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The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Carowinds

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The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Carowinds

Sports & Outdoor Travel Theme Park Guide

Carowinds is one of the largest theme parks in the Southeast and is home to two of the tallest steel roller coasters in North America. With a total of 14 roller coasters, it ranks 5th in the world as having the most roller coasters in one park. While the park's main focus is on the teenage and young adult market, it does also host a sprawling children's area, Planet Snoopy, themed around the Peanuts characters. In addition, you are able to cool off at Carolina Harbor water park that is included with your admission ticket (open seasonally). I believe that there’s fun for everyone. Here is the ultimate guide to visiting Carowinds, Start your Carowinds adventure today!

Cover Photo:Jeremy Thompson on flickr.com(CC BY 2.0)

Carowinds Basics

Carowinds is a 105-acre theme park located on the borderline between North and South Carolina in Charlotte and Fort Mills, respectively. Dubbed as “the premier entertainment destination of the Carolinas'', Carowinds has a number of different sections within the main park itself and features more than 100 rides for you to choose from.

Address: 14523 Carowinds Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28273

Opening Time: park operating hours vary a bit , most days opens at 10:00am, closing hours range from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Directions to Carowinds

Carowinds is 15 minutes from uptown Charlotte at exit 90 (Carowinds Blvd.) off Interstate 77 at the North Carolina/South Carolina border. Nearby major cities include Columbia, SC (83 miles), Greensboro, NC (104 miles), Greenville, SC (105 miles), Raleigh, NC (179 miles), Augusta, GA (155 miles) and Atlanta, GA (248 miles).

Tickets Prices for 2019

Daily Admission Tickets as low as $48
Two Day Ticket for $74
Enjoy two visits any two days the park is open to the public in 2019 through October 27, 2019.
Admission & Fast Lane Plus as low as $105
Buy an admission and Fast Lane Plus combo online only and save up to $29 off the price at the park. With Fast Lane Plus, speed past the lines on your favorite rides and attractions including the all-new Copperhead Strike, Mountain Gliders, Fury 325, and more.
All Inclusive Ticket as low as $154 (Save Up to $90)
Bundle your fun and save big with the All Inclusive Ticket to Carowinds. The All Inclusive Ticket includes one Single Day Admission, Parking, All Day Dining, Fast Lane Plus, a Regular Souvenir Bottle and a Single Day FunPix Photo Pass.

Season Passes for 2024

2024 Gold Pass for $107
Enjoy Unlimited Visits to Carowinds and Carolina Harbor all season long, including SCarowinds and WinterFest, for the rest of 2019 and all of 2024.
2024 Platinum Pass for $197
Enjoy all the benefits of the Carowinds Gold Pass with the added benefit of enjoying all Platinum Passholder exclusive privileges at all Cedar Fair Parks across the country including Kings Dominion, Cedar Point and more.

Book Carowinds Admission tickets from Groupon ，Viator, TripAdvisor where you can find the best ticket deals. Plus don't forget to earn up to 8% cashback from Extrabux!

Carowinds Car Rental

If you need to rent a car to Carowindsyou can book at Dollar Rent A Car, Europcar, Avis, Thrifty, Hertz, Sixt Rent A Car, CarRentals.com. Don't forget to earn up to 6% cashback from Extrabux!

Parking Prices for 2019

2019 Single Day Parking for $16 (Save $4 online-Valid for 2019 season)
2019 Preferred Parking for $25(Park Closer and save $5 online)
Free Parking for Gold Pass & Platinum Pass Holders

Carowinds Map 2019

Carowinds Thrill Rides & Roller Coasters List

When it comes to adrenaline, Carowinds delivers with one of the best roller coaster collections in the world.

Fury 325 is the tallest giga coaster and non-launched roller coaster in the world. The coaster takes riders up 325-foot, 81-degree lift on a course that includes 6,602 feet of track (more than a mile) and a top speed of 95 miles per hour.

Afterburn is a steel roller coaster in which the seats hang from the rails above you, leaving your feet to dangle in the air. This 113 foot tall inverted coaster features 6 inversions and a top speed of 62 MPH. There are two dives under walkways, with one featuring mist that sprays out as you fly through to another inversion.

Intimidator is the second tallest roller coaster in the park at 230 feet in height. It's a sit-down steel coaster with a wonderfully smooth, gliding ride. The coaster features seven drops, as well as the Cedar Fair "staggered" Hyper coaster cars - four seats to a car, two together in the front row, and two to the side of those in the rear.

New for 2019, Copperhead Strike is a double launch coaster themed on a getaway car. It features a zero-to-42 mph launch in two seconds and a second launch from 35 to 50 mph. Riders will go through five inversions along the 3,255 feet of track.

Nighthawk soars riders through five inversions, most while flying face-down, zooming toward the ground, and turning skyward just in time for the next inversion. The unique rider position offers breathtaking and virtually unobstructed views of the park.

Hurler is a big wooden roller coaster that rumbles and shakes and jostles. Riders leave the station to be met with an excitement-building lift hill, reaching a height of 83 feet. After the train races down the first drop, it immediately hurls riders through a large overbanked turn. The remainder of the ride is filled with a series of airtime hills and quick turns over 3,157 feet of wooden track.

Vortex is a stand-up roller coaster. Containing a large vertical loop with two fast helixes and one corkscrew, the speedy ride continues to be a popular B&M coaster.

Besides roller coasters, there are several thrill rides you can't miss.

Drop Tower is a drop ride in Thrill Zone. 16 story freefall with four benches (Four seats per bench). On your return to earth, you reach 56 MPH.

WindSeeker is a tower swing ride that takes 64 riders 301 ft. into the air and spins them around at 30 mph. The ride features background music, and at night the experience is accompanied by a light show.

Electro Spin is an excellent carnival spinner in County Fair and one of the best attractions at Carowinds. 's six arms send riders through a freely rotating orbit in floorless seats.

For the little ones, make sure you check out all the kid’s rides and playground area at Camp Snoopy. Here, your child will find all favorite characters from the Peanut’s gang to meet and greet, plus rides and live entertainment.

What's more, this all-new Camp Snoopy transforms kids’ area with the addition of six attractions including junior rides like Pig Pen’s Mud Buggies and a soaring Camp Bus, and an 8,000-square-foot climb and play area with plenty of shade.

Carolina Harbor waterpark is a great way to cool off from the Carolina summer swelter. It is frankly massive featuring everything from giant water slides and wave pools to large play structures and a three-acre kids’ area.

The six-story tall Blackbeard’s Revenge water slide, Pelican Plunge, Surfer's Swell, and the Dorsal Fin Drop are highly recommended for thrill-seekers.

Don't forget to bring your children to kids’ area where provides children with a place to splash and play with kid-sized water slides and plenty of shallow water activities.

Carowinds Special Events

The Great Pumpkin Fest：Select Days Sep. 14 - Oct. 27, 2019

In addition to fall-tastic activities galore in Camp Snoopy, Great Pumpkin Fest is expanding to two additional areas in the park, providing even more Halloween activities for kids and families than ever before. Get an extra helping of Snoopy and the whole PEANUTS™ gang as they host the all-new Great Pumpkin Fest Activity Trail with a challenge course, corn maze, hay bale maze, games, crafts and much more. Plus, head on over to Halloween Hootenanny in our all-new Blue Ridge Junction area where everyone will enjoy family games, fun activities and DJ Hoot ‘N’ Holler playing tunes for dancing on the midway.

The WinterFest：Select nights, Nov. 24 – Dec. 31，2019

Magnificently decorated trees, lavish holiday décor, and brilliant lights shimmer throughout. WinterFest’s signature 70-foot-tall holiday tree, one of the area’s largest, will come alive each evening at a special tree-lighting ceremony. Melodious sounds of the season will ring all over the park during WinterFest with fantastic live shows. WinterFest features a sleigh-full of hands-on experiences, including ice skating, make-and-take ornaments, and even the opportunity to write to Santa.

Hotels Near Carowinds

The price of Best Western Carowinds near Carowinds amusement park from $84. This functional hotel is 1.2 miles from Carowinds Amusement Park, 12.4 miles from the Charlotte Convention Center and 13.5 miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Subdued option offering free WiFi, breakfast & parking, plus an outdoor pool & an exercise room.

The price of Comfort Inn At the Park near Carowinds amusement park low at $94. Located off Interstate 77 and Route 21, this unassuming hotel is an 8-minute walk to Carowinds theme park and 7.3 miles from Quail Hollow Golf Club. It has coffee/tea in a common area and a seasonal outdoor pool. Free buffet breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self-parking are also provided.

Comfort Inn At the Park

If you are seeking for more hotels near Carowinds, visit Travelocity, Trip.com & TripAdvisor where you can find the best vacation hotel deals. Plus don't forget to earn up to 4% cashback from Extrabux!