Funtown visitors should head straight for Excalibur, an enormous wooden roller coaster that towers over this Saco park. Splashtown is worth exploring too. You can plunge down the colossal Corkscrew slide or make your stomach drop before slipping through the winding green tubes of Triton’s Twist.

For younger family members, there’s Pirates Paradise Aquaplay. You could set up camp in Portland, Maine, or even make the 90-minute trip from Boston.

Now take a look at captivating then and now images of America's oldest theme parks

Beyond Disney: the best theme parks in America