Suggest a theme park in the Midwest that meets my criteria

[Alex F]

My wife and I are both on a six-week summer holiday because we're both schoolteachers. We are going to take a three-week holiday to the U.S. from the U.K. and we would like to go to some theme parks with our 9 year old girls. We do not want to take them somewhere they can't enjoy, and my wife is not very fond of 'extreme' rollercoasters. We are getting a flight from London to Chicago this Saturday and we return after three-weeks. We're staying in Chicago for three days and then plan on renting a car and taking a road trip around the Midwest and some border states. We're going from Chicago to St. Louis — Kansas City — Topeka — Wichita — Oklahoma City — Amarillo — Denver — Cheyenne — Omaha — Des Moines — Minneapolis — Milwaukee and back to Chicago. It's a long road trip, we know, but it's something we've always wanted to do: drive through the heartland of America. Three weeks is ample time.

 

We have arranged things to so in St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Denver, Minneapolis, and Milwaukee. We're going to a ball game, some museums, shopping, sightseeing, and camping. However, we haven't got anything arranged for when we go to Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, Amarillo, Cheyenne, Omaha, and Des Moines. We're hoping to go to some theme parks with the kids and just go around the cities.

 

Are there any theme parks you can suggest near Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, Amarillo, Cheyenne, Omaha, and Des Moines? We are staying in motels when on the road, so we're willing to take a detour of up to an hour. We're looking to go to parks that are small to medium size, family feel, less intense coasters, nice design, and somewhere kids would like. We visited my wife's parents in Santa Cruz last year and we went to Gilroy Gardens and Disneyland. Our kids loved both and Gilroy Gardens was a beautiful park.

 

If you could suggest any, I'd be very pleased!

 

- Alex

 

P.S. – Sorry if this is the wrong place to post the thread (my first post)

[cfc]

Being as you'll be in Des Moines, Adventureland is a clear choice--a nicely run park with a good mix of rides, a water park, and a very friendly staff. You might want to consider Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, too--I think it's a bit of a haul from St. Louis, but it is one of the best theme parks in the country (again, an great mix of attractions). Worlds of Fun in Kansas City is OK, if a but "generic."

[DirkFunk]

Kansas City: Worlds of Fun, owned by Cedar Fair, has some pretty significant stuff

 

Oklahoma City: Frontier City, second tier former Six Flags park with....not much.

 

Denver: Lakeside, which is a really cool and fairly unique traditional amusement park that pretty much should only be visited at night. There's also Elitch Gardens, which has no real gardens, is a second tier former Six Flags park and doesn't have any really quality rides.

 

Amarillo: Wonderland Park, which is small and perhaps charming but honestly who knows? It is Amarillo. There's a few people who made the trek. Not sure I'd tear myself away from something more interesting for it. Does have a bizarre OD Hopkins looper.

 

Des Moines: Adventureland, which also has a bizarre OD Hopkins looper, CCI's lone dark ride, and some other bizarre stuff.

 

Those are the significant ones. You're also heading into the Midwest during fair time. Most of the significant fairs in the US may be along your routing: Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa might be during the time frame that you're stateside. The midways aren't gonna be as spectacular as most large European fairs, but fairs in the US typically have strong agricultural roots and often have more "cultural" or local flair to them. There's also the occasional permanent attraction at these things which can be pretty rare. Kansas, Iowa, and Minnesota State Fairgrounds all have permanent Old Mill rides that only operate during the fair, for instance.

[shivtim]

Also Nickelodeon Universe in Mall of America (Minneapolis) is a small family-friendly park.

[cfc]

You might want to look at TPR's Park Index, too--just to get a idea of what the various parks have to offer.

[larrygator]

Kansas, Iowa, and Minnesota State Fairgrounds all have permanent Old Mill rides that only operate during the fair, for instance.

 

I did not know this.

[cfc]

^Me neither. That's great that they've kept those rides.