Some of our favorite summertime childhood memories are of exciting days at amusement parks. Throwing our hands in the air as we sped down the roller coasters, chased our siblings in bumper cars, getting soaked on the water rides, eating more fried food than we were ever normally allowed. Yep, theme parks and water parks make for some terrific summer fun. Thankfully there are plenty of parks to choose from in Texas! Below we’ve rounded up a list so you can start planning for some family thrills.
Amusement Parks:
–> Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio)
Home of nine world-class roller coasters and the giant White Water Bay Water Park, kids rides, thrill rides, live entertainment, and more.Visit the website for ticket info, park hours, and more.
–> Six Flags Over Texas (Arlington)
Dallas/Ft. Worth’s biggest, most popular attraction featuring dozens of thrill rides, shows, and activities. Visit the website for ticket info, list of rides, park schedule and more.
-> SeaWorld (San Antonio)
SeaWorld is a marine-life theme park with roller coasters, rides, shows, tours, attractions, and a Sesame Street area for young children. Visit the website for park hours & schedules, tickets and more.
–> Kiddie Park (San Antonio)
This is a classic amusement park in San Antonio geared towards young kids, with an old-school carousel & Ferris wheel, a snack bar, etc. It is actually the Kiddie Park is the oldest children’s amusement park in the country. Tickets here cost $2.50 each. Visit the website for more info.
–> Morgan’s Wonderland (San Antonio)
Morgan’s Wonderland is the world’s first accessible family fun park located in San Antonio, designed for children and adults with special cognitive and physical needs. Visit the website to learn about the rides & attractions, admission prices, park hours and more. You can also check out Morgan’s Inspiration Island, their seasonal waterpark!
–> ZDT’s Amusement Park (Seguin)
This family amusement park is located in Seguin and is open year-round, with its water rides only being open from March through September. You’ll find rides, go-carts, arcade games and more. Visit the website for pricing and hours.
–> Austin’s Park n’ Pizza (Austin)
Popular for birthday parties, Austin Park n’ Pizza includes go-karts, bumper boats, mini golf, batting cages, a rock-climbing wall & bowling, as well as a few little rides. Visit the website for pricing and more info. Click here to read our review.
Water Parks:
–> Schlitterbahn (New Braunfels)
Located on the banks of the spring-fed Comal River, this water park has 40 attractions on over 70 acres. Plenty of rides, slides, tube chutes, wading pools, and other water adventures for all ages. Visit the website for info about hours, tickets, and more. Click here to read 10 Things We Love About Schlitterbahn New Braunfels. (Also take note that there are Schlitterbahn locations in South Padre and Galveston, too.)
–> Typhoon Texas (Pflugerville)
Typhoon Texas Waterpark features water slides, a lazy river, a zip line, a ropes course & concessions. Visit the website for a list of activities, admission info, hours and more. Click here to read our review of Typhoon Texas.
–> Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (Arlington)
North Texas’ largest water park features 50 acres of rides & slides & a 1-million-gallon wave pool. Visit the website for more info and ticket pricing.
–> Aquatica (San Antonio)
Next to SeaWorld, this water park features water slides, a raft ride that travels under the stingray habitat, a lazy river, a water playscape, and a wave pool and more. Visit the website for a list of attractions, park hours and tickets.
–> Great Wolf Lodge (Grapevine)
Great Wolf Lodge is an indoor water park and hotel. With over 80,000 square feet, 9 water slides, 6 pools, and one massive water tipping bucket, this indoor water park resort is a unique family getaway destination.Water park admission is included with hotel stay. Visit the website to learn more.
–> Rock’N River Family Aquatic Center (Round Rock)
Run by the City of Round Rock, this water park features a huge “sprayground” with hose jets, tipping cone, water curtain, water guns, water slides and net obstacles. Rock’N River also includes a 12-foot jumping platform, rock wall, and a drop slide.Click here for a review and more info.
–> Volente Beach Water Park (Lake Travis)
If you’re looking for a place to splash the day away within a really short drive from Central Austin, you can take a trip out to Beachside Billy’s Volente Beach Water Park on Lake Travis. This water park is small, making it extremely manageable with the kids. You’ll find a cute pirate ship play area for young children, a handful of water slides, an obstacle to cross in the pool, volleyball court, plenty of picnic space and a restaurant. Click here for a review and more info.
–> Morgan’s Inspiration Island (San Antonio)
In keeping with the Morgan’s Wonderland mission of inclusion and the desire to enable everyone to play, Morgan’s Inspiration Island features colorful splash pads, a River Boat Adventure ride and revolutionary waterproof wheelchairs. Click here to learn more.
–> Quest Water Park
Located in southeast Austin, this aquatic playground and orld-class wakeboarding facility brings plenty of thrills for the family. This open water obstacle course lets you test your skills on the monkey bars or rock wall, conquer the wiggle bridge or enjoy the many slides and obstacle course features. Take note that all participants must be at least 7 years old, at least 45″ tall, and a good swimmer. Book a session online and click here to learn more.
–> Lake Travis Waterloo Adventures
Much like a “ninja warrior” course on the water, this floating water park has obstacles such as climbing walls, monkey bars, slides, bridges and more. (For ages 7+) You’ll access this private resort-style beach and aqua park by boat ride to and from Adventure Island. You can also relax in the shade on a hammock or lounge chair and enjoy views of Lake Travis with a cold beverage. Click here for more info.
