California's Great America

408-988-1776

4701 Great America Pkwy Santa Clara, CA 95054

pgathrills.com

Write A Review

Have experience with California's Great America? Write a review!

Click a star and select a rating:

Minimum required characters left: 150 (max 5000)

Title:

 cancel

Insider Pages Reviews for California's Great America

Ratings_icons

parks

by Tammy J. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 3,062

What a fun place you take your family here. There is some thing for every one to do from the big roller coasters to the water park. It is a lot of money but if you bye a pass and go a few times it pays for it self. Try it you will like it.

Posted 01/30/09 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Fun ! Fun ! Fun!

by Salma A. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 425

I went there when I didn't have my son and I enjoyed every second I was there. Last year, I took my son and wow ! we had the most amazing time. They don't just have those boring carousels when it comes to kids rides. They even have a mini roller coaster for your little ones :) and a whole lot of other fun kids rides. I am looking forward to go there again this summer.

Posted 03/16/07 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Theme Park

by Mary E. | top100 Top100 | Rank: 50

I have been taking my kids and grandkids to this park for years - I love the rides - there is rides for every age group - the new water park is really great on a hot day - the food isn't so great - the show are good and the kids really enjoy them - the staff is friendly and helpful.

Posted 10/18/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

LOTS OF FUN

by monica j. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 534

WOW GREAT AMERICA IS A GREAT PLACE TO HAVE TONS AND TONS OF FUN THEY ALSO HAVE A NEW WATERSLIDE AREA IT IS GREAT THE RIDES AT GREAT AMERICA ARE THE BEST LIKE I SAID FUNNNNNN

Posted 10/17/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

used to be fun

by Samantha T. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 6,117

it used to be tons of fun but i got sick of it because they never get any new rides and their water park is really tiny. its kind of dirty there. most of the rides are kind of uncomfortable (the headrests kind of hurt) the only reasons i go now is because of the classic favorites like top gun and well...to scope out the guys. hehe.

Posted 10/10/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

GREAT! America

by Jocelyn C. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 6,386

My middle school celebrated our graduation by taking the entire class to Great America. The roller coasters are absolutely unbeatable and the prices aren't too bad. The WOW cards are totally worth the money, since you'd be able to go back all season! Great America is an assured great time!!!!

Posted 10/05/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Family fun

by tami d. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 343

Great America is a great place for family fun. You can catch live shows, mingle with the park characters and enjoy the thrills of the many rides in the park. Boomerang Bay is my favorite area in the park.

Posted 10/01/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

My Favorite Place on Earth. Really.

by Rebecca H. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 3,004

This park is so much fun now that they have a water park. I love that you can buy a season pass and enjoy the park for days on end for about 50 bucks. The water park insn't huge, but it is just enough to keep you entertained.

PROS: Water park.
CONS: New survivor ride.

Posted 10/01/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

great america

by Jamie N. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 8,376

We love the new water park. It is a great place to spend the day. I love the lazy river. The lines at the park can be very long but the kids always have a great time. I suggest buying a season pass.

Posted 09/30/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Love It!

by Jessica G. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 140

This is a great place to take your family and excellent for the kids they have awsome ride and plenty of things for the kids its always a blast everytime we go!

Posted 09/29/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

The best Theme park.

by Mariah/Nicole D. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 5,189

Great America the best theme park ever. It's a perfect place for families to enjoy.If you go with a child your child would love to go over there again.

Posted 09/29/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Great place to spend the day with you kids

by Sam L. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 795

What can I say... I love Great America. Awesome rides, fun things to do. We especially live they're new water park. I can spend the whole day on the water half-pipe. I suggest getting the season pass... it's a good deal, and parking is included.

Posted 09/29/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Top Gun is still my favorite

by Ciara-Jayne H. | top100 Top100 | Rank: 25

My family are roller coasters fanatic. We have gone to alot of amusement parks in California and top gun is still my favorite. GA is the best amusement park in the bay area so this place gets packed during the summer. WOW card is a must for G' Force lovers.

Posted 09/28/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Great America

by Manuel B. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 6,707

A fun place to take the family. Just 30-40 minutes away. Great rides and tons of things ofr kids of all ages to do. Weather is usually nice, but a sweter is needed at night.

Posted 09/28/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Great America

by Barbara B. | top100 Top100 | Rank: 8

WE only visit on days the park is slow because it gets so crowded. We love the new water park and always get season passes. Sometime the park is dirty and has too many fights if you stay later at night.

Posted 09/28/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

fun, for dirst time goer's

by Alex L. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 2,615

The first time I went there, it was fun, though it was mostly becuase it awas a new experience. Demon was cool and the other coasters were exciting. But the second time I went,everyythign just seemed lackluster compared to other amusement parks like sixflags. Parks without the heavy movie theme. But its a good place to take the family for some fun, I wouldn't recomend this as a park for its rides. It's more for hte over- all experience.
If your looking for a thrill park, look else where for sure.

Posted 08/25/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Great America

by Carole H. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 12,148

I first went to Great America when I was in High School, and now I go there with my family. I really like the rides like Top Gun, Invertigo and Drop Zone. There is a very nice kid area with a lot of Spongebob kind of stuff. I don't like that they put a waterpark in there, but I guess some people do. My favorite ride is Delirium.

PROS: Fun Rides
CONS: Kind of dirty and marked with graffiti

Posted 07/26/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Fun for teens, so-so for the rest of the family

by Debbie G. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 1,519

Great America is great for teens--lots of "extreme" rides. However, it always seems really crowded and is very expensive. Maybe I'm just not a big enough amusement park person to endure all that.

PROS: lots of rides, fun for teens
CONS: expensive

Posted 07/25/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Loved Nick area

by Debbie T. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 3,575

If your kids love Nick and Nick Jr. then this is the place. The water areas are great and seemed to keep the kids happy for some time.

Food is so so and over priced and during the week it's crowded during the summer.

And lots of trash all over the place

Posted 07/25/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Not impressed.

by Paula H. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 5,056

We went to Great America in June for the first time in 15 years and brought our 6 yr. old. The place looks dirty and run down. Most of the staff were unfriendly and lazy. The food choices are unhealthy and, of course, overpriced. And the lines were incredibly long for most rides. Theres nothing real special about this place. Although the water park looks fun, I wish it was not connected to the rest of the park so we could just go there and maybe pay less.

Posted 07/25/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Great America

by julie s. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 12,771

It's a good place to go especially for the older children. I find for the younger bunch, it's hot, not real clean, has too long lines, and has an uptight feel. Great America has a long way to get even close to the Disney feel. Something just seems to be missing.

Posted 07/20/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Best Place for Teens

by Jenni E. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 1,187

Each year we get the WOW card and it's always a great deal. The rides are the best and I love that they keep adding things, such as the new Boomerang Bay. There are 2 things that I don't like...the over-priced food and the lines. But this is a problem in all theme parks. During the day the park seems safe enough to drop off younger teens on their own, but I would not allow them to stay after dark. Still fun for families as well due to the variety of rides and some shows. We'll keep getting our annual passes!

PROS: Great Rides; New Stuff each Year
CONS: Lines; Food Prices

Posted 07/17/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Great rides but the park is dirty

by Rita M. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 9,776

My kids like coming to Great America because of the fun rides, but I honestly hate coming here. The place seems tired and dirty. Also, the crowds seem to be getting more unruly. For example, on the raft ride, two kids who shared the ride with me and my kids would not stop splashing us no matter how much I told them to stop! The park employees couldn't care less if parkgoers don't follow the rules. I really don't care to visit this park again.

Posted 07/14/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

It's ok

by Brian T. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 278

The only reason we go there is for the little kids water park. Everything seems so expensive there these days. Not like when we where kids, it used to be fun there. It's not a place where I feel safe with the kids either.

Posted 07/14/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

never need to go again

by Andrea G. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 884

I don't have the urge to walk into Great America for a very long time. The lines are long, the food choices are unhealthy and it is overpriced. They charge $10 for parking on top of it all.

PROS: some fun thrill rides for older kids
CONS: overcrowded, no healthy food choices

Posted 07/13/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

A fun place for the family

by Belle G. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 167

What can I say. I think we all know about theme parks but having one so close to home is excellent. Their season pass offering is great for kids in the summer time especially if the kids are older and you can drop them off for the day. The park is kept in nice condition.

Posted 05/11/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Not bad for being in the middle of town

by Richard B. | insider_expert Insider Expert | Rank: 6,851

This amuzement park lacks the diversity and depth of Marine World and the notoriety of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, but it's still not a bad place to take the kids once a year or so. The best part of it is that you don't have to drive forever, and for younger kids it can be pretty thrilling.

PROS: Convenient and good for younger kids
CONS: Not as fun as some of the other parks in the Bay Area

Posted 05/09/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Not like it used to be

by Diana P. | insider_guru Insider Guru | Rank: 236

I was disappointed on my last visit to this park. It looked dirty and unkept. Sure, it isn't Disneyland, but there should be a level of cleanliness and maintenance that reflects the Paramount image.

I was amazed at the spider webs and dirty buildings that could be seen while standing in line for rides. Sure, these areas aren't a focal point, but it was grimey and dirty to look at. It sure isn't the same park that I visited in my childhood.

Posted 04/30/06 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Ratings_icons

Lots of rollercoasters!

by Anonymous

Great America was a great time. The park isn't big enough to visit for more than a few days, but there is plenty to do. Like Disney or similar parks, there are themed cartoons and rides for all ages. Teh big draw is definately the rollercoasters though. There are tons of thrill rides, and some of the wildest coasters I've ever been on. From old wooden coasters, to newer inventions were riders are standing up or flying in the superman position. I definately recommend Top Gun, that was the best coaster there by far.

Posted 11/28/05 | Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Ratings_icons Ratings_icons
Map and Directions to California's Great America

Get Map & Directions

See the best nearby...

Restaurants | Coffeehouses | Delis | Bars