Bay Beach Amusement Park
Overview
Expert Summary
Detailed Insights
Bay Beach Amusement Park offers exceptional value as an old-fashioned, budget-friendly amusement park where entry and parking are free, and individual ride tickets are only 25 cents. It uniquely allows families to bring their own food, picnics, and even grills, making it an incredibly affordable day out compared to typical amusement venues.
Key Highlights
- ✓Tickets are incredibly cheap at 25 cents each, with most rides costing 4-6 tickets (e.g., rollercoaster is 6 tickets).
- ✓Entry and parking are completely free, significantly reducing overall visit cost.
- ✓Families can bring their own food, picnics, and even grills (hot coal bins available), offering huge savings on dining.
- ✓Rides are clean and the park has a kid-friendly atmosphere, suitable for various age groups.
- ✓Wait times for rides are generally not too long, even in the afternoon, lines move quickly.
- ✓Offers an old-fashioned amusement park experience reminiscent of carnivals without the high prices.
Standout Features
- ⭐Extremely low ride costs (25 cents per ticket).
- ⭐Free entry and free parking.
- ⭐Permits outside food, picnics, and personal grills with available hot coal bins.
- ⭐Ample picnic tables throughout the park.
- ⭐Has multiple restrooms and 'parks on both sides' of the theme park.
- ⭐Offers a variety of rides for all family members.
- ⭐Large indoor grill cafeteria in addition to typical fair food kiosks and a reasonably priced snack concession stand.
- ⭐The historic Zippin' Pippin' wooden rollercoaster, famously favored by Elvis Presley.
Perfect For
Ideal For
💡Pro Tips from Reviews
- →Arrive early to secure parking, as it fills up fast.
- →Bring your own picnic, snacks, or even a portable grill to save money on food, utilizing the picnic tables and hot coal bins.
- →Budget for at least 3 hours, but be prepared for a full day or even two days of entertainment if you want to experience everything.
- →For families on a tight budget, this park offers unparalleled value.
- →Be aware that older rides may have size restrictions; check specific ride requirements if this is a concern.
Things to Consider
- ⚠Parking fills up fast, especially if not arriving early.
- ⚠While most rides are accessible with a few steps, older rides may not comfortably fit all body types.
- ⚠Lines can be longer in the afternoon, although they are reported to move quickly.
Price & Value
Outstanding. Tickets are 25 cents each, with the most expensive ride (rollercoaster) costing only 6 tickets ($1.50). Free entry and free parking. A family can spend around $40-$50 for extensive riding time (e.g., $50 for 12 people). Concession stand prices are also reasonable (e.g., hot dog, large soda, large popcorn, pretzel with cheese for $18.25). This provides significantly more value than typical amusement parks or even a fast-food meal.
♿Accessibility & Special Needs
- •Almost all rides are accessible if one can walk a few steps to get onto them.
- •Designated disabled parking is available at the front near the large white building.
- •It's noted that older rides might not fit all body types comfortably.
🍎Food & Drink Policy
- •Outside food is explicitly allowed, including picnics and personal grills (hot coal bins are provided).
- •There are numerous dining option kiosks with typical fair food.
- •A large indoor grill cafeteria is available.
- •A small, reasonably priced snack concession stand offers hot dogs, cheese pizza, various soft drinks, pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, and ice cream novelties.
🚗Parking Info
- •Free parking is available.
- •Parking fills up fast, so early arrival is recommended.
- •Disabled parking is located at the front where the big white building is.
👥Crowd Levels
- •Wait times for rides are generally not too long.
- •Lines can be longer in the afternoon but are reported to move quickly.
- •Parking fills up fast, suggesting higher crowd levels during peak times.
🛡️Safety Features
- •Rides are reported to be clean, implying regular maintenance and care.
- •No explicit details about specific safety protocols like staff monitoring all areas, wristbands for entry/exit tracking, or first aid stations were mentioned in the reviews.
⏰When to Avoid
- • Arriving late in the afternoon if you want to ensure prime parking spots or minimize initial wait times, although lines move quickly.
- • If your family members have specific body types that might not comfortably fit older ride designs (though most rides are accessible with a few steps).
What People Say
What's Great
- Fun and entertaining activities (mentioned in 3 reviews)
- Spacious play areas (mentioned in 5 reviews)
Areas for Improvement
- Pricing can be high (mentioned in 5 reviews)
- Parking can be challenging (mentioned in 6 reviews)
Recent Reviews
Michael Waite
3 months agoIt is a great place for families with younger children as well as a great place to take youth during the summer on recreational field trips. The tickets aren't expensive for the rides and the wait times aren't too long. There are a lot of dining option kiosks with your typical fair food options, but there's also a large indoor grill cafeteriaThe big wooden rollercoaster, The Zippin' Pippin', was a favorite of Elvis Presley.
Psalms 27
9 months agoAbsolutely amazing amusement park! The tickets are 25 cents each and the most expensive ride is like 4 or 6 tickets! The rides are clean! And everything is so kid friendly! There’s rides for the whole family! We spent almost 3 hours there and just totally enjoyed it. My kids were exhausted but very happy. Would definitely recommend!
Sandi Landowski
10 months agoThis is a wonderful old-fashioned amusement park. Entry and parking are free, but get here early because parking fills up fast! Tickets are 25 cents per ticket, and no ride is more than 4 tickets. This place is especially fitting for smaller children, but I think it would be fun for teens and older people alike. Bring your own picnic to enjoy at the many picnic tables. You can also bring grills because they have hot coal bins available. There is a small and very reasonably priced snack concession stand offering hot dogs, cheese pizza, various sized soft drinks, pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, and a few ice cream novelties. I bought a hot dog, 32oz soda, large popcorn, and a pretzel with cheese, and it came to $18.25, which I thought was a good price. Lines are longer in the afternoon, but they move quickly. Almost all the rides are accessible if you are able to walk a few steps to get onto the rides. Unfortunately, these are older rides, so not all body types will fit comfortably on/in them. There is disabled parking at the front where the big white building is located.
La Mee
8 months agoSuch a beautiful amusement park, perfect for everyone. Had a ton of picnic tables, restrooms, parks on both sides of the theme park, tons of rides. We could have spent 2 full days there! We will definitely be back!
Kim k
10 months agoThis was great family fun. My mom enjoyed herself the kids had a blast along with my husband .We spent $40 for my family to ride rides. The tickets were only 25 cents. Free parking free to get in . You can bring your own food . The most expensive ride was only six tickets and that was the roller coaster. We came for my younger two school graduation party. It was a nice drive and we all truly enjoyed ourselves. I even brought 4 of nieces and nephew. My mom spent $10 extra dollars on tickets. For 12 people $50 . Wow I spend more at McDonalds. This was truly a gem to find and looking forward to going back with the family. If you never been here bring the family for some good old fashioned fun . Carnivals that what this reminds me of but not crazy prices.