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: what time it closes tonight, what tickets cost, whether parking is free, and what rides are actually there. This guide covers all of it, from how late the park stays open on summer weekends to the Yankee Cannonball’s century-old backstory and the Castaway Island water park included with every admission.
Quick Answer
Canobie Lake Park’s closing time changes by day and season: midweek days typically close in the early evening (often around 6-7 PM), while Friday and Saturday nights in peak summer run much later, into the 9-10 PM range. During the fall Screeemfest run, hours shift again to an evening/night schedule rather than a full daytime one. Because the schedule changes week to week, always check the official Canobie Lake Park hours calendar for the exact closing time on the date you plan to visit — it’s the only source that stays accurate as the season progresses.
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 toward daily operation through the summer with later closing times on Friday and Saturday nights, then shifts to a weekend-and-select-weekday schedule in September and October for Screeemfest, its Halloween event, where the park often runs more as an evening-and-night operation than a full daytime one. Some midweek days during shoulder-season months are closed entirely. Because hours shift by day, week, and weather — the park has closed on short notice for storms — never assume the gate time from a past visit still applies; pull up the official park hours calendar before you drive out, since it’s kept current for the exact date you plan to go.
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 site, 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 at the Connecticut site until 1936, when Canobie Lake Park owner Patrick Holland purchased it, moved it north, and had it installed at Canobie Lake Park, where sections were trimmed by six inches to fit the new site. It reopened that year 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
Arrive earlier on days with a late closing time if you want to ride the Yankee Cannonball and Untamed before the biggest lines build up, since those two anchor rides draw the longest waits on summer weekend nights. If you’re mainly after Castaway Island, a daytime visit makes more sense than an evening-only Screeemfest date, since the water park isn’t part of the Halloween-season operating hours.
Because admission includes the water park, a full slate of rides, and shows, most families find the day ticket price reasonable compared to parks that charge separately for water attractions. The free standard parking also keeps the total visit cost down compared to parks that charge $20-plus just to park.
Rub-on sunscreen that fits in a pocket — reapply in the queue without greasy hands on the lap bar.
Folds into its own pocket. Pop it on when the storm rolls in and the rides reopen to short lines.
Keeps your phone strapped to you, not in a loose-article bin. Zip it before the lift hill and walk straight off the exit ramp.
Canobie Lake Park hours and visitor guide FAQs
What time does Canobie Lake Park close?
It varies by day: many weekdays close in the early evening, while Friday and Saturday nights during peak summer stay open much later, often into the 9-10 PM range. During Screeemfest in the fall, the park typically shifts to evening/night-only operating hours. Check the official hours calendar for the exact closing time on your visit date, since it changes week to week and can be affected by weather.
Is Canobie Lake Park open today?
The park runs a seasonal schedule, not a year-round one, and some days — especially midweek in spring and fall — are closed entirely. The official park hours calendar is updated for each specific date and is the only reliable way to confirm whether the park is open today.
Is parking free at Canobie Lake Park?
Yes. Standard parking is free for every guest. An optional upgraded parking area closer to the entrance is available for a fee if you want the convenience, but no one is required to pay to park.
What is included with a Canobie Lake Park ticket?
Every admission tier — date-specific, Good Any Day, and season passes — includes Castaway Island, the park’s water park, at no extra charge, along with access to the rides, coasters, and shows.
How many roller coasters does Canobie Lake Park have?
Three: the wooden Yankee Cannonball (1930s design, purchased and moved to the park in 1936), the inverting Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter Untamed (2011), and the family-friendly Dragon Coaster.
Does Canobie Lake Park stay open late in summer?
Yes. On Friday and Saturday nights during the peak summer season, the park typically extends hours well past its weekday closing time, often staying open into the 9-10 PM range. Discounted night tickets are usually sold for these later-closing days.
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