Lake Compounce, CT

- family theme park

Lake Compounce-- in Bristol, CT, 18 miles from Hartford-- is America's oldest amusement park, in operation since 1846; but that doesn't mean that it's behind the times: on its 325 acres Lake Compounce has thrill rides, coasters, waterpark, flume ride, drop towers...

Lake Compounce bills itself as ""New England's Family Theme Park", and has several family-friendly features -- such as free sodas.

Read more about Lake Compounce at About.com's Theme Park site. A number of attractions take advantage of the lake and mountain setting of the theme park. Families can enjoy some beach time, too.

Highlights at Lake Compounce include:

• Thunder'n'Lighting 60 mph ride
• DownTime, a 185-foot drop tower
• Boulder Dash, a roller coaster built on a mountainside, has been voted the world's best wooden roller coaster by the National Amusement
• Zoomerang steel roller coaster
• Sky Ride gondola scenic trip to the top of Compounce Mountain
• Anchor Bay lazy river
• Mammoth Falls flume ride
• Splash Harbor water park
• Clipper Cove Splash'n'Play adventure zone, with squirters, water cannons, etc.
• old-fashioned amusements such as an antique carousel, giant ferris wheel, the Wildcat wooden roller coaster
• family rides for little kids and parents
• several stage shows daily
• free sodas throughout the park*

Lake Compounce is open during summer, and also for Haunted Graveyard, billed as New England's "largest and scariest Halloween event", starting as early as late September. Check the Lake Compounce site for info.

*Always check destination web sites for updates!