our 2 1/2 year old daughter today and she LOVED it! I agree that this is the most toddler friendly amusement park that I have ever been to. She was able to ride on most rides and her favorites were the Rainbow Garden float boats and the 1920's cars. She also really enjoyed the big carousel. The weather was perfect today, not too hot or too cold. The food was actually not bad for being amusement food fare, but it was expensive which was to be expected. I would definitely consider the membership if I lived closer and it wasn't so hot in the summer in Gilroy.
Since we were already going to be in Gilroy for the Garlic Festival I figured hey why not check out the Gardens as well and I'm glad I did.
WORD OF ADVICE BUY TICKETS ONLINE THEY ARE WAY CHEAPER!
We got to the Gardens around 1:30 and since the Festival was going on there were no lines, score!! The park is geared toward kids 12(at the most) and younger. My son is 8 and there was plenty for him to do; he loved it!
The scariest ride is the banana 1,so make sure to check it out and sit at the end.
The park was extremely clean and well maintained. The gardens were great and the waterfalls were wonderful to look at. 5 stars for that.
Definitely a great place to take the family!
i haven't been here in a few years, but this place is awesome! The park is perfect for toddlers, children, and adults. Not a lot for teens, but it's still worth checking out. Many rides look like vegetables and fruits, which is pretty cool. Older couple will enjoy the different trees and gardens, while youngsters will likely take a spin in the "garlic twirl" or "artichoke dip". The food is good, and the atmosphere is quintessential
Arrive when they open and avoid standing in line for the rides. My toddler, grandpa and boyfriend spent 4 beautiful hours in the lush Gilroy Gardens. However, even as we left around 2pm Saturday on a holiday weekend, the lines were nothing like Great America.
The manicured gardens and trees were a feast for my desert eyes. It's pretty amazing when you study the landscaping and see all the work that must go into this place to maintain it.
Note to self: Just because the place is beautiful does not mean the garlic fries and fried artichokes at the food court are going to be tasty. Thankfully I had a pound of black cherries in my bag to nibble on which I picked up from a fruit stand on my way to Gilroy Gardens.
My kid's under 3 so he's free. Our tickets were tax deductable. So we were semi free.
Great place for the kid. He loves all the rides. We went on a weekday and it was sooooo dead. no lines for anything.
The workers look bored, but still ya know for a summer job it's easier then great america.
I spent all Memorial Day here and didn't leave until closing, so after my virgin experience of Gilroy Gardens, I have to say that it is a lovely and laidback fun time for little kids and their parents. The whole park was clean, well organized, uncrowded on a big summer-opening holiday, and on top of that, it was lovingly GREEN and manicured. And who could not love a horticultural theme? Who?!!!
Train, check. Monorail, check. Big waterfalls, check. Ferris wheel with panoramic views, check. Delightful rides that the 36" and taller can enjoy alone, check! Hello! Mushroom ride, check. There was plenty to do and see, and the waterplay areas were fun as heck, especially the bucket one where bucketloads of water splash down and drench you head to toe.
Gilroy Gardens rents strollers, but over a few hours the park is easily walkable, and there is usually a public restroom and eateries in every area.
I have to say that for the 2-5 set, Gilroy Gardens is great fun -- family fun. If you're looking for daredevil rides, thrill rides, adrenalin-junkie rides, then this place is not for you. This place is for young, young children who like to move and ride but in their comfort zone. Some of the reviews below are clearly unjustified and soulless because the reviewers have completely forgotten to review the park for its target ages and all the parents and grandparents around.
Plus points for one of the best-looking walkway entrances to a fun park.
I'm returning soon before the hot weather hits and would recommend this park to parents of toddlers.
Attention parents with small children: If you want to spend money on a theme park, this is the place for you! Not only will your kids have fun, it's also educational and has a variety of rides (thrill rides: banana, mushroom, quicksilver and snake coasters) to unique ones (duck paddle boats). The plants are well-groomed, very clean (i always see service staff picking up litter).
If you decide to be a season pass holder, it's 100% tax deductible and you get your money's worth on your 2nd visit. Season pass members have lots of perks, not only can they bring a guest for free for a day, but they have 25 bring a guest free days (season 2009). 20% on food and novelties in select stores. They also have special one-day rates EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE for $29.99 so check their site before you go!
If you're a thrill-seeker, make a u-turn to Six Flags.
Do you love garlic? I love garlic. I love the way all of Gilroy and the surrounding area smells like one big bulb of garlic. It's tastetastic!
Do you like spinning around in gigantic heads of garlic like a kid? Do you like a pirate ship ride shaped like a giant banana? what about a fun little mine coaster? then Gilroy Gardens is the place for you.
I think my brother, who is eight years my senior, has Asperger's, he developes a fixation on something for several years, obsesses to the point of insanity before it finally tapers off and the obsession with something else begins. One such obsession several years ago was roller coaster. We took a roadtrip where we visited 8 amusement parks in ten days (follow a drive from Seattle to California) Bonfante Gardens/Gilroy Gardens was on the agenda.
It's probably best suited for families with kids, but we enjoyed it too as adults. It seemed like the type of place my parents (who are in their late 50s and early 60s) would enjoy. Laidback, quiet, and beautiful. Gardens is the operative word in the name of the park, and gardens there are, all over the place.
The food we had in the park was decent, they offered some healthy options, and all the staffers seem to be friendly. If you're passing through and have a half-day or so to make a stop I definitely recommend it. If only to savor the sweet smell of garlic all day long!
I have mixed feelings about this place. I've been here three times total with families who have younger kids.
Though a place like this works for them, it doesnt work for me - I'm a RIDES person. The most fun I have here is on the flying/spinning mushroom, the swinging banana, and the spinning garlic - that's IT.
It is a very uniquely designed place, with sculptured topiary (transferred from Scotts Valey) and water features; I'll have to give Michael Bonfante credit - the founder of Nob Hill Foods sacrificed everything to make his dream a reality.
Unfortunately, when you have a theme park of that scale in the Bay Area, you also need revenue. An in order to get that revenue, and with something of that size, you also need to attract a wider, more diverse, audience. If you only attract a specific niche, you're limiting yourself to only a small percentage of the demographic, esp. when you take adults, teens, 20-somethings into account. Age 5-10 is a really specific niche, and the rides here truly reflect it.
In my humble opinion, if you cater to that specific of a niche, bring the price down. There are lots of families who live in the area - if I were them, I would give city residents a discount.
Also, if you specifically advertise the place as geared towards age 5-10, they'd be more apt to attract more of that specific demographic, and attract less of the people who are going to be disappointed who won't come back, which seems to be the case here.
I give this place kudos. I also think it's fun, but only in small doses. If you have the kids in the right age rance, they shouldn't have any issues with getting bored.
They are pricey for what you get - $43.00 per person (ages 7-64)! I'd rather spend the same amount of money ($45.00 general adminn) at Great America where the fun is a little bit more guaraantee'd!!
This park greatly exceeded my expectations (even after reading the great reviews on Yelp). I couldn't believe how green and lush the park was, which is a huge plus, the shade comes in handy when it heats up.
They have a great selection of rides, my 17 month old especially loved the train, the Big Red Engine ride, petting zoo and pony ride. We feel like we barely scratched the surface of the park, and will definitely be back for more. Love that they are open weekends through the fall - it's not crowded at all and cooler temps will make visits much more enjoyable.
We too purchased a season pass after only one visit - it is a great deal, especially with it being free admission for kids under 3. Two enthusiastic thumbs up.
!!!Just there for Memorial Day Weekend!!!
Okay Tenny Boppers and trying to be tough teenagers this place is not for you! And that's why I love it. Have you ever tried to go to take your family to a amusement park where you could go to without the loud hooligans, fights, rude, fussy people. Well this is it!
Sure this is not Six Flag thrill ride theme park, but the clean atmosphere makes up for it. The gardens are a piece of art. The option of foods not 5 star but you have options. And pricing was not too bad, for being a theme park. For $8.00 I got a basket of Chicken Strips and fries which was enough for me and my girlfriend. Our baby is 6 month old and sad to say we could only take her to about 2 rides. The train and sit down carousel ride. But honestly even then worth the price. We paid for 2 full price admissions and got free upgrades for Season Passes. So I Will Definitely Be Back!!!
Clean, clean, clean, and clean! i really appreciated the cleanliness of this theme park. Even the bathrooms were clean. This place is great for younger kids. We went on a Tuesday so it wasn't too crowded. (Smuggle in your own bottles of water) they charge an arm and a leg for drinks and foods! I paid $3.50 for a bottle 0f h20. I suggest eating well before you arrive, or just don't expect a fabulous meal from here. I agree the BANANA ride is the scariest, well based on the fact that my 7y/o damn near had a heart attack in the first 45 seconds of the ride, The ride attendant immediately stopped the banana to let my kid off. Other then that i felt it was worth $ 30.00 on-line tickets.
First off, we went on labor day weekend-bad idea. The park was understaffed, but nice and clean. It's great for little ones and people who like foliage. Though I think for the price, they could keep the gardens up a tad better.
The food is mediocre at best and everything is overpriced including the outrageous $10 charge to park your car. WTF???
One more thing: Those of you who feel it's OK to cut in line should think twice....some of us don't like it and WILL let you know about it.
I'm not sure if it is a cultural thing or what, but here in the U.S. line -cutting is not socially acceptable and is generally considered low class. I would not even mention it if we hadn't experienced this in EVERY line we were in today. I'm talking GROUPS of people....absolutely unacceptable!
Other than that, my two year old loved it!
use the $13 off coupon and enjoy. Well the place is neat and enjoyable for kids. But it was kindda pricey for regular price. So all the folks go to
http://sfbayfun.com/co...
and print your coupon for this and other attractions.
Cheers!!!!!!!!!
Now that the 2008 season is over, I can officially report that we made very good use of our annual passes (included in a single entry fee). I believe my wife and kids came to Gilroy Gardens 5 times during the season, and I joined them on 3 of those outings.
For kids under about 10, this place is amusement park heaven with dozens of fun rides. For parents, the plentiful shade, short lines, lack of rowdy teenagers and young adults, and overall cleanliness make for a FAR more relaxing visit than I've had at any other amusement park.
The food options are pretty bad, but since you're saving on the annual pass, you can always consider going for a half day and feeding the kids before you come.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/30/2008
I made my inaugural visit to Gilroy Gardens last weekend and left very impressed. It's a perfect… Read more »
This is a wonderful place for families. The park is quiet, clean and very family friendly. We purchase season passes every year and it is money well spent. I think the park is best suited for kids under 10.
My son loves the rides and I love the quiet setting. The park, unlike Great America, isn't a haven for teenagers or gangs. The food is varied and I can always find healthy options for my son. We love the Holiday lights and the Halloween Scavenger hunt.
I have heard that the City of Gilroy wants to turn it into a water park. That idea will ruin this place, but we will visit every year until that happens.
Came here today. Lots of fun rides, and you can't beat the price, especially on promo days!
We have been to Gilroy Gardens for many, many times since we purchased the membership last year, and my son always loves it. It's not too crowded even on weekends, and most rides are suitable for a 3 year-old. The gardens are also very beautiful and my wife and I feel so relaxed. We just love this place!
Originally named after the Bonfante family (who founded Nob Hill Foods), this place was bought by Paramount and then called "Gilroy Gardens".
This place is aimed for smaller kids (5-12). It's still cool, though. There's a bunch of small kiddie rides for toddlers and a couple of roller coasters. The park is really clean and neatly organized. The park is fairly small, and it's not cheap to get in, but the Lotsa passes are definitely worth it, assuming you live in the area.
The gardens are really nice and they represent local plants ranging from the Redwood Forests down to the Sycamore trees common in South County. They also have about 7 circus trees, that were forced to grow in unique shapes. The rides are oriented to local wildlife and culture as well. Their car ride is literally called "South County Back-roads" and the small rollercoaster is themed off of rattlesnakes, which are common in the area.
It's a cute park, but not really a thriller park. I think the only true-thrill-heart sinking rides in the park are the Banana Split and the Quicksilver Mines roller coaster and even those are incomparable to some of the rides at Great America.
Like any theme park, the food is overpriced, but the food quality isn't too bad. There's an auditorium and a puppet show for a San Martin grocery store.
This place is rich with local culture and local foliage. It's definitely a great place for most of the family.
The good people who rate this place low are people who are looking for a Magic Mountain thrill ride experience and this just won't be it. This place is for the less adventurous and people with smaller kids. It would be like going to Disney's Toon Town and being disappointed that you couldn't find the Matterhorn there.
Gilroy Gardens does a great job of entertaining the kids and their tired parents. There are a few medium intensity roller coasters that require riders to be at least 42 inches. Other than that, the park is mostly available to kids of all sizes. The exception is the mushroom swing and the banana swingy thing that you must be 48 inches to ride.
When our kids are older, we probably won't come here much but, for now, it's a favorite weekend destination and that's likely to stay that same for the next few years (for the record, our kids are presently age 4).
This park is perfect for kids age 1 to 8. Adults will also love it but kids 8 to 18 might be bored. Fortunately, it's cheap so it's easy to have a season pass even if you won't use it more than a few times per year when the kids are older.
We will definitely go back again! Took our 2 year old and we all had a blast. We got there early in the morning before it got too hot and before lines got too long. It's great for the age group they're targetting 2 years and up. A nice range of rides where a kid can go solo if they're up to it or get chaperoned by one of more parents! As mentioned earlier buy your tickets online unless you have a $29.99 coupon.
FUN FUN FUN place that's family friendly! Great theme park for those 12 and under. Lots of rides for toddlers including a water park and carousel. My family had a great time on Saturday and will def. be coming back again as we purchased season passes. There's an area to eat outside the park if you prefer to bring your own picnic lunch. The only downfall - no trees or grass to sit on, instead there are metal tables and chairs in an enclosed area. Parking is $10/day.
Went here today, and I was so impressed, that we bought the season pass for all of our family members. This is definitely for the 1.5 to 6 0r 7year old range for sure. There are plenty of ride for the whole family to enjoy, and the environment you play in is incredible. My kids loved every aspect of this park, which means I loved it as well. They do search your bags for "outside food", so eat before you come, or pay the price... As with most entertainment venues, you pay three times the cost of food, and the quality is just so, so....
i had the BEST time here today!
i'm TERRIFIED of heights and most rides so places like great america are pretty much out of the question for me..
soo my bf suggested we go here. and i LOVED IT. the entire amusement park is totally clean and theres so many beautiful views. all the rides were really fun, peaceful and thoughtful. i cant even chose a favorite.
gilroy gardens is a non-profit amusement park so the prices arent too bad. big discount if you buy your tickets on their website.
try to make it during the week, no lines! but also try to make it out early bc they close at 5pm!
This is a fantastic place to bring the little ones. We had two six year olds and two three year olds. There is so much for them to do! We got there around noon, and ate a picnic lunch of Popeye's at the picnic tables next to the entrance... to avoid the exorbitant food prices. You are not supposed to bring food in, but you can eat outside the park in the picnic area.
We spent the rest of the day tooling around the park, riding rides, winning stuffed animals, enjoying the gardens and playing on the ginormous play structure. The favorite rides were the roller coaster (for the six year olds), the train, and the ferris wheel. We got kicked out at 6pm and still wanted more.
Although Gilroy is known for being HOT, and it was in the mid-80's on Sunday, there is so much shade from the beautiful gardens that we barely noticed the heat.
Yes, tickets, parking, food and drinks are expensive. But if your kids are young, you'll get much more bang for your buck than you will at Great America.
My only small complaint is the attitude of many of the workers. They were not quite surly, but definitely didn't seem to be happy to be there.
I spent over six wonderful hours here with my sister who was visiting from Orangevale. I treated her for her birthday and got the $29.00 tickets online. Parking was $10.00 (which I thought was a ripoff). It was a really nice day on Saturday with a breeze most of the day that helped keep you cool as it was getting pretty warm. We really enjoyed the bird show and all of the gardens. The food was decent but I'm still mad at myself for buying shave ice for nearly $6.50. The gal put WAY too much syrup in it and I told her I'd have convulsions if I even had a sip of it so she gladly made me another with just ice and a tiny splash of bubble gum syrup. I really just wanted the ice since my water bottle was getting warm. Otherwise, we had a lovely time strolling through the pretty landscapes and enjoying the greenery and gorgeous flowers. We even went on the swings for a great thrill. My older sister even went "WHEEEEE" as we went high into the air and circled around like little kids. It wasn't crowded and the lines for the rides were very tolerable as far as wait time goes. Plan on staying for a good while to take it all in. We didn't get to see everything but were very happy with our "Sister Day" at this nice place.
I downgraded them to one star. We wrote a letter of complaint for the $15 charge for wheelchair rental and some other issues. It has been over SIX WEEKS and we never got a response from them. They make a BIG point in their brochure to please contact them if you have any complaints or suggestions..........Yeah contact them and they'll be sure to NOT respond!
Update 10/09 I never heard from them despite the fact I wrote a clear, concise letter. I would have appreciated any response!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/11/2008
I have very mixed reviews about this place.
2 Stars- overpriced. Regular admission price of $43… Read more »
I like the way it feels. I know that sounds weird, but the whole place feels like a family park. Yeah, it's not as polished as a lot of parks out there *coughDisneylandCough* but it also doesn't feel as corporate or tightly tied as some other parks *CoughGreatAmericaCough* and I like that.
There's some good food around the park, and a fairly large picnic area. The rides range from great for Kids (Evelyn loves the strawberry ride) and there are theroller coasters. There's a rustic charm to it that I enjoy.
My fave: the Circus Trees. I've actually gone and not ridden any rides and just geeked out over the threes!
Not sure if you and your kid are ready for the ultimate childhood fantasy that is Disneyland?
Well then spend an entire day at Gilroy Gardens, treat it as a test drive, and see how you and the kid(s) fare. It will be tougher than the trials and tribulations to become a Jedi (or a Sith for that matter) as all the forces of nature, fate, relativity, and circumstance either work in your favor, or likely unfavorably against you to the point where you have to deal with it the best you can.
For starters and for most folks, it's quite out of the way. From the upper Peninsula alone expect to spend at least an hour on the road.
However the grounds are spacious and interesting to say the least for this horticulture themed not for profit amusement park.
The prices may seem a tad bit high, as single day passes are $30 a pop (online price), but the season pass is a much better deal for less than $20 more. Note that the season in 2008 runs from now till November, and once summer is over, they are open weekends only (check the website event calendar for operating days and hours). Add another $20 or so on top of all that for the premium membership and get free parking and discounts on food/shops. Unfortunately the gift store near the photo processing center DOES NOT take the premium membership discounts, so that overpriced Made In China thingamajig that makes your kid's eyes glow like the stars and putting on that cute kitten face like Shrek 2 and 3, will still cost $9.99 + tax. Still the premium membership is a good value.
For kids just over 2 years of age, there are at least 9 rides they can go on, although if they are not brave enough you may want to go with them (and thus limiting your choices). However for the rides that require height of kids over 3 feet, you can still bring your 3 feet and under kid along (provided the ride can seat adults), but you just have to make sure they are properly strapped on and sit down.
Here's a quick summary of some of the fun (allowable by Yelp word limits)
Balloon Flight - humongous wait and line length (from Memorial Day Monday). It was like what they say about Viagra. 1 hour wait for a 3 minute thrill. Like a merry go around, but the ballons go counterclockwise elevated in the air at an angle, but won't make you terribly dizzy. There's only one employee to close and lock the doors to the ride and unlock upon disembark (as for most rides). If you are unlucky to get a disgruntled low paying or drug induced mellowed out employee, they will take their time and you will have to wait that much longer to get on board. Add that to a cranky impatient kid who may not know the concept of patience, orderly waiting in line, and you have a winning formula beating the Jedi trials.
Duck Paddle Boats - foot paddle boats in a husk or shell/body shaped like a giant duck (with head and all) on a nice pond. You need to wear lifejackets. No idea how they get the patrons to paddle back, but I assume there's an honor system & time limit.
Panoramic Wheel - not as bad of a wait, but this is your ferris wheel in purple dixie cup princess cutesy thing. A bit of a yawner but fairly relaxing as you sit down and enjoy the view and breeze.
Apple & Worm - sometimes mistaken to be the caterpillar ride. It's an easy ride for the little ones (2 and older ideally), a worm/caterpillar shaped train that goes around and up and down at the same time, with the center of the ride being an apple core. Fits one adult barely comfortably and a small child.
Big Red Fire Engine/Pit Stop Racer - similar to Apple & Worm but just goes around in a circle. Kids can choose either riding little fire engines, or old school drag racers. Sit independently. Kids measuring 3 feet will be fine if they can sit alone.
Garlic Twirl - Imagine dixiecup ride that not only goes in circles (kind of) but rotates, and the outer shell is a garlic bulb. A double nightmare for those with motion sickness. Not recommended for smaller kids as the ride is too fast for them.
Coyote & Redwood Railroad - A steam engine? train ride that goes around the circumference of the Gilroy Gardens with two stops on opposite ends. Best way to get the big picture of the place. There is a 50 ish foot tunnel but it is the adults who make the most noise going through it...
South Country Backroads - the classic rides, like you are doing derby racing. Choose between 50s Chevys or equivalent type coupes. The ride path is a rail so you can do crazy steering and not veer off path. Most kids end up sitting next to the fathers who end up hogging the wheel to relive their "wish they had such a pimp ride" phase but without the Warren G and Dr Dre blasting on their boomtubes.
Other final notes: expensive mediocre food. $3.50+ for a soft serve small cone! $3.50 ish for vending machine coke!
But other than that, the happy smiles the kids get are priceless.
We just took the family again this weekend and had a great time again with friends. I have to reiterate this a great place for kids 2-10. They do a very good job. It reminds me of Disneyland with the cleanliness, the variety of rides and the smooth operation of the place. Our kids typically last only a few hours at an amusement park, but stayed for 6 hours from open to close. I think it is the best children's amusement park in the Bay Area.
I am updating my comment on the food. Food is still mediocre, but the San Juan Grill is considerably faster than the pizza place near the carnival games.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/18/2008
This park is one of the best places for young children in the Bay Area. The park is meticulously… Read more »
If you're not a 6 year old or a senior citizen this place is not for you. If you are, this place just might be the best alternative to Disneyland when your budget and time is limited. Being a poor 23 year old grad student doesn't exactly put me in that category but, a bunch of us went anyways.
Ok so you may be wondering what a group of 23 year olds was doing gallivanting around Gilroy Gardens when this place is clearly not for anyone in our age group. Before you start to judge, what did it was EXTREMELY discounted tickets plus FREE dinner in the picnic groove on a day I had absolutely nothing else to do. Let me just say... I was really wishing I had grabbed my little cousin as soon as we walked in.
Anyways, back to describing the wonderfulness this place has to offer to those NOT between childhood and parenthood. There's a decent variety of rides the kiddos will love, a mini water park area, a carnival games area, and a roller coaster you MIGHT be able to get an older kid to enjoy. If you've got grandma and grandpa tagging along, there's a bunch of gardens and cool circus trees they'd appreciate and plenty of benches to rest on.
The park is pretty clean and well kept with nice landscaping, creating a pleasant environment for the family. Yeah, the food and souvenir shops are overpriced but suck it up, you're in a theme park!
So again, if you've got kids and you don't mind dishing out the bucks for a fun filled day, knock yourself out. If not, then may I suggest the Gilroy Outlets?
