These California theme parks rank among best in America: See the list
SoCal amusement parks rank in top 20 in US
Families won't have to go too far to visit some of the best amusement parks in the U.S.
LOS ANGELES - You won't have to go too far to visit some of the best theme parks in America, according to Tripadvisor’s 2025 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards.
Local perspective:
The awards were determined based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings posted on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period.
Here are the SoCal theme parks that made the list:
- Legoland, Carlsbad (#7)
- Disneyland, Anaheim (#11)
- Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles (#14)
- Six Flags Magic Mountain, Santa Clarita (#20)
Big picture view:
Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee took the top honor as best theme park in the U.S. and the highest-ranked U.S.-based park in the world.
The park, which is co-owned by Dolly Parton, features 50 rides over 160 acres as well as a 35-acre watermark called Dollywood's Splash Country.
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Dollywood has earned the top spot three times in four years.
Here are the top 10 best theme parks in the U.S.:
- Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
- Disney's Magic Kingdom (Orlando, Florida)
- Knoebels Amusement Park (Elysburg, Pennsylvania)
- Disney's Hollywood Studios (Orlando)
- Universal's Islands of Adventure (Orlando)
- Fun Spot America (Kissimmee, Florida)
- Legoland California (Carlsbad, California)
- Universal Studios Florida (Orlando)
- Silver Dollar City (Branson, Missouri)
- Whale's Tale Waterpark (Lincoln, New Hampshire)
The Source: This article is based entirely on the Tripadvisor 2025 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards. The rankings and details about the parks are sourced directly from the official awards report, which is based on a year's worth of traveler reviews and ratings on the Tripadvisor platform.