Land of Make Believe (amusement park) facts for kids
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| Location | 354 Great Meadows Road, Hope, New Jersey, United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°54.122′N 74°57.542′W / 40.902033°N 74.959033°W |
| Status | open |
| Opened | 1954 |
| Operating season | May–September |
| Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 33 |
| Roller coasters | 2 |
| Water rides | 9 |
The Land of Make Believe is a super fun amusement park and water park made especially for families. It's perfect for kids under 13, and grown-ups can join in the fun too! The park is designed so parents and kids can play together.
It opened way back in 1954 and is located in Hope Township, New Jersey, in the United States. You can find it easily off Interstate 80. The park focuses on safe and exciting fun for everyone. While many rides are perfect for younger kids, there are also attractions that people of all ages can enjoy without being too scary!
Some of the most popular attractions include a cool Civil War-themed train that goes all around the park. There's also the Pirate's Wading Pool, which is one of the biggest in America and has a life-sized pirate ship! Don't forget the Pirates Escape & Pirates Revenge, which are awesome dual racing slides.
The Land of Make Believe has many classic amusement park rides. You can find a junior-sized roller coaster, a Tilt-A-Whirl, and thrilling rides like Drop & Twist, Tornado, and Scream Machine 360. They also have special attractions like a fun hay ride and a petting zoo where you can meet animals. For water fun, check out Pirate's Plunge, Blackbeard's Pirate Fort, The Sidewinder, Blackbeard's Action River Ride, and eight other waterslides.
When the park first opened, it only had rides for small children. In the late 1980s, they started adding some water attractions for kids. Then, in the early 2000s, the park began adding rides that adults could enjoy too. These new rides were still not too extreme for children. They included popular rides often found at carnivals and larger waterslides like those at big waterparks.
Exciting Rides and Attractions
This park has many different rides and fun spots for everyone!
| Name | Description | Thrill Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twisted Timbers | A spinning roller coaster for the whole family. | High | Made by SBF VISA. |
| Scream Machine 360 | A spinning pendulum ride that goes all around. | High | Made by SBF VISA. |
| Off Road Safari Adventure | A special 4x4 truck ride that takes you on an adventure to see nature. | Moderate | |
| Jump Around Frog | A fun ride where you jump like a frog. | Low | Riders must be under 36 in (91 cm) to ride. |
| Rockin' Tug | A boat-like ride that rocks and spins. | Moderate | Made by Zamperla. |
| Tornado | A spinning ride that goes up and down. | Ranging from Moderate to High | Made by Wisdom Industries. |
| T-Rex | A thrilling ride with exciting movements. | Ranging from Moderate to High | |
| Drop’n’Twist | A ride that lifts you up and then drops and twists you. | High | This ride used to be called "Free Fallin'". |
| Samba Balloon Ride | A colorful ride where you sit in a balloon that spins. | Moderate | Made by Zamperla. |
| Ferris Wheel | A classic tall wheel ride that gives you great views. | Low | |
| Grand Carousel | A beautiful merry-go-round with horses and other animals. | Low | |
| Civil War Locomotive and Train Ride | A miniature train that looks like a steam locomotive from the 1800s. | Low | |
| Thriller | The park's only roller coaster, opened in 1994. | High | Riders must be between 33–36 in (84–91 cm) and ride with an adult. |
| Tilt-A-Whirl | A spinning ride that tilts and whirls you around. | High | Made by Sellner Manufacturing Company. |
| Flying Pirate Ship | A ride shaped like a pirate ship that swings back and forth. | Low | Made by SBF VISA. |
| Red Baron | A ride where you fly in miniature airplanes like those from World War I. | Moderate | |
| Dixie Car | A simple ride with miniature police cars and race cars. You can control the sounds! | Low | |
| Magic Dragon | A gentle ride shaped like a friendly dragon. | Low | |
| Carnival Midway | This area near the entrance has many fun carnival games. You can win cool prizes! | N/A | |
| Captain Ricky | The park's official mascot, a bear wearing a pilot's uniform. | N/A | |
| Middle Earth Theater | A Medieval-themed show where guests can dress up and be part of the performance. | N/A | On rainy days, they have a puppet show. |
| Santa's Barn | An enchanted Christmas forest that is Santa Claus's summer home. You can tell Santa your Christmas wishes early and get free cookie cutters! There's also a pizza place, gift shop, and ice cream parlor inside. | N/A | |
| Arcade | The park has an arcade full of video games. You can win tickets and trade them for prizes! | N/A | |
| Haunted House & Cemetery | A spooky haunted house with scary things inside. Next to it is a cemetery. | N/A | |
| Hay Ride | An old-fashioned hay ride pulled by a tractor. | Low | |
| World War II Airplane Cockpit | You can explore and play with the controls inside a replica World War II airplane. | N/A | |
| Jenny Jump House | A historic house with an audio story about the legend of Jenny Jump. | N/A | |
| Old MacDonald's Farm | A petting zoo where you can meet live farm animals. | N/A | |
| Colonel Corn, Famous Talking Scarecrow | You can talk to a scarecrow that actually talks back! | N/A | |
| Maze and Candy Cane Forest | A forest filled with giant candy canes and a fun maze next to it. Both are across from Santa's Barn. | N/A | |
| Family Picnic Grove | A nice area with picnic tables where families can eat. | N/A | |
| Land of Make Believe Mining Company | A fun activity where you can search for treasures. | N/A | |
| Pirate's Cove | The park's waterpark, which has a cool pirate theme. | Water rides ranging from low to high | |
| Cookie House | The park's gift shop, where you can find souvenirs. | N/A |
Past Rides and Attractions
Here are some rides and attractions that used to be at the park.
| Name | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Obstacle Course | A play area with cargo nets and a ball pit. | |
| Frogger | A moderate thrill ride. | This ride was replaced by Free Fallin'. |
| Little Dipper | A former roller coaster at the park. | |
| Worm Ride | A ride shaped like a worm. |
Awesome Water Rides
Cool off and have a splash with these water attractions!
| Name | Description | Thrill Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pirate's Plunge and Pirate's Cannonball | Pirate's Plunge is a water ride where you slide down into a huge splash. Pirate's Cannonball is another exciting waterslide. | High | Tubes are needed for Pirate's Plunge, but not for Pirate's Cannonball. |
| Wading Pool | A shallow pool with a pirate ship and small slides, perfect for younger kids. | N/A | |
| Blackbeard's Action River Ride | A popular lazy river ride where you float on a tube. | Low | |
| Pirate's Escape and Pirate's Revenge | You start in a launch tube and then race down these thrilling slides. | High | |
| Sidewinder | You slide down a halfpipe with water spraying all around. | High | This was the first Sidewinder water ride in New Jersey! |
| The Black Hole | A dark tunnel waterslide that's super fast. | High | Recommended for guests 8 and up. |
| Water Slides | Other fun waterslides in the park, including a blue one and two white ones. | High | |
| Blackbeard's Pirate Fort | Another part of the waterpark with a water play area and a giant water bucket that tips over! | N/A |
- Land of Make Believe at the Roller Coaster DataBase
