America's modern-day theme parks draw in adrenaline junkies with mega thrill rides and inventive family attractions. But many had humble beginnings as trolley parks, pleasure gardens or recreational areas along well-trodden railroad routes.

Click through the gallery as we take a look at some of the oldest and most charming theme parks still in operation around the country today...

Just a stone’s throw from the heady attractions of Disneyland Resort, Knott’s Berry Farm's history harks back to the 1920s. In this decade, namesake farmer Walter Knott and his wife Cordelia (pictured) bought the land and sold boysenberries from a simple roadside shack. Punters poured in and soon the couple decided to sell Cordelia’s tasty chicken dinner from their property too, attracting yet more visitors.

Fast-forward to the 1940s and the park had another big attraction: the Old West-themed Ghost Town was built complete with a blacksmith’s shop and livery stables, and it even pulled in some celebrity parkgoers. This snap from the 1950s shows 'King of Rock 'n' Roll' Elvis Presley sitting in one of the park’s wagons, sporting a Stetson hat.

The atmospheric Ghost Town remains, but now one of the park’s most popular attractions is the Ghost Rider (pictured): opened in the Nineties, this wooden coaster is the largest on the USA’s West Coast, lording it over the Ghost Town from a height of 118 feet (36m). Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant still sates hungry parkgoers with fried chicken and all the trimmings too.

Just outside the city of Pittsburgh, Kennywood was founded in the late 1890s, and its bucolic site on the Monongahela River has been a pull for visitors for more than a century. It started life as a simple recreational spot, with space for picnicking, plus the addition of traditional dance halls and pools. This 1906 photograph shows the park's historic Wonderland building.

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By the 1920s, some white-knuckle rides had begun to spring up in the park. Jack Rabbit (pictured); Racer (the only single-continuous track coaster in the country); and wooden Thunderbolt all date back to this decade. The chugging miniature railway was a park highlight too.

Now titans such as the 2019-built Steel Curtain – the biggest hitter in the park's Steelers Country area and the tallest coaster in the state – steal the show. For little ones, Kiddieland has been up and running since the 1920s and is now filled with gentle rides, from boat-themed SS Kenny to a replica of a 20th-century trolley. Thomas Town, the second largest Thomas & Friends attraction in North America, is another favourite among youngsters. It brings five new rides, live shows, an indoor play zone and more.

The pride and joy of its namesake city, Arnolds Park, in Iowa's scenic Great Lakes Region, has been delighting visitors since 1889, when the very first ride was constructed on the site: a mighty 60-foot (18m) toboggan-style waterslide. From here, the attractions grew, with the addition of an enormous pavilion that hosted orchestral performances and, later, a merry-go-round and skating rink. Pictured is The Legend, a 94-year-old roller coaster that's still in operation today.

In 1919, the Majestic Roller Rink opened, but it's since been converted into the Majestic Pavilion and plays host to big band concerts. The park is also now home to stellar rides such as Mad Mouse, Log Flume and Roll-O-Plane, while youngsters love Kiddie Wheel, Freddie the Fish and Dizzy Dragons.

Take a look at stunning historic images of theme parks in full swing

Originally spreading out along the shores of Utah's Great Salt Lake (and later moving east to Farmington), Lagoon Amusement Park, formerly Lake Park, opened in 1886. There was plenty to keep 19th-century visitors occupied, from water sports and a dance hall, to a merry-go-round pulled by mules. By 1899, a traditional Shoot the Chute ride was on the roster too. This cheerful postcard shows swimmers at the park in the 1940s.

Modern-day visitors are still in awe of the uber-traditional carousel, which was installed here in 1906. The simply named Roller Coaster (pictured in 2020), which harks back to 1921 and is among America's oldest wooden coasters, has also stood the test of time. Beyond the veteran rides, there are also shiny new juggernauts such as Cannibal, a twirling steel coaster that boasts the tallest beyond-vertical drop in the world. There's also new ride Primordial, a unique steel coaster where riders travel through different rooms with special effects and 3D screens.

Back in 1860, Solomon Dorney, who the park is named after, opened a fish hatchery on his property. The hatchery was a success, but not in the way that Dorney had expected – local folks came by to fish and picnic in the peaceful surrounds. Enterprising Dorney decided to capitalise on this, adding a petting zoo on site and later a slew of rides. This charming shot shows a trolley at the park back in the 1920s.

By 1884 the site had blossomed into Dorney's Trout Ponds and Summer Resort (eventually becoming Dorney Park) and its popularity showed little sign of waning. Visitors could enjoy wholesome amusements such as archery, bowling and quoits, which sees players throw rings over a spike. The park is shown here later on in the 1950s, with its retro signage glowing bright by night.

The park now comes under the Cedar Fair umbrella and has all the big-ticket attractions you'd expect from a theme park in this portfolio. Rides such as the 131-foot (40m) high Demon Drop satisfy the most extreme thrill seekers, though the antique carousel and the traditional wave swinger still can't be beaten. New for 2024 will be Iron Menace, the northeast's first dive coaster, which will suspend riders 160 feet (49m) in the air before plummeting at a 95-degree drop. 

This jolly amusement park in Irondequoit, near Rochester, started out as a trolley park – a kind of forerunner to the theme park that included picnic spots and recreational activities. That was in 1879 and as the site’s popularity blossomed, rides began to spring up, including a gloriously kitsch carousel. By the 1920s, the park was also home to what was tipped as the world’s largest salt-water swimming pool. This throwback shot captures the park’s beloved Jack Rabbit (pictured), a mammoth wooden roller coaster built in the 1920s and touted as the oldest continuously operating roller coaster in America. 

Some 60 family-focused attractions still draw in visitors today. The carousel (pictured) is an enduring favourite. This one was created in 1990 by the fifth generation of the original owners of the park, the Long family. It was updated to replace the first one built in 1900. New for 2024 is Windstarz, a ride similar that takes inspiration from hang gliding where riders will swoop, sway, climb and descend their way around a circuit.

Step inside America's abandoned theme parks

Idlewild was dreamt up as an attraction to entice passengers onto the Ligonier Valley Railroad, owned by Judge Thomas Mellon. In 1878, landowner William Darlington gave Mellon his permission to develop the site as 'pleasure grounds' with campsites, a man-made lake and picnic tables. Soon local city dwellers began to descend on the bucolic spot, alighting from Ligonier Valley Railroad trains. This historic snap shows the miniature train that looped around Lake Bouquet and the former swimming pool.

By the 1950s, the railroad was defunct, but families still poured into the quaint park. A hotspot was Kiddieland, on the banks of the Loyalhanna Creek, recognisable for the giant, beaming clown that would welcome visitors into the area. Story Book Forest, a wooded trail featuring fairy-tale and nursery rhyme characters that remains popular today, also debuted in the 1950s.

The park is still focused on family fun with mellow rides like the gondola-style Balloon Race and classics such as the Tilt-A-Whirl. Themed zones include Hootin’ Holler, a 'historic village' with Old West-style buildings; and you can cool off in the SoakZone water park, added in the 1990s.

This popular New England park began life in the 1870s and has had several identity changes over its 150-plus-year history. It started off as a quiet 'picnic park' named Gallup’s Grove, before morphing into Riverside Grove, so named for its scenic location beside the Connecticut River. Eventually, as rides began to populate the park in the late 19th century, the owners settled on Riverside Park. Family-friendly attractions like the dodgems were sure crowd-pleasers.

The first half of the 1900s wasn’t kind to the park – Riverside closed in the 1930s, after the Wall Street crash forced it into decline. Nevertheless, the site was bought up by businessman Edward Carroll Sr and given a new lease of life by the 1940s. This bright postcard from the decade depicts Kiddieland, a colourful area chock full of easy-going family attractions.

Eventually the site was snapped up by theme park giant Six Flags and today it’s got all the white-knuckle rides you’d expect from a spot in its portfolio. Pictured is popular Superman: The Ride, a mind-bending steel roller coaster that zips riders over 5,400 feet (1,646m) of rippling track and includes a 221-foot (67m) drop. Spring 2023 saw the arrival of Dino Off Road Adventure, a family-friendly ride perfect for dinosaur fans and tiny thrill seekers.

Only Connecticut’s Lake Compounce is older than this attraction-packed park on the shores of Lake Eerie. It opened as a quaint destination in the 1870s, drawing sunseekers to the lakeside with its little beach, bathhouse and beer garden. Soon the park began to cater to thrill seekers, with roller coasters populating it by the end of the 19th century – a favourite was the now-defunct Cyclone (pictured here).

Love for this convivial amusement park didn’t dim through the 20th century. The Main Midway (pictured) is one of the park’s oldest drags, presided over by the Giant Sky Wheel, a spectacular double Ferris wheel.

With 70 rides to its name including 18 roller coasters, the theme park is tipped to be the 'Roller Coaster Capital of the World' for good reason. Stomach-churning rides like the Corkscrew (pictured) – a triple-inversion coaster whose thrill level is rated as 'aggressive' – have modern visitors in a spin, while there are plenty of gentler options for little ones too. Slated to open in summer 2024 is Top Thrill 2, tipped to be the world's tallest and fastest triple-launch strata coaster. It will immerse riders in three 'free-fall' moments, including a 120 miles per hour (193km/h) blast into the air.

Lake Compounce lays claim to the title of the oldest continuously operating amusement park in the country, having its roots way back in 1846. It was the brainchild of local man Gad Norton, who allowed eccentric scientist Samuel Botsford to conduct a series of explosive science experiments on his property. The pyrotechnics ultimately attracted a slew of curious visitors and Norton was inspired to turn his land into a public park (captured here later in 1914). 

Initially, Norton’s efforts were humble – he built a path around the lake here and set up picnic tables on its shores. He encouraged boating and swimming, and he constructed a little pavilion for musical performances. Soon, the crowds began to come. Later, he populated the park with rides, from the rollicking Green Dragon (pictured previous slide) to the head-spinning Wildcat (pictured here), debuted in 1927. Tipped as the oldest coaster in New England, it’s still dizzying visitors today and will reopen with a new track in 2024 after a restoration project.

The cheerful amusement park is still going strong, with plenty of thrilling additions to boot. There’s Boulder Dash (pictured), a well-loved wooden roller coaster completed in 2000 which has a new track for 2024, and Venus Vortex, a spine-tingling water slide with a near-vertical drop. The local craft beer served across the park is a treat too.

Now marvel at incredible vintage images of America's most historic attractions