Visited on May 31, 2026
For anyone who lives in New England, Canobie Lake Park is a place looked upon fondly. It’s the setting of many happy memories for me, my family and friends.
My group of friends wanted to relive these happy memories created in a time before we had rent due every month and when all that mattered was not screaming on the Yankee Cannonball despite being terrified. We set out to determine whether Canobie truly lives up to our rose-colored memories.
Canobie Lake Park is located at 85 North Policy Street in Salem, New Hampshire. It’s only about 10 minutes over the Massachusetts line, which made the commute easy! I was also delighted to find that Canobie has free parking! I recently reviewed Great Wolf Lodge and the $20 parking price tag there was disappointing, but unfortunately it’s becoming common place as free parking joins the memories of childhood.
My friends and I visited Canobie on a Sunday. It was on and off raining all day, but I think that made the experience better since we didn’t have to wait in excessively long lines in the hot sun. When the sun did come out, the un-covered ride queues proved to be too warm for comfort.
We arrived to the park a little before it officially opened at 10:30 a.m. At that time, there was already a line to get in. However, it moved very quickly. We walked through the security metal detectors, scanned our tickets and began our day!
The moment we stepped into the park, the nostalgia hit. It was so surreal to be somewhere that I hadn’t been in over a decade. All the exciting memories of the Yankee Cannonball, the Boston Tea Party, and the Starblaster came flooding back. I longed to experience them all again; however, in my late teens I developed an anxiety disorder, so I don’t really ride amusement park rides anymore. I’ve been trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone lately to train my brain to differentiate between anxiety adrenaline and fun adrenaline. I felt like Canobie would be the perfect place to push myself because I’ve ridden every ride before, and know the park well.
After entering, I noticed how clean the park is. It’s been around for 124 years now, but you honestly can’t tell because it is very well maintained. The atmosphere is also top notch. I’ve always loved how Canobie has so many trees, not only for the shade they provide, but also for the ambience. The trees and greenery give the park a rustic feel that other amusement parks don’t have. The same is true for the wood fixtures, fences and buildings throughout the park.
Our first stop of the day was the bathrooms, of course. The bathrooms near the main entrance are located on the left of the entry gate. There are many stalls and the bathrooms were clean. There was actually someone actively wiping them down when we went in.
Bladders empty, we were ready to try out some rides. First, we chose the Mine of Lost Souls located at the far left of the park. It’s a “haunted” slow moving ride where you travel through a coal mine full of silly haunts. I despise haunted stuff and getting scared, but my friend compared the ride to the Haunted Mansion at Disney and that description is spot on! It’s “fun spooky” as opposed to scary.
We split our group up so three of us rode in one cart and two rode in the other. I rode with my friend and sister and we laughed the whole way thorough. There’s a little jump scare somewhere in the ride (I don’t want to give away where!) that got my sister and our friends on the other cart. The ride is simple, but such a blast (literally).
Located in close proximity to the mine is the Pirate ride. It’s a swing ride that moves side to side, swinging the ride vehicle high off the ground. I’ve never been a big fan of these types of rides, so I sat it out along with a couple others in our group. Our friends on the ride sat in the middle so they wouldn’t feel the swinging sensation as much and reported that they enjoyed their time!
We started to walk to the other side of the park, but first stopped at the Ferris Wheel. This wasn’t the best choice of ride in terms of queue length because people tend to enter the park and go straight for it, so we ended up waiting just over thirty minutes.
Two of our group members are thrill seekers, but they’re afraid of Ferris Wheels so they went to ride Untamed, Canobie’s most intense coaster, located on the complete opposite of the park. They were able to ride and come back before we even got off the Ferris Wheel, so if you want to ride Untamed with a low wait time, I recommend riding it at the beginning of the day. It’ll be sure to wake you up, too!
As we moved on to the middle of the park we came up on the Xtreme Frisbee and Tilt-A-Whirl. Most of us wanted to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl, so we jumped in line for that first. This is where I made a personal mistake.
I remember the days of my youth when the Tilt-A-Whirl was my absolute favorite ride in the world. I used to throw my body weight with my friends to see how fast we could get going. Wanting to reminisce, and challenge my anxiety, I decided to give it a whirl, but oh dear gosh, what a mistake.
I was thinking, “Oh, it won’t be too bad as long as I stay still and don’t throw my weight around.” No. See, because when two full grown adults ride it and one of them sits on the edge of the cart and doesn’t understand when you repeatedly yell “MOVE TO THE CENTER,” it throws you around with so much G-force that your body gets pinned to the seat. What a wild ride! The others in our group had fun, but I vow to never ride another Tilt-A-Whirl for as long as I live.
Although I felt dizzy, nauseous and very anxious, I elected to push on. Next to the Tilt-A-Whirl is the Rowdy Roosters. You sit in a Rooster “ship” while you spin gently in a circle. You’re able to control the direction your Rooster flies via a sail on the front.
I was already feeling off from the Tilt-A-Whirl debacle when we got in line for the Rowdy Roosters, but then the sun came out. Many of the ride queues at Canobie are uncovered, so it quickly heated up. My nausea got worse which fueled my anxiety. Once we got under the little section of the ride queue that is covered I felt little better, but I wish I had my portable fan mister with me. If you go to Canobie when it’s sunny, I suggest bringing some portable fan water misters to cool off, drinking water, and a hat!
Only three of us rode the Rooster ride while the other two rode the Xtreme Frisbee. The two who rode the Frisbee were off and back by the time we even got on the Roosters. We waited about thirty minutes to board.
The breeze on the ride is really nice and if you want a gentle ride, you just have to use the sail to keep your rooster balanced in the same spot as the ride spins around.
At this point it was nearing 1 p.m. and everyone was hungry. I began to have an anxiety attack because my stomach was still not doing well. Thankfully, most concession stands have Gatorade, so I got one and took a seat as everyone got and ate lunch.
Two group members chose Smokin’ BBQ located in the center of the park near the fair game stalls. My friend got a pulled pork sandwich that came with a bag of chips and a side of mac and cheese (for an additional charge). He said the sandwich was just alright, but pretty good for a BBQ place at an amusement park. He wasn’t a fan of the mac and cheese and left it mostly untouched. It seemed to congeal after a while, so he tossed it.
My husband got a brisket sandwich that came with a side of chips. He said it wasn’t awful, but definitely not on par with a BBQ joint. His meal was $20 and he added on a fountain drink for $4.50. While the food isn’t on par with a BBQ restaurant, the stall does have a smoker though!
The other group members went to The Trellis. My friend got a cheeseburger that came with a side of chips. She enjoyed the burger and thought it tasted good, but the chips were too burnt for her liking.
My sister got a spicy chicken sandwich that came with fries. She also got a Bubbly seltzer water. In total she paid $20. She liked the fries, but the sandwich “was not it.”
They waited roughly 10-15 minutes for their food. By the time they came to the table, the other two group members were done eating.
We sat at picnic tables with umbrellas in the Smokin’ BBQ area. A rain storm broke out and the umbrellas kept us pretty dry other than our backs, so if you want to hunker down for the rain I recommend a building or outdoor patio with full coverage.
After sitting for lunch, I was feeling a lot better. Everyone wanted to ride Ice Jet, which is a very fast spinning ride where you can rock your cart back and forth. I opted out and went to The Trellis for lunch. I got the same chicken sandwich as my sister, but I went for the non-spicy option. It was just okay. I added ranch because it was dry, but the taste was still a little lackluster. There was something off about the flavor that I didn’t enjoy, so I only ate half of it. I thought the fries were good and would get them again! For the sandwich and fries, I paid $15.75.
The group waited about thirty five minutes for Ice Jet while I sat on a bench nearby to eat. It had just rained so most benches were wet, but there are benches surrounding the Antique Carousel next to Ice Jet that are under an awning.
We ventured over to the Boston Tea Party area to see if anyone was brave enough to ride it despite the chilly weather. The Boston Tea Party is like a large scale Log Flume ride without the slow moving part, just the steep drop and splash.
The temp was only in the 60s after the rain, so our group wasn’t willing to ride it. However, it didn’t stop other parties from doing so! It was so fun watching the ride run over and over and seeing the big splashes the boat causes.
After watching for a while, I suggested we go take a look at what the water park has to offer. The last time I went to Canobie it was under construction and only a few rides were open, so I was curious about the finished area. I also discovered they now sell Dole Whip and I couldn’t resist!
To our surprise, people were actually using the water park! There are a few slides, a wavy river, some play areas and concession stands. The Dole Whip is sold fittingly out of a giant pineapple stand. However, after getting there, the employee told us they didn’t have any that day. I settled for a small chocolate and vanilla twist soft serve instead for $4.50.
After filling up on icecream, a few group members started hitting a 2 p.m. wall. My sister considered going to the car to take a nap! One of our friends didn’t want to risk getting caught in more rain and went home early.
To wake my sister up we went on the hunt for a caffiene pick me up. That’s when we happened upon Le Chalet de Cafe, which is actually a Starbucks in disguise! She got a Grande Caramel Cold brew for $6.
We continued walking to the far right side of the park and came up on DaVinci’s Dream, a large swing ride. Moments after getting in line, it began torrentially down pouring. My sister and husband decided to ride anyway while my friend and I hid in the Arcade adjacent to the swings. Canobie overlooks a lake and the waves were rough when the rain started. As you can imagine, there was no wait for the swings.
As they got off the ride, looking like drowned rats, the rain subsided just a little bit, but most of the rides had closed down. My sister and friend decided to check out the Psychodrome, which is an indoor scrambler style ride.
As they waited in line, the rain picked up again, so my husband and I huddled under a designated smoking area gazebo near by. Although it’s a smoking area, but only one person was using it as such, everyone else was sitting on the benches under it, avoiding the rain.
We ventured out to find a restroom and found the Bear Lodge. An indoor area near the Psychodrome with bathrooms, food and a Pinball room. The Pinball are is a unique offering at the amusement park in my opinion! It has tons of Pinball machines with different and unique themes. While we didn’t play, I think this is so clever to have at an amusement park, especially for guests who don’t love rides. There is even a leaderboard!
Our friends waited for the Psychodrome for 10-15 minutes, which was just enough time for the storm to move on, and the rides began operating a few minutes later.
My favorite ride, The Sky Ride, is up next! It’s similar to a ski lift that goes around the back end of the park. We waited about five minutes to get on.
Over in this area is the park’s newest ride, The Time Winder. It opened in 2024. The ride vehicles go up and down, but also slowly spin around. It’s kind of hard ride to explain!
My husband and sister rode it while my friend and I checked out an area that is closed off called The Magic Seed. Upon researching it, it’s an attraction that only opens in the fall. It includes pony rides, a petting zoo, a corn maze and fall theming!
My sister and husband were pleasantly surprised by The Time Winder. They both looked very scared while riding it and said it was intense, but they both rode it again later in the evening. My friend and I noticed the line moves very slowly because it takes a long time for the employees to load and unload everyone. They waited roughly fifteen minutes to ride.
It was dinner time at this point and about an hour and a half before the park closed. Since it’s early summer they are only open on weekends and close at 7:30 p.m. My sister, friend and I looked for dinner while my husband rode Untamed again. There’s a single rider line around the back of the attraction, so he waited roughly five minutes to get on.
For dinner, we chose Poncho Cantina. Unfortunately, none of us recommend trying it. From the food itself to the customer service it was a poor experience.
I got a chicken quesadilla, chips and queso for $19.50. My friend got a steak burrito bowl and a drink. My sister got a cheese quesadilla and a side of fries for $16.50, and my husband got a quesadilla and a drink for $13.75.
The food was awful. My sister’s fries were criminally salty. The chips and queso, while not as salty as the fries, were still overly salted and instead of being light and crispy, the chips were thick and kind of doughy. My friend said her steak and rice were inedible so she only ate the lettuce and tomato off the top of her bowl. My husband’s quesadilla only had the right amount of cheese on one slice of the quesadilla. I didn’t mind my quesadilla, but it was very greasy.
The customer service was bad, too. Mainly because the employees were getting angry with each other. One employee yelled “that’s not my job!” after another employee asked him to make the fries my sister ordered. Every employee working that booth was snapping at each other and arguing. We felt like we were bothering them by ordering and especially when we asked for sour cream on the side (which was supposed to come with the meals).
An employee in a different uniform than the others came in and started helping behind the counter. I’m assuming he was the manager as the other employees stopped snipping at each other when he came in. He handed us my sister’s fries and was very pleasant to us. He asked if we needed anything and apologized for the wait. Afterwards, we sat in the seating area to eat our meal.
After the food debacle, we were feeling cold and ready to leave. Before we did though, we checked out the gift shop near the Boston Tea Party. This is one of my favorite areas of the park because it’s themed like colonial Boston.
The gift shop had Canobie merch and even nostalgic toys like that little ring toss water game we grew up playing as kids! I remember my mom handing it to me on long road trips. I regret not buying it when I saw it in the gift shop! Maybe next time!
All day we had been seeing these “Body Driers” near water rides. There was one near the Boston Tea Party so we checked it out. For $5 we got 5 minutes in an open cubicle that blew warm air from vents and produced heat from heat lamps. It’s great for when you’re cold and wet.
Now warm and toasty, we felt motivated to check out a couple more rides before leaving for the day. My sister had wanted to ride the Caterpillar all day so her, my husband and friend went on. They waited less than five minutes. The Caterpillar spins around at a moderately fast pace. Usually a cover goes over the riders so the ride looks like a Caterpillar as it spins, but the cover was broken, according to an employee.
To end the night, we all went on DaVinci’s Dream with no wait. I figured it was the last ride of the night, so if I panicked at least we’d be heading home. I ended up loving it despite feeling a little dizzy after disembarking.
On our way out of the park we jumped on the Antique Cars. They’re modeled after Model T’s and you press a gas/brake pedal to drive around a track. There was no wait, and the track had some cute wood cut outs to look at. It was a very peaceful ride!
We left Canobie at 7, a half hour before it closed. The day flew by so quickly that it didn’t even feel like we’d been there for 8 and a half hours! I think the fact that the sun went away and it cooled off helped. While we were chilly and wet because of the rain, I would still visit on a less than perfect weather day again because the line wait times were low and we weren’t overheating the whole day due to the sun.
Our experience at Canobie was great. Despite the weather, we had so much fun revisiting our childhood memories. The park hasn’t changed much. In my opinion, it’s only gotten better. Either that or now I notice things more like cleanliness, pricing, and places to hide from the rain or crowds. Speaking of that, lets take a dive into the review categories!
Sensory and Accessibility Aspects
Noise 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The noise levels could be loud depending on where you are in the park. The loudest area is near the Xtreme Frisbee. They play very loud music there. It’s funny because I even remember that detail from my childhood, too. There’s loud music near DaVinci’s Dream as well, but it’s not as loud as the Xtreme Frisbee. Other than those areas, there is music playing throughout the park, but it isn’t overly loud.
I did notice that when we were eating lunch there was loud country music playing and we were raising our voices to talk to one another. After roaming around later, I realized there had been a band playing. There’s a stage close the Smokin’ BBQ/fair game stalls.
The indoor areas aren’t overly noisy.
Crowds 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think this is dependent on when you go. It was fairly busy the day we went in the mornings, but after the first rain storm the crowds got progressively lighter.
I never felt crowded when I wasn’t in line and there is plenty of seating in various areas to sit at. Even if it was very crowded, I feel you could find a place to sit.
In line however, I found myself feeling a bit overstimulated at times. People tend to stand really close so it feels crowded and there were a few kids who stepped on my shoes or backed into me. To make me feel a little more comfortable, I moved so that I was standing between my friends instead. At least if they stand close, they aren’t strangers!
Smells 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
When we first walked in the smell of burnt popcorn was very overwhelming. Other than that though, I was only overwhelmed with smell one other time by someone wearing very strong cologne. I think smells can be unpredictable based on what’s going on when you’re there. Thankfully, because Canobie is so large, it’s easy to move away from an area and come back when there’s no longer a strong smell.
Lighting ?/5
This aspect is dependent on the weather as you’re outside for most of your visit. Be sure to bring sunglasses and a hat if you’re sensitive to bright light!
In terms of indoor buildings, such as the arcades, shops, restrooms and the Bear Lodge, the lighting from overhead is primarily dim. I’m not sure if that changes in the evening, but in the daytime it’s dimly lit because the windows or open stall walls provide a lot of the light. The Pinball area has cool hue LED lights, which I’m not a fan of, but the rest of the lodge has dim, warm hue lighting.
We plan to return to Canobie sometime this summer when it’s open later, so I can update this aspect from a nighttime perspective then!
Temperature ?/5
This category is also dependent on the weather. The indoor areas have AC/heat as we saw some ductless units when in the gift shop. There are body driers near The Boston Tea Party and The Log Flume ride (opposite ends of the park) if you need a quick blast of warm area when it’s chilly, too! We found the Lodge to be a comfortable temp and the arcade or fair game stalls are a nice place to step into to avoid the rain or wind.
Spots for Decompressing 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There are plenty of places to decompress! I think the Pinball area is the best place though. It’s within the Bear Lodge. Not that many people are there and there are two circular benches/chairs in the room.
There are many benches spanning the park to sit and take a few minutes. I recommend the ones near the main entrance bathroom or the Pirate ride as they are in a quieter area and under trees so they’re shaded.
There’s a grassy area where there used to be the old Corkscrew rollercoaster. Any seating over there is bound to be quieter since there aren’t any rides over there.
You can also leave Canobie and come back in at any time, so stepping out of the park to go to your car for a bit is allowed!
Accessibility 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The park itself is somewhat handicap accessible. Depending on how well your mobility device traverses inclines, you may need to be aware that there are some moderate inclines throughout the park. They aren’t too steep, but I wanted to mention them as my mom’s scooter got stuck at an amusement park because of an unsuspecting incline one summer!
Most rides appear to be handicap accessible. Some rides, like the Sky Ride or Ferris Wheel, offer handicap entrances and accommodations. Most ride queues are flat as well. I think the best way to determine the accessibility of rides is to check their website before you head there. They have notes on their site about each ride that include whether they are accessible. https://www.canobie.com/explore/park-attractions/
The bathrooms all include handicap accessible stalls as well as automatic flushing, sinks, and hand driers.
Restroom Rundown 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There are plenty of restrooms throughout the park and they’re located in stand alone buildings. We visited the main entrance restroom, the Bear Lodge restroom and the restrooms near the Boston Tea Party.
All of the restrooms have plenty of stalls, with the main entrance restroom having the most. There are handicap stalls that are larger with grab bars around the toilet in each restroom. In my opinion, the main entrance bathrooms have the most space to navigate around on a mobility device, but all restrooms are spacious overall.
The main entrance bathrooms have a kiddie toilet stall that is lower, too!
The sinks, soap dispensers and hand driers are all automatic.
I am impressed with the cleanliness of each restroom. There were employees cleaning two out of the three restrooms we visited when we went in.
I am also impressed by the fact that they offer free feminine hygiene products in every restroom!
General Review-y Aspects
Pricing 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I feel the price is fair for a fun day at an amusement park. We paid $51.19 per person for the ticket to get in on the day we visited. It appears that the pricing fluctuates based on when you go though, which makes sense because they’re open later during the summer so you get more time at the park. The most expensive ticket is on a mid-summer weekend for $59. I still don’t think it’s too badly priced considering that you get unlimited rides for roughly 12 hours and access to a water park.
I’m impressed by the food and drink prices as well. In my opinion, the prices are justifiable given the portions at the less premium food stalls (like The Trellis and Poncho Cantina). However, the Smokin BBQ prices seemed a little too high for what you get.
We bought water and Gatorades throughout the day running us $4 each. My sister’s Starbucks coffee only cost 17 cents more than her home Starbucks. I was most impressed with our icecreams only being $4.50 each for a large portion.
You can leave Canobie and re-enter for as long as they are open on the day you visit, so you could opt to pack lunches, snacks and drinks in a cooler in your car to enjoy a low-cost lunch! You could also leave the park to get food elsewhere as well.
Atmosphere 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The atmosphere at Canobie is unmatched by other theme parks in my opinion. It’s rustic due to the trees and greenery around the park, as well as the use of wood elements for fences, accent walls and even ceilings. The light fixtures give old and rustic, too. The trees give the park a lovely natural feel that other amusement parks don’t have. It’s the quintessential New Hampshire amusement park.
The band, while loud because we were sitting right next to them at lunch, provided nice ambient music to listen to while we ate and the music playing in other parts of the park, especially in the area meant to look like Italy, adds to the fun and immersion of the area.
The guests are always buzzing with excitement as they ride the rides and play games making it an overall happy place to be!
Cleanliness 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The park is very clean and employees were cleaning throughout the day. The bathrooms were very clean as well.
Customer Service 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Most interactions we had with employees were wonderful. They were welcoming, friendly and put guest safety at the forefront. We saw employees meticulously checking guest’s seatbelts before riding and they ensured that guests were aware of the ride’s rules before starting. The employees working on the Time Winder and the Rowdy Rooster particularly stood out as they showed a lot of care when loading and unloading the rides. They also kept an eye on the ride as it operated the entire time.
The only interaction we had that was less than satisfactory was with the employees of the Poncho Cantina. The manager who ended up coming to help the employees was very pleasant to us, but prior to his arrival the employees were fighting with one another and seemed annoyed at customers for ordering from their stall.
Location/Parking 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a MA resident, Canobie’s location is great. It’s right over the MA line, but it’s also accessible to most of New England because it’s pretty much smack dab in the middle of it! The area itself is easy to drive through and we didn’t hit a ton of traffic.
The parking lot at Canobie is large and can hold many vehicles. However, you aren’t blocked in, so if you have to leave at any time it would be easy to do so. Parking is also free so that’s a huge plus! I also feel like even if you park in the back of the lot, the walk to the front gate is not too long at all.
TLDR Ratings
Overall 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sensory 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Accessibility 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Highlight ✨
There are so many highlights, but I think I have to give it to the rustic atmosphere. It might sound insignificant, but the trees and grassy areas throughout the park give it a rustic, natural feel that really adds to the overall experience.
Lowlight 😖
The fact that many ride queues have no shade. Thankfully, we came when it was cloudy/rainy, but when the sun did come out we got very hot standing in line. I can only imagine how warm it must get standing in line on a hot, sunny day.
Recommendations for Visiting
- For shorter ride queues, start your day on the far right of the park (near Big Bear Plaza) as opposed to the left!
- Bring a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a fan mister, and water with you. Don’t forget your swimsuit and towel if you want to check out the water park!
- It’s okay to leave the park and come back if you want to get lunch elsewhere or bring lunch in cooler.
- Head to the Bear Lodge to escape the sun/rain.
- Don’t be afraid to go to Canobie on days when it’s supposed to be cloudy or even when there’s a chance of showers. The crowds will be lower and, as long as its not torrentially down pouring, most rides will stay open.
Hey, I’m going to Canobie Lake Park! Want to come?
Absolutely!
I feel the price point of Canobie is fair for what you get from the experience. The atmosphere of the park is top notch and really unlike any other New England amusement park I’ve visited. There’s also plenty to do for those who either don’t like rides or who prefer less intense thrill rides.
Rain or shine, Canobie is a great place for kids and adults alike to have fun. There’s entertainment at the park for every type of thrill seeker, from those who love intense coasters like Untamed, to those who find the Tilt-A-Whirl too thrilling, ✋ anyone can have fun! If you grew up going to Canobie as a kid, I encourage you to revisit the park as an adult because it really is as great as we remember it!
Thank you for reading my review! 😊 I posted a full length Youtube video of my Canobie review as well! I know not everyone likes to read blog posts and I want my reviews to be as accessible as possible, so expect to see more of my reviews on Youtube in a spoken word format as well!
Happy Coaster-ing! 🎢
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