For years, based on the promotional photos I saw, I avoided the Gilroy Gardens (GG) family theme…read morepark. I thought it would be tacky and hyper-commercialized. Curiosity, together with my wife's desire to see the place, finally got the better of me--and I discovered that I had been wrong. GG in my opinion manages to strike the best balance that any such theme park probably can in terms of appealing to the masses while at the same time avoiding the trap of being tacky or hyper-commercialized. The varied rides and exhibits are pleasant and well-maintained. Some are even quite artistic (like the totem poles, illustrated in the image attached here) and educational (like the ecologically oriented Green Barn). If you're already familiar with GG, you don't need me to tell you about it. If you're not, here are a few tips--which might not be obvious to the uninitiated--that might help you better enjoy it: * The lines for the rides can be very long at times. You might end up waiting for an hour before it's your turn. Best to be prepared for that and plan it into your itinerary. * We noticed a small number of people who avoided the lines for all rides, being let in through the back gate/exit. When we asked about this at the Welcome Center, we learned that GG sells yellow wristbands that allow people to skip the long lines and enter through the "back door" (exit). They cost something like $85 per person for the year or about $30 per visit, in addition to the membership fee. * Even with those wristbands, you'll need more than one visit to see and do everything here. Rushing around a lot will spoil the fun. * The food everywhere, as far as we could tell, is pretty bad. You'll be ahead of the game if you pack your own, which will also avoid your waiting in another line. * The big secret, so to speak, of GG is "hidden" in plain sight--in the second word of the name itself, "Gardens." Most visitors are so preoccupied with going on the rides that they miss out on the natural beauty of the gardens. We found Camellia Garden and Claudia's Garden, in particular, to be like sheltered oases of calm and natural beauty within the hustle and bustle of the park. In our opinion, the three most obvious ways in which GG could be improved are as follows: 1. Improve the quality of the food that's offered. With all the traffic the park gets, those concession stands must be worth a small fortune. Either get them to do better or replace them with businesses that will. 2. Design a more user-friendly map. Those who already know their way around don't need a map but for those who don't, the existing map is not sufficiently clear (hint: it probably needs to be larger). 3. Do a better job of training the staff, in terms of both knowledgeability and attitude. Some are quite good (a special shout out to Nina at the Welcome Center and Sean at the Garlic Twirl ride: they exuded both warmth and professionalism) but others, who shall remain nameless, need more training. Minus one star for those deficiencies, as well as for not making it sufficiently clear at the time of the 2026 premium membership purchase that the bring-a-friend tickets that came with the membership had to be picked up almost immediately or they would not be available.

Review update for the start of 2026 season:…read more I expected the park to be refreshed and in top top shape for the start of the season. They just opened for the season! Unfortunately, I didn't find that was the case. We went during spring break on a weekday, and found it was more packed than usual. With that, it's no surprise considering local schools were on break. What was surprising to me was how dirty some of the rides (the caterpillar is an example) were. I feel like all of the attractions need a good pressure washing and clean up before busy season starts. We were also surprised to learn that they're now a cashless park. I'm not sure when they stopped accepting cash ( I usually use a card ) but wanted to highlight it for visitors to plan accordingly! Will be updating this review later into the season. Fingers crossed they just haven't checked some of the cleaning off the to do list yet!

Place is packed! Packed I tell you, and with a lot of kids, so expect a lot of pee and chlorine…read more You make the choice. Still, it's a fun spot for the kids to get wet and enjoy the hot weather. I came on an off day, so I can't imagine what this is like on the weekends. Probably nuts! Still, my daughter had fun, even though I really didn't.

While this place is crowded on any given day, it is definitely fun for the kids! On a hot day,…read moreyou'll want to head here FIRST, before hitting the rides. Chairs are hard to come by. No outside food is allowed in the water oasis area. Neither are strollers. The water near the slides isn't too deep, and the splash pad is big. Rent a cabana if you want a "luxury" experience. Cabana rentals are for all day!

I bought a season pass for the 2026 year because I am worried that Great America might be gone next…read moreyear. I wanted to experience all the rides, food, games, the vibes and much more, all once again. I have been coming to Great America for over 25 years and I have made many memories at the park. From first rides on Stealth, to Days of Thunder, to getting wet on Whitewater Falls. Of course, some of those rides are long gone and have been replaced by other attractions. My favorite roller coaster there is actually Patriot. It is a simple floorless coaster that use to be the standup coaster, Vortex. I like how there are many rides very close to each other and you are just a few feet away from food and drinks in every corner. There are some days though where the lines move painfully slow. I wish the staff would consider optimizing the loading and unloading process so that wait times are more bearable. Other than that, everything else is good. I do hope someone or even the City of Santa Clara can sweep in and save Great America for future generations. If we lose Great America, we lose a community gathering spot for picnics, attractions, waterpark fun, concerts and so much more.

Overall: It's alright, but it could be so much better…read more It's not a bad place overall. It's good for the area and they have a nice park. The guests we encountered were all friendly, which honestly surprised me in a good way. In many ways, the other visitors helped make the experience what it was. The staff, however, were hit and miss. A few were genuinely nice and engaged, but many seemed to be in their own world and not very sociable. I understand that a lot of them are young and it may just be a generational difference, but the overall vibe felt disengaged at times. One thing that really stood out was the lack of working places to fill up water jugs. The few that did exist barely functioned. My son has to drink an electrolyte/salts mix to counter a medication side effect, so we always carry the mix and our own water containers. We had no issues bringing them in, but there was simply nowhere reliable to fill them. When I asked a staff member about it, they jokingly said it was so people would buy drinks. They weren't rude, but it didn't feel like a joke--and it ultimately cut our day short because we had to leave just to get water. On the positive side, the ticket staff were excellent. We spoke with them about pass activation and Fast Pass options, and both times they were beyond helpful and professional. Lines did build up, partly because loading on some rides took a long time. That said, the staff seemed focused on doing things safely and correctly, which I respect. I'm genuinely disappointed to hear they may be closing at the end of the year. With a bit more staff engagement and some attention to infrastructure and maintenance, this place could easily feel like a true local park--something the community could take pride in. If they could capture the welcoming, energetic staff atmosphere you find at places like the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and pair that with some basic improvements, they'd have something really special. We might come back, and if you live nearby or are visiting the area, it's worth checking out at least once. But right now, it's hard to feel excited about returning when it seems like it's so close to being much better than it is.

Great place to bring kids. They have everything. Games, rides, mini golf, snacks. You can't go…read morewrong. For the adults the restaurants surrounding have some good option. Cool spot! Parking can be crazy! Great place to bring kids. They have everything. Games, rides, mini golf, snacks. You can't go wrong. For the adults the restaurants surrounding have some good option. Cool spot! Parking can be crazy!

We had a great day here, but you definitely have to go in with a plan. If you're doing more than…read more3-4 rides, the all-day wristband is the only way to go, as individual points add up fast. It's a mix of a beach day and a carnival feel here - You can jump from the sand to a roller coaster in thirty seconds. As for the food, it's fairly standard prices. The garlic fries are a solid bet, but there are also great spots just a short walk away on the wharf if you want a "real" seafood meal. Parking: Get there early. The main lots fill up by noon, and street parking is a game of luck. You can't beat the atmosphere. The ocean breeze, the sound of the arcade, and the smell of kettle corn make this one of the best spots in NorCal. It's nostalgic without feeling dated. Whether you're here for the rides or just the boardwalk walk. Not I need to go home and put on The Lost Boys movie and watch it again!!

If you didn't grow up going to Happy Hollow, and you say you're from San Jose, are you REALLY?…read more Happy Hollow will always have a special place in my heart. I grew up going there as a kid, and now getting to bring my own child feels really full circle. There's something so nostalgic and magical about it, one of those places that truly spans generations. From the rides to the animals to the play areas, there's just enough variety to keep kids entertained without it feeling chaotic. My child absolutely loves it every time we go. What I appreciate most is how it still holds onto that classic charm while staying clean, well-kept, and family-friendly. The food is pretty good, too! Special shout out to David for being super friendly and helpful. Become a member if you have kids, it is so worth it!

Location / Parking There's a dedicated parking lot for…read moreguests on Story Road and several self-service parking meters. Each parking ticket is $10 per car for the whole day. You must place the printed hardcopy parking ticket on the car dashboard as there may be parking compliance enforced to avoid being fined. Depending on the day and time that you go, the parking lot seems to get full earlier in the day when the park opens at 10:00 am. However, there was plenty of parking available around 11:30 am on a Saturday morning. Admission It varies on the age of the guest that determines the admission price. Children under 23 months are free. They do allow strollers, wagons, and outside food/drinks. You can also purchase an annual membership if you buy a daily admission ticket and upgrade it. There's an entrance area for regular admission and a separate entrance for memberships. Once you have the physical ticket on-hand, there's a separate line where an employee will scan the ticket. I hosted a party here and reserved the Whistling Woods picnic site, which accommodates 80-100 people. Based on the event package chosen, I was able to buy tickets at a wholesale price for $14 each (instead of the $22 general admission for adults and children over 24 months old). There's a $25 fee for will call where you pay for guests to pick up their physical tickets on the day of the event. Alternatively, you can pay extra to pick up the physical tickets in advance and distribute it yourself. In total, the total costs for the event was $1,200. Guests who attended the party can come at any time during park hours the day of the reserved event (ex. Sunday from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm). The reservation time that I booked was from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm and was given 30 minutes prior to the reservation to set up. There was a discrepancy advised by the staff during my reservation process that I would have 30 minutes to break down the event after my reserved time. However, the Happy Hollow dedicated staff arrived at 2:30 pm to advise that my party needed to break down the area and vacate the picnic site by 3:00 pm. There was dedicated staff to help provide carts to transport personal belongings and they came with plates, table covers, and utensils for the prepaid event. Park There's a variety of activities that both adults and children can do in Happy Hollow ranging from the following: animal zoo (it's not a petting zoo), rides for children, adults must accompany if the child does not meet the age requirement, picnic areas, benches/tables to eat, and several playgrounds for all ages. There's also an onsite cafe if you plan to dine at the park or bring your own food, drinks, and snacks. The park is well-maintained and fairly clean overall.

A fun family outing on a nice, sunny day. Train ride tickets are $5 each and the train ride itself…read moretakes you on a loop through the Vasona County Park. Very relaxing ride that takes about 10 minutes. All seats are uncovered so make sure to bring your hat or sunscreen. Right next to the train is an antique carousel, tickets are also $5 per person. The ride lasts relatively longer than the average carousel ride so I feel like you get your money's worth. Billy Jones Railroad is located within a larger park so there are several playgrounds and lots of open, grassy picnic areas or picnic tables to enjoy some lunch or snacks outside.

Came here on a Saturday morning around 11am. Tickets for train and carousel is $5 per person and…read morefree for kids 2 and under. The train ride is less than 10 minutes with no cover so we brought our hats. It's a quick ride and you pass by the parking lot and a park. My girls enjoyed it. After we played by the nearby park. There is a bathroom close to the train ticket booth and lots of tables to enjoy a snack or even lunch. They were just starting the grill to cook the food for lunch but our girls were hungry so we left to get food elsewhere.

awesome! really fun. great staff. the only problem is that is hidden in the building and they…read moreshould advertise more on Cannery row

This is such a COOL ride! It's so well made and was run very efficiently. Not only do you have the…read morescreens to shoot at, but there are also physical objects that will move when you shoot at them. Some even shoot you with water! There were also a few animatronics that were genuinely impressive. The pre-show is a little long, but it is so well done and I love the commitment to details. $20 seems like a steep price for a dark ride/shooting game, but you can ride as many times as you would like. (It seemed like most participants were not taking advantage of this but I went on a few times). I would definitely go back on a day when I had more time and see how many times I could get on the ride. In my opinion you do not need to pay $3 for the power chip upgrade. The highest score possible is 999,999 points. With the regular shooter we easily got 600,000 and 700,000 points on our second go around.

We booked on Groupon so we could save some $$ which was good so we could do thr two activities…read more later afternoon. On the email it doesn't provide crunchtime with the Tigers which starts at 4:20 and then Buddy's bedtime which starts at 5pm so good thing we arrived at 2:40 for checking in since by 4pm Angie was already gone. We stayed in the #1 bungalow which was nice, Angie was able to add my 2 daughters on the reservation so they set up the futon as a bed. Sam was great for the crunchtime tigers feeding but the other gal who didn't introduce herself for the Rhino bedtime seemed flustered and not friendly at all. After watching the mandatory video of how the rhinos came to VQ, we proceeded to their area. Another gal (Danielle?) joined her and same no welcome, no friendliness. Almost felt these 2 gals were forced to interact with other humans and sure they prefer the animals. At night the Lion constantly roared which didn't bother me since I was knocked out. Angie delivered the continental breakfast which was nice. 9:30 we went to feed the camels and once again the 2 non friendly female staffers were back at it with the camels. Angie and Sam are great and made the visit memorable and worth it. I did knock off a star since if we would of arrived close to 6 as mentioned in the email, we would of missed the 2 activities offered in the evening.

We had a great time in the Monkey Manor! It's right next to the lions and you can hear them roar SO…read moreLOUDLY! The bungalows are spread out with tall grasses in between so there is plenty of room. There is a viewing area overlooking the zebra/rhino/water buffalo area that is great to eat breakfast at. In the afternoon they bring you 2 different animals for a private viewing, we had a skunk and an alpaca. In the morning we got to feed camels! For extra at 5:00 pm they have a rhino bedtime experience where you get to go into the rhino sheds and then give them pats and rubs! What an experience! Also included is one day at the zoo and they even bring your breakfast at your bungalow! We loved our visit!!

Haven't been hear in around 10 years and my fist time back was absolutely amazing, tour guide was…read moremy favorite part and really let us enjoy our time took pictures of the groups that went was very interactive and was all in all my best experience. If you see her, hard not to miss just look towards the floor a little lol, tell her I said hello. ( picture she took on my phone of us.. I thought lol )

I just have to give a HUGE shoutout to our tour guide, Cassidy! It was already funny and kind of…read moremeant to be because my daughter with me is also named Cassidy, but she really made the whole experience special. She had such a bubbly, playful personality and kept the energy up the entire time. She was cracking jokes, making everyone laugh and just had a way of making the group feel comfortable and engaged. You can tell she genuinely enjoys what she does and it made a big difference. The tour itself is on the shorter side which was about 30 minutes and the area isn't huge, which explains the lower ticket price, but honestly it was still a fun little experience. She gave us a heads up about possibly feeling dizzy or nauseous, and I actually did feel that way in the cabin, which was wild to experience firsthand. Overall, it's definitely worth checking out if you're in the area, and if you can, I'd absolutely recommend asking for Cassidy because she's what really makes it memorable! Thank you Cassidy!

Never seen a more lovingly restored and authentic carousel with real horsetail hair on the carousel…read morehorses and 3 massive Wurlitzer music machines. It was so amazing to dissect all the different levels of instruments, drums and animated angels playing bells. Everything from the music machines and the carousel itself looked sparkling new. I admire and respect the work that went into restoring and maintaining these working historical artifacts. Of course, simply taking a smiling ride is the pure pleasure of such a carousel.

Nothing says Santa Cruz to me more than this old fashioned caroused! My love of amusement parks…read morestarted on this carousel as a toddler and 45 years later, I enjoy it as much now as I did then. Riding the carousel and grabbing the rings to throw in the clown's mouth is one of the boardwalk highlights for me not only because I grew up doing it, but also because I continued the tradition with my son.