8 Amusement Parks In The South That Are Worth Visiting (And 3 To Skip), According To Reviews

When it comes to amusement parks, not all rides are created equal, and neither are the parks themselves. While some deliver nonstop thrills, gorgeously themed settings, and food that's actually worth writing home about, others leave visitors frustrated with long lines and closed attractions. Based on reviews from across the internet, this guide highlights some of the South's top amusement parks, excluding the obvious bucket-list destinations of Disney and Universal. From Dolly Parton's Tennessee theme park to family-run favorites in Florida, here are eight Southern amusement parks that travelers consistently say are worth your time, plus three that ultimately fall flat.

Tucked away in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains, Dollywood is an amusement park that stands alone above the rest. While it was famously co-created by singer-songwriter and East Tennessee native Dolly Parton, there's much more to the park than country music. Visitors rave about the park's perfect balance of thrill rides, family attractions, and live entertainment. Roller coasters like the iconic Lightning Rod deliver high-octane thrills while string bands and craft demonstrations bring the sights and sounds of Appalachia to visitors. 

Perhaps the park's most standout quality is its food — not because its rides or atmosphere are lacking, but because most amusement park-goers have come to accept theme park food as an afterthought. That's not the case with Dollywood, though, whose Aunt Granny's Restaurant was named one of the top 10 theme park eateries by USA Today. And that's not mentioning the park's world-famous cinnamon bread, which Redditors recommend buying in multiples to satisfy late-night cravings.

With its scenic mountain setting and rustic charm, Dollywood offers a unique experience that feels less like a corporate theme park chain and more like a love letter to Appalachian culture. And it's that Southern hospitality that makes it not just one of the best Southern amusement parks, but one of the best U.S. amusement parks in general, if Tripadvisor's rankings are anything to go by. Based on traveler reviews, the park sits at the very top of the list as the all-around fan-favorite out of all U.S. amusement and water parks. If you go, aim to travel in spring to visit with the fewest crowds.

Every year, Six Flags welcomes tens of millions of guests to its parks — and it all started in Arlington, Texas with Six Flags Over Texas. Now, more than 60 years since the park first opened its doors, Six Flags Over Texas still delivers on thrills, family fun, and an atmosphere that nods to Texas heritage. While most Six Flags locations aren't known for their theming, that's where Six Flags Over Texas stands apart with its Wild West saloon facades and gunslinging stunt shows. As one Redditor says: "This is the most charming Six Flags park that I've been to, and it isn't particularly close." Other reviewers note smooth operations, indicating a well-run park and cutting down on time in lines so guests can spend more of their day exploring. To free up more of your time at Six Flags Over Texas or any of the other theme parks on this list, follow these tips to avoid huge lines.

Like any Six Flags park, though, the real draw here is the rides. Take the New Texas Giant, consistently lauded by coaster enthusiasts as one of the park's very best. Originally a beloved wooden coaster built in 1990, it reopened in 2011 with a brand-new steel track that earned it the title of Best New Ride at the Golden Ticket Awards. Today, its smooth ride and breakneck speed still thrill and delight visitors. And the rest of the park boasts a diverse lineup too, with everything from kiddie coasters like Wile E. Coyote's Grand Canyon Blaster to more record-breaking rides.

Located in Virginia about 150 miles from Washington, D.C., Busch Gardens Williamsburg has consistently been celebrated for its gorgeous landscaping and theming. The park has held a near-absolute monopoly on the Best Landscaping at the Golden Ticket Awards since 1998. Despite temporarily losing the title to Dollywood in 2024, the park has since come back better than ever to take home the gold once more in the 2025 awards. Titles and Golden Tickets aside, visitors frequently mention the park's beauty as an integral part of the experience. Each section of the park is themed after a different European country (plus Canada, aka New France, for reasons that have stumped park-goers for decades), complete with lush gardens and themed villages. Even the park's winding paths, which past visitors and travel bloggers note can make it easy to lose your way, lend to a sense of exploring foreign lands suspended in time, whether you're in Renaissance-era Italy or celebrating Oktoberfest in Germany. 

Busch Gardens Williamsburg still delivers plenty of thrills, too. Pantheon opened in 2022 after months of anticipation and quickly rose to become a favorite among coaster enthusiasts for its two inversions and four launches. Griffon, another popular ride among thrillseekers, is known for its 205-foot drop that leaves riders dangling in mid-air at the top before diving 90 degrees down. Despite all the high-energy thrills, Busch Gardens has plenty for families as well, from kid-friendly entertainment to a Sesame Street-themed park section. Plus, park membership includes entry to seasonal events like Howl-O-Scream, Christmas Town, and more.

Carowinds straddles the border between North and South Carolina, making it a locally-beloved park for families from across the Carolinas. For fans of roller coasters, though, it's a real treat full of record-breaking rides. Fury 325 is arguably the park's most famous ride, known for its towering height at 325 feet, making it the third-tallest roller coaster in the world. Compared to other giga coasters, a class of roller coaster that stands between 300 and 399 feet, it is the longest, fastest, and tallest in North America. Plus, it can reach speeds of up to 95 mph. Talk about a real thrill ride!

Families also find lots to love at Carowinds. With Camp Snoopy for the younger crowd, water rides for hot Southern days, and seasonal events like Scarowinds, there's more to the park than record-breaking attractions. Subtle touches like the names of rides such as Kiddy Hawk, Carolina Cyclone, and Copperhead Strike all offer nods to elements of Carolina history and culture, be it unpredictable weather, the birthplace of aviation, or infamous wildlife. Add up all the thrills, festivities, and a little bit of local love, and it's no wonder why Carowinds is so popular among Carolina-dwellers and travelers alike, drawing more than 2 million visitors annually.

While taller coasters and bolder thrills are usually the name of the game when it comes to amusement parks, Fun Spot America proves that bigger isn't always better. According to Tripadvisor rankings based on user reviews, Fun Spot America is the sixth-best amusement park in the U.S., outranking heavy-hitting industry staples like Universal Studios Orlando and Disneyland Park. Their secret to success? Affordability, an old-school carnival atmosphere, and a family-owned legacy.

With two locations in Orlando and Kissimmee, what really sets Fun Spot America apart from its competitors is its pay-as-you-go pricing. While you can buy daily or seasonal passes to get access to all of the park's rides, you can also opt to pay for rides individually. That means entry is free for park-goers who don't intend to ride anything — a real boon for parents who get designated as the family bag-holder.

As the pricing structure might suggest, Fun Spot America began as more of a family entertainment center with a focus on go-karts, arcade games, and carnival-inspired family attractions. But the parks' offerings have since expanded into high-thrills rides, from an inverted wooden roller coaster to multi-level go-karts and a suspended steel coaster. It's that range of old-fashioned family fun and daring rides that sets Fun Spot America apart from the rest. As one Redditor puts it: "Is there any other place in America where you can hit the batting cages, float around in some bumper boats, and then ride a world-class RMC coaster with probably no wait?"

About 800 miles south of its twin park in Williamsburg, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay offers a strikingly different but equally compelling experience. Where Busch Gardens Williamsburg leans into European villages, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay takes its inspiration from the nature and wildlife of Africa. Splash down whitewater rapids on the Congo River Rapids water ride, take in views of the Nairobi section of the park atop Cheetah Hunt, or take a train ride through the Serengeti Plain to get up close with herds of free-roaming African animals.

You read that right — Busch Gardens Tampa is part theme park and part zoo, home to exotic jungle- and savannah-dwellers such as tigers, giraffes, and elephants. According to the Dutch Dutch Goose travel blog, the park is still well worth visiting for its zoo areas and other attractions for parents whose young kids might not be ready for intense roller coasters.

That's not to discount the thrill rides, either. Iron Gwazi is the park's crowning jewel, the world's fastest and steepest hybrid coaster with a 206-foot drop and top speeds of 76 mph. Upon its debut in 2022, the ride took home the title of Best New Roller Coaster at the Golden Ticket Awards and is still ranked as one of the top coasters in 2025. If that's not enough reason to go, Busch Gardens Tampa has continued to invest in new rides and park areas, maintaining its position as a major competitive player in Florida's ever-evolving theme park scene.

About 20 miles north of Richmond, Virginia, Kings Dominion is a thrill seeker's paradise. You'll probably see its flagship ride, Pantherian (formerly known as Intimidator 305), as soon as you enter the park, a golden steel monster that towers over its surroundings. Pantherian reaches a staggering peak of 305 feet before taking an 85-degree dive straight down at blistering speeds of 94 mph, making it a favorite among adrenaline junkies and one of the most intense rides not just in the South, but the entire country. Twisted Timbers is another notable thrill ride in the Kings Dominion lineup, known for its 109-foot barrel roll drop and its hybrid wood and steel track.

Not everything about Kings Dominion is quite so intense, though. While it boasts the largest collection of roller coasters on the East Coast, it also has more than 60 rides to choose from, ranging from gentle kid-friendly attractions at Planet Snoopy to water slides at Soak City. One Reddit reviewer who spent a full day at the park notes that, with so many rides and an entire water park, they'd need an additional day to experience the full breadth of the park's attractions. For fans of coasters, a trip to Kings Dominion is a non-negotiable. And for everyone else, its sheer variety ensures there'll be something to satisfy everyone in the family.

Nearly 300 miles away from Six Flags Over Texas in San Antonio, Six Flags' second Texas-based park gives its counterpart some serious competition in a state that already has more amusement parks than California or Florida. Six Flags Fiesta Texas has been praised by reviewers as one of the chain's better-run parks, with visitors on Reddit consistently pointing out the park's theming and atmosphere. The park has the unique benefit of being built in an old quarry that has since been transformed into a scenic water feature that many of the rides are built around. There's also a fair amount of nods to Texan history to be found, such as the celebration of Hispanic culture in the Los Festivales section of the park and a charming acknowledgment German Texan heritage in Spassburg, blending local flavor with classic theme park fun.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas also boasts enough daring rides to make it a bona fide destination park, too. Poltergeist is famous for its zero to 60 mph launch, while Iron Rattler twists and turns over a 171-foot drop. The list goes on with Dr. Diabolical's Cliffhanger, Superman: Krypton Coaster, and Goliath, but long story short: there are plenty of thrills to be had at Six Flags Fiesta Texas. That level of thrill rides is enough to give the park national acclaim, but its regional Texan roots still manage to shine through and make Six Flags Fiesta Texas something truly special.

Not every Southern amusement theme park is going to get a glowing review, not even the Six Flags parks. While Six Flags Over Georgia has some top-tier thrill rides like Twisted Cyclone and Batman: The Ride, recent visitors remark upon the park's lackluster operations and disappointing upkeep that leave park-goers frustrated.

In one Reddit thread discussing poorly ran theme parks, Six Flags Over Georgia came up multiple times, with one user saying, "Six Flags Over Georgia is my home park and I've been more and more irritated at the ops (not to mention the crowd issues) the last few years. I haven't even been this year and I'm a pass holder." Others cite safety concerns, cleanliness, and staff shortages, leading to long waits, broken-down rides, and a sense that the park isn't quite what it used to be. Tripadvisor reviews echo that same sentiment, with one visitor describing the park as "nasty" and a disappointment compared to its glory days.

While coaster enthusiasts and thrill seekers might still find a trip to Six Flags Over Georgia worthwhile, the overall atmosphere seems to have suffered. For now, reviewers suggest skipping this one in favor of some of the South's (or Six Flags') better-run amusement parks.

Smack-dab in the heart of Louisville, Kentucky Kingdom is a promising park that has unfortunately been plagued with staffing and operational challenges. One Redditor noted that during their visit, "95% of the rides were closed due to staffing issues," which is a common theme echoed across forums. Likewise, the park's placement next to a convention center lends it a strange layout with a road running through it, which also disrupts the experience for many. It can be tough to feel immersed when rides are right next to a busy thoroughfare.

That said, there may be hope for Kentucky Kingdom yet. In 2021, the park was acquired by Herschend Family Entertainment, the company behind Dollywood and various other attractions. Visitors have since speculated that part of the park's issues can be attributed to an awkward transition phase, and changes to the park are already underway. In 2025, Kentucky Kingdom opened its newest land, Discovery Meadow, to largely positive reception. However, Kentuckians on Reddit still suggest visiting Holiday World in "America's Christmas Hometown" of Santa Claus, Indiana over Kentucky Kingdom. Kentucky Kingdom might be one to keep an eye on in the coming years, but for the time being, you'd be safe to skip this one.

Wild Adventures, outside of the city of Valdosta, Georgia, bills itself as an amusement park, water park, and zoo, all rolled into one. But unlike similar concepts such as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Wild Adventures is less than the sum of its parts. While its gentler rides and animal exhibits are typically enough to entertain kids, seasoned park-goers tend to leave underwhelmed. One reviewer on Reddit said of the park: "My visit to Wild Adventures lasted [two] hours and was 30 minutes too long." Another backs up the opinion that the park may not be worth a day trip, saying, "Wild Adventures is not a full day park. It's a collection of mediocre coasters."

That's not to say Wild Adventures is all bad; plenty of Tripadvisor reviews acknowledge that the park might just be better-suited for families than coaster enthusiasts. But, with the closure of the park's signature coaster, Cheetah, in 2021, there seem to be fewer and fewer reasons to visit. Though eagerly anticipated changes are in the works, Wild Adventures doesn't currently deliver the same value of other Southern amusement parks. With world-class parks about three hours south in Orlando, it's hard to recommend stopping here unless you're a local or a family with young children.

This list was built based on reviews gathered from Reddit, Tripadvisor, Google, and various travel blogs or roller coaster forums. While personal preference plays a large role in any amusement park visit (whether you prefer thrill rides or family-friendly attractions), the goal here was to highlight parks that consistently deliver on what they promise. As such, parks that consistently appeared on "best of" rankings were highlighted, while ones that generated recurring complaints about operations or value landed on the "skip" list. It's worth noting that, due to their well-established reputations, Disney and Universal parks were intentionally left off this list. Instead, we sought to recognize some lesser-known parks in the South that might surprise (or disappoint) guests.