If roller coasters and thrill rides are more your speed, you’ll definitely want to take a trip to Carowinds, a 398 acre amusement park located in Charlotte. Although it’s actually the only amusement park in the country to be technically located in two states – both North and South Carolina, as it sits right on the border, with some rides on each side. Although there’s plenty of fun to be had here for children and adults and thrill seekers to pacifists, there are a few must-see attractions like the Intimidator, a 232-foot hyper coaster named for NASCAR driver, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and listed as one of the top ten tallest steel roller coasters in the country, and the Windseeker, the second tallest ride in the park that takes passengers up a 301 foot pole and swings them outward at a 45 degree angle, giving them the sense of weightlessness and a great view of the whole Charlotte region. Of course, there are also plenty of kid-friendly rides, great shows and yummy concessions to try too while you are there. Just don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes because you’ll be doing a lot of walking!

If you're looking for a traditional yet exciting theme park, Carowinds in Charlotte is North Carolina's biggest and best attraction. This huge theme park has one of the largest collection of roller coasters in the world, including the incredibly tall and fast Fury 325, the hyper-coaster Intimidator, and the inverted coaster Afterburn.

F-U-N! The 100-acre park offers all the usual amusement park adventures, including Ferris wheels, roller coasters, special effects shows, and a water park. The Afterburn roller coaster gives riders the impression of actually flying a fighter jet. For cooling down, check out the attached Boomerang Bay waterpark. The park straddles the NC-SC border, just 15 minutes south of Uptown Charlotte and 12 miles north of Rock Hill, SC.

Carowinds is a 398-acre amusement park, located adjacent to Interstate 77 on the border between North and South Carolina, in Charlotte and Fort Mill, respectively. The park opened on March 31, 1973, at a cost of $70 million. This was the result of a four-year planning period spearheaded by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall, who was inspired to build the park by a 1956 trip to Disneyland and a dream of bringing the two states closer together. It is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Boomerang Bay is a 20 acre water park located within Carowinds's 398 acres and is included in regular park admission. History The Carowinds Theme Park was originally envisioned as a component of a large resort-type area which would include hotels, a shopping center, a golf course, and a pro football stadium. However, attendance at Carowinds was curtailed by the 1973 oil crisis, and plans for the proposed resort were put on hold. Hall and the other stockholders of the Carowinds Corporation continued to operate the theme park through 1974, though sagging attendance and mounting debt forced the company to sell to Taft Broadcasting in early 1975. The park was purchased by Paramount Communications in 1993 and joined the Paramount Parks family, after ownership bounced from Taft Broadcast Company to Family Leisure Centers, a joint venture between Taft and Top Value Enterprises, to Kings Entertainment Company, which was the owner at the time of its acquisition by Paramount. The park was renamed Paramount's Carowinds in 1993. Viacom then purchased Paramount in 1994. The name "Carowinds" was derived from the park's original theme of the history and culture of the Carolinas, and is a portmanteau of "Carolina" and "winds", representing the winds that have blown across the two states. As the park changed ownership over the years, most of the Carolina themes and cultural attractions were dropped in favor of more generic television and movie themes. Current areas and attractions Carowinds Plaza Carolina RFD Carolina Boardwalk Carolina Showplace County Fair Thrill Zone Planet Snoopy Boomerang Bay Fast Lane Fast Lane is Carowinds virtual queue system. For an additional upcharge, visitors get a wrist band that enables them to use the Fast Lane on 14 of the most popular attractions, effectively bypassing the normal lines, and avoiding queuing. SCarowinds In 2000, the park introduced SCarowinds; an annual Halloween attraction. Scarowinds is presented on select nights in September and October, as well as the first weekend in November. The park is open as Carowinds throughout the day, typically closes at 5:30pm, and reopens as SCarowinds at 7pm. The experience includes numerous haunted attractions and incorporates most of the existing park rides into a nightmarish experience. Current attractions The Asylum CornStalkers Defex Feeding Frenzy Fury Last Laff in 3D London Terror Mass Acres The Playground Scary Tales Silver Scream Zombie High School Live shows Blood Drums Creatures of the Night Enternal Jamnation Carowinds Festival of Music The annual Carowinds Festival of Music allows music students to play in public performances and receive comments and ratings from nationally-recognized adjudicators. Bands, choirs, show choirs, and orchestras can all play for ratings. Plaques and ribbons are awarded for performances which receive ratings of superior and excellent.

Brave one of Carowinds 13 pulse-pounding roller coasters - it’s what defines us as the thrill capital of the Southeast! Thrill Rides From rocking, rolling and rotating to being turned upside down, dropped suddenly or spun around, Carowinds is a thrill-seekers delight! Children’s Rides Carowinds is a child's ultimate playground! Celebrate with Snoopy and the PEANUTS™ gang in our 12-acre children’s area featuring America's most beloved beagle. Prepare to feel the presence that will make your senses come alive with excitement - a presence that goes beyond breathtaking views, beyond hair-raising adventures, beyond the intimidating world-class roller coasters -- the presence of Carowinds. From the moment you enter, enchantment begins and the fun never ends. At Carowinds, there are rides for everyone from thrill-seekers to families. If speed and adventure are for you, there's our thrills like Intimidator and Nighthawk. Don't miss them. If slower speeds are for you, the Family Rides like the Character Carousel or Woodstock's Express will be perfect. Whether you want to relax in the sun or experience tsunami-sized thrills, you and your family will find it all at Boomerang Bay - included with the price of admission to Carowinds! This 20-acre splash-tacular, sun lover’s paradise which includes a 34,000 square foot wave pool, 1,000 foot long lazy river, 11 exhilarating water slides and 3 interactive family activity areas.

Carowinds is a 400-acre amusement park, located adjacent to Interstate 77 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although having an official North Carolina address, the park is located on the state line of the Carolinas, with a portion of the park also located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. The park opened on March 31, 1973, at a cost of $70 million. This was the result of a four-year planning period spearheaded by Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall, who was inspired to build the park by a 1956 trip to Disneyland and a dream of bringing the two states closer together. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Carowinds also features a 27-acre water park, Carolina Harbor, which is included with park admission. The park has a Halloween event called SCarowinds and a winter event called WinterFest.