GUIDE TO DARIEN LAKE THEME PARK

Launch your gang into the rush and adventure of an amusement park and a water park combined. Darien Lake's vast range of reasonably priced rides and attractions makes it the place to bring your littles ones to keep the shrieks and squeals going.

FAMILY FUN AND ADVENTURE

You'll find Darien Lake Theme Park in upstate New York, just 45 minutes from Niagara Falls. The whole clan will grin their way through the adventures here—little ones included. The dress and behavior codes of this family-friendly park guarantee a comfortable experience for everyone. Tiny tots, tickled pink, giggle on the kiddie rides, while older kids of all ages get the real deal: thrill rides that combine speed, drop, thrust, curves and rushing adrenaline.

KIDDIE RIDES TEMPT AND DELIGHT

One yard high is the magic number here—some rides only allow kids who are 36 inches and taller to board, while others let “taller” kids join in the fun if they are accompanied by older kids or adults. But that's no problem, since many of the kiddie rides are entertaining for the whole family, like the Beaver Dam Explorer, a mid-air "deep-sea dive" in a submarine that rises 17 feet for a great view of Beaver Brothers Bay.

HERE COMES ADVENTURE

It's the highest drop on any ride in New York State, and "speed" hardly covers the rush you'll get barreling along at 75 mph on the Ride of Steel. Three hills and 207-foot drops make this the ride one that your family will remember for a lifetime. But that's just the beginning—thrill rides are abound at Darien Lake. Get thrown for a loop on the Mind Eraser, an inverted, suspended looping coaster or Blast Off some 185 feet up in the air on a ride that simulates a real NASA launch.

WET AND WONDERFUL

For sizzling fun on hot afternoons, head for SplashTown Water Park, a slide-ride section of the amusement park that lets your family splash in, and zip through, sparkling pools of cool agua. Check out the Big Kahuna, a 700-foot-long twisting tube ride; the Crocodile Island 600,000-gallon wave pool; or the Grizzly Run rapids. Or, pick your poison in the Swirl City Slide Complex, an enormous, four-sided slide featuring four completely different rides that take your breath away.

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