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Carowinds

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Carowinds

Nighthawk flying coaster at Carowinds.

Carowinds and Cedar Fair. Used with permission.

Special Note:

The ride park used to be known as Paramount's Carowinds. Paramount sold the park in 2006. It is now known simply as "Carowinds."

Carowinds Location

Charlotte, North Carolina. The actual address is Avenue of the Carolinas in Charlotte, NC.

Phone:

(704) 588-2600 (from NC)
(803) 548-5300 (from SC)
(800) 888-4386

Carowinds Tickets and Area Hotel Info:

Tickets to the theme park include admission to Boomerang Bay, the onsite water park. Reduced price for children (under 48") and seniors (62+). 2 and under are free. Reduced price for guests arriving after 4 p.m. Discounted tickets are often available online. Season pass tickets include admission to all Cedar Fair parks.

Compare rates for hotels near Carowinds at About.com's booking partner, Kayak.

Carowinds Directions:

I-77 to SC Exit 90 at the North Carolina/South Carolina border. The actual address is Avenue of the Carolinas in Charlotte, NC.

Carowinds Highlights:

  • Among its thrill machines, the park features Intimidator, a wild hypercoaster filled with airtime; Afterburn, an inverted coaster; Nighthawk, a flying coaster; and Thunder Road, a dual-track, racing, wooden coaster.
  • Carowinds Roller Coasters Mini Reviews
  • Younger kids will enjoy Planet Snoopy with rides and shows themed to the Peanuts characters.
  • The Boomerang Bay Water Park is fairly large and offers plenty of water slides and other activities.

Carowinds Pictures:

New at Carowinds:

New for 2012:
WindSeeker- A 301-foot tall (yup, you read that right, 301-foot tall!) spinning swing tower ride. If you have a fear of heights, you'll probably want to skip this one.

Carowinds Halloween Event:

The park presents Scarowinds each fall.

Official Web Site

Carowinds

Carowinds Overview:

The Cedar Fair park, which used to be owned and operated by Paramount Parks, has a wonderful collection of coasters that includes everything from traditional woodies such as Hurler to a bone-rattling inverted coaster, Afterburn. The wonderful Intimidator delivers coaster airtime nirvana. In addition to its coasters, the park has wall-to-wall thrills, including the adrenaline-inducing Drop Tower, and the Xtreme Skyflyer Skycoaster.

But Carowinds offers more than thrills. There are stage shows for the whole family and some designed especially for younger kids. The extensive Planet Snoopy area includes meet and greets with the Peanuts gang as well as themed rides and shows. There are even a couple of Peanuts-themed smaller coasters. Boomerang Bay water park (included with admission) is fairly big and includes two wave pools, a lazy river, and a slew of slides.

Interestingly, Carowinds is located on the outskirts of Charlotte and sits astride the North Carolina and South Carolina border. A marker at the front of the park denotes the dividing line. Thunder Road, a dual-track wooden racing coaster is apparently right on the border line and incorporates its unusual placement into its theme. One side of the coaster is listed as "North Carolina," while the other track and train is identified as "North Carolina."

The park presents concerts, special shows, and events. Some require an extra charge. Scarowinds, presented each fall, offers Halloween-themed fun.

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