Situated on the border of North and South Carolina is an amusement park known as Carowinds. Taking its name from a portmanteau of the winds that blow across the state line, Carowinds is home to more than 50 rides and attractions, including a world-class collection of 14 roller coasters. If you’ve never visited Carowinds, or you’re a seasoned park veteran, we hope this Carowinds guide will help you plan your next visit to “The Place Where the Carolinas Come Together.”
A Brief History
Carowinds was the brainchild of Charlotte-area businessman Earl Patterson Hall, who was inspired to build the park following a visit to Disneyland. When the park was originally announced in late 1969, plans called for a large amusement park, along with hotels, a shopping complex, a golf course and an NFL Stadium. (where local legend notes that the 50-yard-line would be situated exactly on the border of North and South Carolina.) While these grandiose plans ultimately did not come to fruition immediately, Carowinds Amusement Park opened to guests for the first time on March 31, 1973.
The park has known several owners in its nearly 50-year history, including Taft Broadcasting and the Kings Entertainment Co. (KECO), who purchased the park from the ownership group led by Hall in 1975, and Paramount Communications, who acquired KECO and its parks in 1992. Under Paramount’s leadership, the park would see the addition of multiple attractions themed to Paramount’s film and television properties. Cedar Fair Entertainment acquired all of the Paramount-owned parks, Carowinds among them, in 2006. Cedar Fair currently owns and operates twelve amusement parks and five water parks around North America, including Cedar Point and Kings Island in Ohio, Knott’s Berry Farm and California’s Great America in California, and the two Schlitterbahn water parks in Texas.
Carowinds’ water park, then known as Ocean Island, opened in 1982 as a separately ticketed attraction that featured a wave pool and not much else. In 1989, the water park was absorbed by Carowinds, and re-named Riptide Reef, giving it the distinction as the first amusement park and water park combo that you could access with a single ticket.
Carowinds currently sits on more than 400 acres of land, which includes Carowinds, the adjacent Camp Wilderness Resort and campground, and the Carolina Harbor water park. True to Pat Hall’s original vision, Carowinds opened their first on-site hotel, Springhill Suites by Marriott at Carowinds, in late 2019 before holding an official grand opening in early 2020. In 2021, the park will open for the season on May 22, and Carolina Harbor will open May 29.
The Roller Coasters
First and foremost, being that we’re Coaster101, we’re definitely going to provide some insight on the roller coasters of Carowinds. From wood to steel and tame to thrilling, Carowinds has a wide range of roller coasters that are sure to satisfy every guest, from families to thrill seekers. Among the highlights:
Fury 325
Fury 325 opened in 2015 as the then-world’s tallest, fastest, and longest giga coaster, and the accolades have continued to come in for the coaster (including the four-time defending champion of top steel roller coaster in the world), six years after its debut. Standing 325′ above the park’s midways, you could comfortably fit the Statue of Liberty underneath Fury 325’s lift hill and first drop. Riders hit top speeds of 95mph, racing through more than 6,600′ feet of track.
Our favorite element here is the “hive dive,” which from a certain angle, looks like a treble clef. Riders dive under the park’s main entrance path before heading through three camel-backed hills towards the final brakes. While the team Fury 325 typically assigns your seat, try to get a ride in the back row, left side of the train (farthest from the gates). The airtime is amazing! That said, any seat is a good seat!
Copperhead Strike
Carowinds’ newest roller coaster, the double-launched Copperhead Strike takes riders through Granny Byrd’s farm at speeds reaching 50mph. On three of the coaster’s five inversions, riders will feel the experience of “hangtime,” which, if you’ve never experienced before, is an awesome feeling. The ride starts with a slow “JoJo” zero-G roll immediately out of the station, and is one of only two roller coasters in the country to feature this maneuver. Like Fury, any seat is a good seat, but for first time riders, we recommend a ride on the left side of the train (nearest the gate), somewhere near the middle of the train. We’re not going to ruin any surprises, but you’ll have a pretty fantastic vantage point!
Intimidator
At 232′ tall, Intimidator may feel like it’s dwarfed by Fury 325, but is still one of the 10 tallest roller coasters in the United States. Where Fury 325 relies heavily on speed and what we’ll just refer to as “whippiness,” through its course, Intimidator’s drops result in more “floater” airtime as you crest the coaster’s repeated camel-backed hills. The 2010 coaster was inspired by NASCAR Racing Legend Dale Earnhardt Sr., and riders will feel like they’re in a stock car, especially during the banked turns of the hammerhead turnaround and mid-course helix. For the best ride on Intimidator, we recommend a ride as close to the back two rows of the train as possible. You feel “pulled” over each of the hills, while the airtime will also be the most present!
Afterburn
Formerly known as Top Gun: The Jet Coaster during the park’s Paramount days, Afterburn is an inverted coaster that is meant to simulate a fighter jet’s maneuvers while in flight. Afterburn is constantly considered as one of the top inverted coasters ever created by Bolliger & Mabillard, and at 113′ tall, takes full advantage of the topography of Carowinds to ensure a thrilling ride through its nearly 3,000 feet of track, complete with six inversions. If you’re looking for an experience that truly feels like a “Highway to the Danger Zone,” look no further than Afterburn!
Carolina Goldrusher
Inside the fictional J.R. Helms Mining Company is one of only a few of Carowinds’ original opening day attractions, the Carolina Goldrusher. As Carowinds’ oldest coaster, it won’t have the record breaking thrills that come with a coaster like Fury 325, but it’s always unique to ride a piece of history. The mine train roller coaster is unique in that each of the train’s cars has one restraint mechanism for all three rows, and nearly 50 years after its debut, still provides a thrilling ride to guests of all ages!
This is by no means an exhaustive list, so we suggest you experiencing all of the roller coasters at Carowinds. There’s Hurler, Carowinds’ large wooden coaster, Carolina Cyclone, the world’s first roller coaster with four inversions, and Nighthawk, one of the first flying coasters in the United States! For a full list of Carowinds’ roller coasters, click here! (And select Roller Coasters!)
Non-Roller Coaster Attractions
If roller coasters aren’t your “thing,” we get it — couldn’t be us, but we get it! Carowinds also has a wide variety of non-roller coaster attractions that guests of all ages can enjoy. Here are a few of our favorites, but this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list.
Carolina Skytower
On a hot summer day, climb aboard the 262′ tall Carolina Skytower, another original Carowinds opening day attraction. Once on board, you’ll be treated to 360-degree views of Carowinds, and on a clear day, you might even be able to spot the Charlotte skyline in the distance.
Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare 3-Z Arena
This interactive 3D-experience pits park guests against one another in a short screen-based laser battle. Grab your blaster and try to lead your team to victory by having the high score for either the “Plants” or the “Zombies” side. This attraction is based on the popular “Plants vs. Zombies” video game franchise, and is another refreshing blast of air conditioning on a hot day.
The Grand Carousel
While many think that Carowinds’ carousel is an original park attraction, it actually did not begin galloping around the park until 1979. The Grand Carousel, a 1923 Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters carousel is one of less than 30 PTC Carousels still in operation today, and has been recently located to a new location, in front of the Vortex roller coaster, in an area of Carowinds that has been renamed Carousel Park.
County Fair
Carowinds County Fair is home to four classic flat rides that arrived at the park in 2017. You’ll feel transported back in time riding classic carnival rides like Rock N Roller (Music Express), Do-Si-Do (Troika), and Zephyr (Wave Swinger) along with the more modern Electro-Spin, which is certain to throw riders for a loop!
Mountain Gliders
One of Carowinds’ more mild thrill rides dates all the way back to 1940 and Coney Island Amusement Park, outside of Cincinnati. After a move to nearby Kings Island in 1972, the Mountain Gliders arrived at Carowinds in 2005. Guests can take flight by controlling the air flow of the ride’s front fin. Experienced riders can even “snap” the gliders, resulting in a more thrilling ride experience!
A full list of Carowinds’ rides can be found here!
Camp Snoopy
In 2018, Carowinds’ “kids” area underwent a large face-lift that saw the addition of six new attractions, as well as an all-new PEANUTS theme. The area, now known as Camp Snoopy, contains a total of 12 “FUN-sized” rides, along with the interactive “Beagle Scout Acres” playground for the park’s younger guests. Camp Snoopy is home to some of Carowinds oldest attractions, including Charlie Brown’s Wind Up, Snoopy vs. Red Baron and Snoopy’s Junction, which all opened at the park in 1973.
All 12 of Camp Snoopy’s rides have a maximum minimum height requirement of 48, and more than half are accessible by guests who are at least 36″ tall. Camp Snoopy is also home to two roller coasters: Woodstock Express and Wilderness Run. The area also has several really nice seating areas, featuring shaded rocking chairs.
Carolina Harbor
A water park with a storied history (read more about that here, here, and here), Carolina Harbor’s humble beginnings started in 1982 as a separately ticketed wave pool adjacent to Carowinds. Since then, the water park has undergone multiple transformations and evolutions into the largest water park in the Carolinas. With 15 water attractions ranging from family-friendly to soaking thrills inside of its 27 acres, there’s something for everyone inside Carolina Harbor, even if you want to just lounge around in one of thousands of beach chairs!
Carolina Harbor has two main entrances, one located inside Carowinds’ gates, and a dedicated “water park” gate, outside the park. (There is also a secondary entrance inside the park.) Carowinds and its water park hold the distinction as the first amusement park/water park combo where one ticket granted you entry into both the “wet” and “dry” parks. Among Carolina Harbor’s the highlights of Carolina Harbor’s attractions are:
Boogie Board Racer
Carowinds’ newest attraction will be the longest mat-racing water slide in the south-east when it opens later in 2021. Alongside five other racers, you’ll zip through multiple passes of outrageousness and into a 360-degree loop before a surprise drop into a splashdown finish.
Blackbeard’s Revenge
The centerpiece addition when Carolina Harbor debuted in 2016, Blackbeard’s Revenge is a six-slide tower with three unique experiences; Captain’s Curse, Cannonball Drop, and Pirate’s Plank. The latter are three “drop” slides where sliders enter a “capsule,” only to have the floor drop out from underneath. These slides are not for the faint of heart!
Surf Club Harbor
Carowinds’ 27,000 square foot wave pool, Surf Club Harbor, opened in 2016. Whether it’s enjoying the wave pool from inside, or observing carefully at a safe and dry distance from the nearby cabanas or lounge chairs, seeing the five-minute cycles of waves that reach six feet high will be certain to cool you off during the summer!
Seaside Splashworks
Another 2016 addition, Seaside Splashworks is a water play structure with fun for the entire family. Take a look at the photo above. You’re not getting out of Seaside Splashworks dry. There are six slides inside the structure, and you’re sure to get drenched by the 423-gallon tipping bucket that dispenses its contents every few minutes.
Special Events
Carowinds plays host to several special events each year, including the new-for-2021 Grand Carnivale during the summer, SCarowinds and the Great Pumpkin Festival during Halloween, and WinterFest during the holiday season.
Grand Carnivale
New to Carowinds in 2021 will be the Global-inspired Grand Carnivale. Carowinds describes it as the must-see cultural event of 2021, and having experienced it at Kings Dominion in 2019, I would have to agree. From July 17-August 1, Carowinds will play host to the Spectacle of Color Parade, the Carnivale street party, and plenty of unique food and beverage options. Our recommendation? Mark your calendars. This is going to be fun!
For more information: Click Here!
The Great Pumpkin Fest & SCarowinds
Each fall, Carowinds has tricks and treats for all ages during The Great Pumpkin Fest and SCarowinds, which take place at the park in September and October. By day, the PEANUTS characters come together for some fall family fun at the Great Pumpkin Fest. By night, Carowinds transforms from theme park to scream park with the haunts and scare actors at SCarowinds. If you’re curious what a night at SCarowinds looks like, be sure to read our reviews from past visits! (2016 | 2017 | 2018)
Note: Due to COVID-19, these events did not happen in 2020.Â
WinterFest
After Halloween, Carowinds transforms again, this time from Scary to Merry, just in time for WinterFest! The premier holiday event in the Carolinas brings millions of lights to the midways of Carowinds, along with unique holiday fare and live entertainment. As someone who has visited the park countless times, WinterFest is one of my favorite times to visit the park – it’s decorated beautifully, the entertainment team has a lineup of stellar seasonal entertainment, and the food is among the best I’ve ever had in a theme park setting.
During WinterFest, there is also the WinterFest Wonderland parade, which is highly worth watching, between the talented performers, ornate floats, and energetic soundtrack. You might even catch a glimpse of the big guy, Santa Claus, himself!
 
 
 
For an added bonus, be sure to visit WinterFest on New Year’s Eve, which comes complete with a midnight countdown and spectacular fireworks display!
Note: Due to COVID-19, WinterFest at Carowinds did not take place. A similar, yet completely different event, Taste of the Season took place during Winter of 2020.Â
Live Entertainment
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For a regional park, Carowinds has an impressive array of live entertainment. From shows like Cirque: Seasons or Busker Jam to more seasonal in-park live musical acts, each one of Carowinds’ shows is worth watching, sometimes multiple times in a season! These talented performers will have you tapping your feet or clapping your hands in enjoyment!
Note: As of this writing, the 2021 Live Entertainment Schedule for Carowinds has not yet been announced. Head to Carowinds’ website for more information!
Where to Eat
In recent years, Carowinds has transformed their culinary offerings, because the park realizes that dining is just as important to the overall theme park experience as rides and live entertainment. With more than 30 food and beverage outlets located throughout the park, there are offerings for everyone’s taste. If you’re looking for a dining recommendation while inside the park, we would recommend ordering from one of the following restaurants.
Pro Tip:Â These parks have hired executive chefs for a reason. They’re serving up high quality food in many of the in-park, non-chain restaurants. I can’t, on good conscience, recommend visiting Chick-Fil-A inside of Carowinds, and it’s one of my biggest pet peeves. Whenever I visit the park (except on Sundays), there is a line out the door of the in-park Chick-Fil-A. There is probably the added benefit of familiarity for a lot of park guests, but if you’re *really* craving Chick-Fil-A, there is one located less than 10 minutes from Carowinds that features a full menu at regular Chick-Fil-A prices.
Harmony Hall Marketplace
Inside Carowinds’ largest eatery, you will find a variety of dining options that are certain to suit any taste. Not only will you find traditional theme park fare like hamburgers, hot dogs, and (hand-breaded) chicken tenders, but you will also have the option to dine on less traditional theme park meals like house-smoked barbecue (including pulled pork, beef brisket and ribs), fresh-made salads, baked pasta dishes, and quesadillas. There are also some grab-and-go options.
For those who want to imbibe in some adult beverages, there is also a full bar serving a variety of drinks and specialty cocktails. For those who would rather not imbibe, there is also a bank of Coca-Cola Freestyle Machines. Inside Harmony Hall, the seating is arranged like a banquet hall, with long wooden tables and wooden benches. The seating area is often used for special events in the park, and depending on the season, a musical or entertainment act may take the main stage inside periodically throughout the day.
If you’re looking for a unique theme park meal, we recommend the sliced brisket with a side of macaroni and cheese. Paired with a side of Carowinds’ homemade barbecue sauce, you’d be hard-pressed to find better brisket in a theme park. The culinary team smokes all of the meat onsite, so if you happen to be riding Intimidator at dusk, you may catch a whiff of something delicious!
Blue Ridge Country Kitchen
Carowinds’ newest restaurant, Blue Ridge Country Kitchen, opened in 2019, adjacent to Copperhead Strike. A dining location that formerly sold Pizza, Burgers and Chicken Wings, (aptly named Wings) was given a refresh, along with a new menu that serves rotisserie chicken and beef, seasoned sausage, along with southern side dishes like collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and roasted potatoes. While pizza remains on the menu of the new blue ridge country kitchen, we recommend the “Rotisserie” Pizza, which comes topped with the aforementioned chicken, beef, and sausage. Topped with a dash of Carowinds’ special “Copperhead Strike” sauce, it’s a very flavorful option!
Inside the seating area of Blue Ridge Country Kitchen, you’ll see a wide variety of artwork with names that sound very familiar, especially if you’re a fan of Carowinds and other Cedar Fair parks. There is a storyline that connects many of Cedar Fair’s parks through a series of “Easter Eggs” that can be found all over Blue Ridge Country Kitchen and the surrounding Blue Ridge Junction area.
If you’ll look at the tip above, you’ll notice we try to stay away from chain restaurants while in a park. That said, it’s worth noting that Carowinds has an in-park Starbucks (right near the main entrance!) for those who need a little bit of extra caffeine to power through their day. For a full list of Carowinds Dining Outlets, click here!
Where to Stay
Just like E. Pat Hall’s original vision, it’s now possible to stay on-site in a hotel room at Carowinds. Between their “official” on-site hotel, RV Resort & campground, and nearby hotels, there are any number of options on where to stay while visiting Carowinds.
Springhill Suites by Marriott at Carowinds
Carowinds’ first on-site hotel, the Springhill Suites by Marriott at Carowinds, opened in late 2019. If location is what you’re concerned about while booking a hotel stay, there truly is no closer lodging to Carowinds front gate. You can walk, at a moderate pace, from the front door of the hotel to the front gate of Carowinds in just under ten minutes. The amenities at the Springhill Suites are fairly standard for those who frequently stay in chain hotels, but each room has compartmentalized bathrooms to make getting ready even easier, along with plenty of electrical outlets in all the rooms to charge all of your devices. There is also a pool, gym and meeting space.
To take a visual tour of the Springhill Suites, be sure to read our article that details all of the rooms and amenities. For more information, click here!
Camp Wilderness
Carowinds other on-site lodging option is for those who want to relax a little during their visit. Camp Wilderness features 15 cabins (including 2 ADA-accessible cabins) that sleep up to 8 guests, a Grand Wilderness that sleeps up to 14, and dozens of full hookups that can easily accommodate both pop-ups and RVs up to 45 feet. The RV/Cabin resort also features amenities like a pool, volleyball court, cornhole, and a trading post. For more information on Camp Wilderness, Click Here!
Guests at both Springhill Suites by Marriott at Carowinds and Camp Wilderness have access to discounted park admission.
Other Area Lodging
Looking at a map, you’ll notice that there are some other mid-to-lower tier chain hotels and motels in the immediate vicinity of Carowinds. (Comfort Inn, Sleep Inn, Motel 6, Quality Inn and Best Western). While we’ve stayed at a few of these during past visits to the park, they’re all pretty much on par with one another. (If we’re hard pressed to choose one, the Comfort Inn is in a slightly better location than the others across Carowinds Blvd, but the QT across the road is a better gas station than the Shell Station/Wendy’s combo next to the Comfort Inn. For us, it would really come down to which is the cheapest.)
If you’re not concerned with amenities and will only have your room for a bed, shower, and maybe some Wi-Fi to visit Coaster101.com, then by all means, do a little hotel shopping and choose the option that suits your needs and budget the best. Any of these hotels or motels are a short drive to the park.
Tips and Tricks
Ride Nighthawk First
If you’re set on riding all of Carowinds’ roller coasters, it’s our suggestion to ride Nighthawk first. We get it. We didn’t even list Nighthawk as one of our “highlight” coasters earlier in this list, and you probably want to ride Fury 325, Copperhead Strike, or even Intimidator first. You need to resist temptation, and arrive at the park as early as possible to ride Nighthawk first thing. When taking into account the capacity of its trains (2 trains of 24 passengers) and the coaster’s unique loading procedure and restraints (which takes a little longer than your traditional coaster does to load and check), the line for Nighthawk is going to move slower than the lines for other coasters with more trains like Fury 325, Copperhead Strike, and Intimidator.
Visit on a Weekday or Sunday
Carowinds, like many amusement parks, is most crowded on Saturdays. If you want to accomplish a lot during your visit, you’ll wait in fewer lines during the week, or when arriving at the park on a Sunday morning. Often, visiting earlier in the season is ideal, as crowds increase throughout the summer. With SCarowinds, we recommend visiting on a Sunday night if at all possible. Some of the largest crowds we’ve ever seen at Carowinds have been on Saturday Nights during SCarowinds.
Do you have any Carowinds tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll add them!
Know Before You Go
Before you visit Carowinds, we recommend purchasing your admission tickets in advance online, rather than purchasing them at the gate. As of this writing, Carowinds is currently having a pre-season ticket sale, good for any single-day admission for $30 off the gate ticket price ($70), as well as a Funday bundle that includes admission, parking, and a single meal for $45.00. You can also pre-purchase parking for 20% off the price you’d pay at the park. ($16 vs. $20.) Not only will you save money, but you’ll also save precious time waiting in line.
This may come across as sales pitch-y, but if you plan on visiting Carowinds at least twice in a season, the Gold Season Pass ($99 as of this writing) pays for itself after your second visit when factoring in the costs of admission and parking. Frankly, it’s a great deal. With a season pass, gold level or higher, parking and admission are included. There are also Pass Perks and discounts that come with your pass.
There are also other additions, including all-season dining plans, drink packages, Fast Lane and Fast Lane Plus, and all-season FunPix. For more information, be sure to check out Carowinds’ website!
Last piece of advice before visiting Carowinds – make sure you’re following the park on social media for the most up-to-date information: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram, and be sure to consult the park website before visiting!
Thanks for reading! Hopefully you’re ready for your next Carowinds trip!
Did you like this guide? Which park should we do next? Let us know in the comments below!
10/10 absolutely loved! Will have to visit now 🙂