Amusement parks trips on Amtrak

[BCL]

The thread about ostensibly taking the train to visit Cedar Point got me thinking. What major amusement parks are well served by Amtrak? I only know of one station that's named after an amusement park - GAC in Santa Clara, California. Of course the Anaheim station has to be a big one, and that's served by the private shuttle system that serves the hotels around Disneyland.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You also have Kissimmee and Orlando on the Silver for Disney World/Sea World etc.( you can also get off the Starvation in Lakeland and the Meteor in Winter Haven but Kissimmee is the most convienent)

The Empire Builder stops @ Wisconsin Dells which is s major Summer Tourist Waterand Theme Park destination.

Ft. Worth and Dallas are stops for Six Flags in Arlington, but a rent car or taxi is necessary to get there. ( the Eagles used to pass by but didn't stop, Jerry World and the Ranger Baseball Stadium are also next door.)

San Antonio, in the Sunset and Eagle Routes is where Sea World and Fiesta Texas are located, but a cab or rent car is necessary to visit them also.

Lost Wages ( aka Vegas) is served by Amtrak thruways and Greyhound from Amtrak stops. Sadly the Desert Wind used to stop right inside the Plaza Hotel and Casino.

 

[A Voice]

There's also Busch Gardens Williamsburg near Newport News, Virginia and Carowinds near Charlotte, North Carolina.

By rental car, Holiday World would be accessible from either Centralia, Illinois or Indianapolis.

Winter Haven, Florida would seem to be the most convenient stop for Legoland, though I suspect most people just detrain in Orlando or Kissimmee as part of a central Florida vacation.

Then there is Six Flags near Atlanta, also.

 

[tim49424]

Great America can be seen from the Empire Builders/Hiawathas as they pass by Gurnee.

 

[peconicstation]

Old Orchard Beach Maine, the Downeaster stops during the peak season.

Ken

 

[JayPea]

Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, ID, which the EB passes right by, is accessible by rental car either from Spokane or Sandpoint.

 

[Seaboard92]

Ashland is five miles from Kings Dominion but one would need a rent a car.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Hershey Park is near HAR but I am not aware if there is public transportation between the two.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Great America can be seen from the Empire Builders/Hiawathas as they pass by Gurnee.

Pace suburban bus system operates buses to Great America that connect with UP's Metra North line in Waukegan, so you can get there by public transportation.

 

[rspenmoll]

The thruway bus from Martinez to Napa stops at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. There are frequent shuttle buses from Old Town station in San Diego to Sea World. The Seaside Pier in Atlantic City is a 30 minute walk from the Atlantic City Rail terminal, but the city is very walkable.

 

[BCL]

Well - GAC isn't really that close. It's like a mile walk to the entrance. It's actually closer to Levi's Stadium and 49ers headquarters.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Great+America+Station,+5099+Stars+and+Stripes+Dr,+Santa+Clara,+CA+95054/Great+America,+Santa+Clara,+CA/@37.4023307,-121.9761302,15.26z/data=!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x808fc9b674fcac55:0xb42088ec90e7eb3d!2m2!1d-121.9671214!2d37.4068839!1m5!1m1!1s0x808fc9c93a383df3:0xe77cdc9018433b52!2m2!1d-121.9747205!2d37.4034883

Still - I haven't been there in maybe 15 years.

Thinking of Northern California, it would be the following:

GAC - California's Great America (formerly Paramount's Great America, Great America, Mariott's Great America). About one mile walking distance and to my knowledge the only Amtrak train station named after an amusement park.

VMW (Vallejo, CA bus stop serving the San Joaquin) - Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (formerly Six Flags Marine World, Marine World, The New Marine World Theme Park, Marine World Africa USA. I'm guessing they kept the MW (for Marine World) even though the name changed.

SCZ (Santa Cruz, CA) - less than a mile away from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Technically it's the Santa Cruz Metro Transit Highway 17 Express, but Amtrak includes it as a station and the bus line is dedicated to serving as an Amtrak thruway and takes Amtrak tickets.

https://www.scmtd.com/media/bkg/20164/sched/rte_17.pdf

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Six Flags near the Springfield MA station.

Driver or rental needed.

NEC corridor trains past right by Rocky Neck Park - Beach in CT. Well it actual between the beach and the parking lot.

Driver or rental needed.

 

[Triley]

There's also Busch Gardens Williamsburg near Newport News, Virginia and Carowinds near Charlotte, North Carolina.

By rental car, Holiday World would be accessible from either Centralia, Illinois or Indianapolis.

Winter Haven, Florida would seem to be the most convenient stop for Legoland, though I suspect most people just detrain in Orlando or Kissimmee as part of a central Florida vacation.

Then there is Six Flags near Atlanta, also.

To elaborate, we stop in Williamsburg, approximately 5 miles from Busch Gardens. If you head to/from Newport News, you actually can see part of the part out of the western part of the train.

I also checked out of curiosity, and even though it's a fairly small town (population of 15k) they offer bus service, and do have a route from the terminal at the train station to the park, which is only about 15 minutes and a cost of $1.25 for a one way trip or $2 for an all day pass.

Some day I need to actually use my travel benefits and go down there when I have a few days off, and bring someone with me! It's so tempting to go when I layover in Newport News, but I'm usually too pooped. Speaking of which, I'll be down there Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon. Hmm.....

 

[Triley]

Hershey Park is near HAR but I am not aware if there is public transportation between the two.

It's actually closest to Middletown, PA (about a 20 minute drive away), but there is no transit offered from there. From Harrisburg however, you can take a bus out there for about 25 minutes. Costs $2 each way.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Hershey Park is near HAR but I am not aware if there is public transportation between the two.

It's actually closest to Middletown, PA (about a 20 minute drive away), but there is no transit offered from there. From Harrisburg however, you can take a bus out there for about 25 minutes. Costs $2 each way.

I couldn't find any info at Hershey Park's site but I found this: http://www.cattransit.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Route-322-2016.05.23-1.pdf

 

[KauaiJohn]

I immediately thought of Santa Cruz. The antique roller coaster there is second to none!

 

[Trollopian]

Kennywood! This classic amusement park about 12 miles outside Pittsburgh is visible from the eastbound Capitol Limited in summer, or in other seasons if the Limited is running late. Keep an eye peeled for it across the "Mon" (Monongahela). To this grown-up kid, Kennywood never stales. Great mix of nostalgic and thrill rides. Unfortunately, to get there from Pittsburgh's Amtrak station you'd need to rent a car or take a bus.

 

[bretton88]

Elitch Gardens in Denver. Just get on the light rail at union station and go south for a few stops.

 

[DryCreek]

In Houston you can always kill a full day at Astroworld!

Oh, wait. Never mind........

 

[Montreal Ltd]

It is easy to take a train from Paris straight to the main gate of Disney land Paris.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I've visited the following with Amtrak and public transit -

Kings Dominion (taxi)

Busch Gardens VA (bus)

HersheyPark (bus)

Disney World (bus)

Disneyland (resort shuttle)

Cedar Point (taxi)

Universal Hollywood (subway from Union)

Knotts Berry Farm (resort shuttle from Anaheim)

 

[FreeskierInVT]

Via the Adorondack- La Ronde, (Six Flags Montreal) is just outside of downtown Montreal and accessible by public transit. I've always driven but shuttle buses run from the subway station on the island to the entrance to La Ronde. Plus, with the current exchange rate, admission isn't all that bad if you don't have a season pass!

 

[Cina]

Not sure if it counts, but Worlds of Fun is about a 20 minute drive from Kansas City Union Station.

 

[fairviewroad]

Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, ID, which the EB passes right by, is accessible by rental car either from Spokane or Sandpoint.

Good luck getting a rental car in either of those places when the EB rolls into town, though. You'd have to be really, really dedicated if you wanted to take Amtrak as part of a visit to Silverwood. I guess you could get a hotel room to spend a few hours until the rental car places opened.

I suppose if you wanted to arrive/depart in Spokane at a more practical hour you could take the Thruway bus from Seattle that arrives/departs Spokane during the afternoon. So technically that would be using Amtrak to get there, though not by train.

 

[JayPea]

Silverwood Theme Park in Athol, ID, which the EB passes right by, is accessible by rental car either from Spokane or Sandpoint.

Good luck getting a rental car in either of those places when the EB rolls into town, though. You'd have to be really, really dedicated if you wanted to take Amtrak as part of a visit to Silverwood. I guess you could get a hotel room to spend a few hours until the rental car places opened.

I suppose if you wanted to arrive/depart in Spokane at a more practical hour you could take the Thruway bus from Seattle that arrives/departs Spokane during the afternoon. So technically that would be using Amtrak to get there, though not by train.

Well, yes, one would have to spend time in a hotel room first. I wasn't implying one would sit around at the station(s) waiting for rental car places to open first.