Canobie Lake Park is a 59-acre amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire, that has welcomed visitors since it opened as a trolley park on August 23, 1902. It’s one of only a handful of trolley parks still operating in the United States, having survived a brief closure in 1929 before reopening under new ownership in 1932.
Beyond the history, most people searching for Canobie Lake Park just want the practical stuff: when it’s open, what tickets cost, whether parking is free, and what rides are actually there. This guide covers all of it, from the Yankee Cannonball’s century-old backstory to the Castaway Island water park included with every admission.
Quick Answer
Canobie Lake Park is a family-owned amusement and water park in Salem, NH, open seasonally from spring weekends through a fall Screeemfest run in October. It has dozens of rides and attractions including 3 roller coasters and the free Castaway Island water park, standard parking is free, and tickets (date-specific, any-day, and season pass tiers) are sold online through the official Canobie Lake Park ticket site.
Planning Your Visit: Hours, Tickets & Parking
Canobie Lake Park runs a seasonal schedule rather than a year-round one. It typically opens on weekends in late spring, expands to daily operation through the summer with later closing times on Friday and Saturday nights, then shifts back to a weekend-and-select-weekday schedule in September and October for its Screeemfest Halloween event. Because hours shift by day, week, and weather, always check the official park hours calendar before you drive out — it’s updated for the exact date you plan to visit.
Tickets are sold in several tiers rather than one flat price. Date-specific tickets are the standard option and are cheapest when bought online in advance; Good Any Day tickets cost more but work for any single operating day that season, which suits gift-givers or anyone without a fixed date; discounted night tickets are available on days the park stays open into the evening. Frequent visitors can buy a Basic or Platinum season pass, with Platinum covering every operating day (including the busiest summer weekends) and Basic excluding those peak dates. Every admission tier includes Castaway Island, the park’s water park, at no extra charge. For current prices, always buy through the official Canobie Lake Park ticket page, since online-only pricing is usually lower than any at-the-gate rate.
Standard parking is free for all guests. The park also offers an optional upgraded parking area closer to the entrance for guests who want to pay for the convenience, but no one is required to pay to park.
Rides & Attractions: Coasters, Water Park & More
The park’s own attraction listing groups its offerings into roller coasters, water rides, family rides, kiddie rides, and classic attractions, and counts roughly 70 named rides and attractions before games and live shows are added in — other sources that fold in games, shows, and seasonal entertainment put the total north of 85. Either way, it’s a lot to cover in one day, but the layout is compact enough that most families manage it.
The three roller coasters are the park’s headline draw: the wooden Yankee Cannonball, the inverting Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter Untamed, and the family-friendly Dragon Coaster. Both Yankee Cannonball and Untamed require riders to be at least 48 inches tall; smaller riders have the Dragon Coaster and a full slate of kiddie rides sized for them, including antique cars, fire engines, helicopters, and junior sports cars.
Castaway Island, the included water park, adds six water attractions to the mix: raft slides, a lazy river combined with a wave pool called Tidal River, a splash pad for younger kids, and the Rain Fortress interactive water playground. Elsewhere in the park you’ll find the 1903 Antique Carousel, a scenic steam train called the Canobie Express, a classic Log Flume, and thrill rides like Starblaster and Wipeout for older kids and adults who want more than the coasters offer.
A Century of History on Canobie Lake
Canobie Lake Park opened in 1902 as a trolley park, built by a streetcar company to give riders a reason to ride the line out to Salem. Like many trolley parks of the era, it struggled through the Great Depression and closed in 1929, but Patrick J. Holland purchased it at auction in 1931 and reopened it the following year, setting the stage for the park’s long run under family ownership. Three families bought the park in 1958 and still own and operate it today, which is part of why it has kept its old-fashioned trolley-park character rather than being absorbed into a corporate chain.
Over the decades the park has become a fixture of southern New Hampshire summers, and it has occasionally stepped into pop culture too, serving as a filming location tied to Stephen King’s novel Joyland and the 2013 film Labor Day.
Coasters Old and New
The Yankee Cannonball anchors the park’s coaster lineup. Designed by Herbert Paul Schmeck of Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, the wooden out-and-back was originally built in 1930 at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Connecticut, but closed after just two seasons there. The dismantled ride sat in pieces until 1935, when it was moved to Canobie Lake Park, where sections were trimmed by six inches to fit the new site. It reopened in 1936 as Greyhound and was renamed Yankee Cannonball in 1983; it’s now recognized as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark, a designation reserved for historically significant coasters.
It shares the midway with Untamed, a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter that debuted in June 2011 with a beyond-vertical first drop and three inversions, along with the Zamperla-built Dragon Coaster, a steel ride aimed at younger riders. Together the lineup spans nearly a century of coaster design, from a 1930s wooden classic to a modern inverting Euro-Fighter.
Tips for Visiting & Is It Worth It
Canobie Lake Park sits roughly 45 minutes to an hour from downtown Boston depending on traffic, which makes it a common day-trip pick for families in eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. Compared with larger regional parks, it’s generally regarded as one of the more affordable options in New England, especially once you factor in free parking and a water park included with admission rather than sold separately.
It’s worth setting expectations correctly: this is a family park first, with a smaller thrill-ride selection than a major chain park, so riders chasing back-to-back record-breaking coasters may find the lineup light. But for families with a range of ages, shorter lines than the big parks, shaded queues, and a walkable layout are consistently cited as reasons it holds up as a solid day trip. Buying tickets online in advance rather than at the gate is the most reliable way to save money and skip a ticket-window line.
Canobie Lake Park visitor guide FAQs
When did Canobie Lake Park open?
Canobie Lake Park opened on August 23, 1902, as a trolley park in Salem, New Hampshire, and has operated under family ownership since three families bought it in 1958.
What are Canobie Lake Park’s hours?
Hours vary by season and even by day of the week — the park runs a limited spring schedule, expands to daily summer hours with later weekend closing times, then shifts to a weekend and Screeemfest schedule in fall. Check the official Canobie Lake Park hours calendar for your exact visit date.
How much are tickets to Canobie Lake Park?
Pricing depends on the ticket tier: date-specific tickets are the cheapest option when bought online in advance, Good Any Day tickets cost more but work for any single date, and Basic or Platinum season passes suit repeat visitors. Current prices are listed on the official ticket page.
Is parking free at Canobie Lake Park?
Yes, standard parking is free for all guests. An optional paid upgraded parking area closer to the entrance is also available for those who prefer it.
Does Canobie Lake Park have a water park?
Yes, Castaway Island is the park’s water park and is included with regular admission at no extra charge. It features raft slides, the Tidal River lazy river and wave pool, a splash pad, and the Rain Fortress water playground.
What is the oldest ride at Canobie Lake Park?
The Yankee Cannonball, a wooden coaster originally built in 1930 at Lakewood Park in Waterbury, Connecticut, and relocated to Canobie Lake Park in 1935, is the park’s most historic ride and an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark. The Antique Carousel also dates back to 1903.
How many roller coasters does Canobie Lake Park have?
Canobie Lake Park operates three roller coasters: the wooden Yankee Cannonball, the inverting Untamed, and the family-friendly Dragon Coaster.
What is the height requirement to ride Yankee Cannonball and Untamed?
Both the Yankee Cannonball and Untamed require riders to be at least 48 inches tall.
How far is Canobie Lake Park from Boston?
Canobie Lake Park is roughly 45 minutes to an hour from downtown Boston by car, depending on traffic, making it a popular day trip from the Boston area.
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