Lake Compounce is historically significant as being one of the oldest parks in the US and has an awesome wooden roller coaster and also a good mix of classic flat rides as well. At one point in time they used to include beverages with admission, however I do not know if this is still the case.

Also Rye Playland is closer to NYC so traffic may be more of a factor, but maybe not if you are from the New York Area and used to that sort of thing.

Lake Compounce and its not close

Rye Playland is going through a transition with management, so I’m not sure how much of the park is open right now - I would check the web site to see in advance if you are considering going, but for now it’s mostly kiddie rides open.

Lake Compounce is probably the better choice although there’s not as much theming to it - but they do have a dark ride and the car ride is cute there.

I have a lot of affection for Rye Playland, but this is a no brainer. Go to Lake Compounce. Lots of history, lots of charming rides and beauty, the best wooden roller coaster in the world

Boulder Dash at Lake Compounce is a Bucket List coaster.

Was there today, all major rides were open. Phobia was running very well. Boulder Dash has a very rough section after the first drop but was hauling today, fantastic roller coaster. Zoomerang isn't my thing but wasn't unbearably rough. Wildcat has some uncomfortably rough sections, be warned about that.

Love this place, the kids can run pretty free and Boilderdash is a legit rollercoaster.

Best time to go is October. They have a huge haunted house and you can ride rides after

The kids will love it. It closes at 8pm I think….just fyi

They were struggling to get some of the rides inspected and approved by the state at the beginning of the season, didn't know it was still ongoing. The rumor I heard was they lost a good chunk of maintenance staff so they focused on getting the main attractions up and approved (Boulderdash). From what it looks like on their site almost everything should be back up and running now, though

I haven’t been to that place in about 20 years. Didn’t know they installed a new roller coaster.

The park is currently closed for the season, but I managed to get some great shots of the empty park. Super eerie Jason Vorhees vibes, I loved it :)

I bought my pinball machine from them a few years ago. Had never been there, but always saw the comercials. It's like a travelling carnival found a nice spot next to a lake and decided to stay.

Last time I went was in 7th grade but I went a lot as a kid..good times! Though it was pretty bad in the mid 90s for a while..

I was pleasantly surprised by Lake Compounce and think Herschend is the perfect company for it to thrive under. Same with Kennywood and Adventureland. Herschend acquiring that group of historic, regionally beloved, and to some a bit underwhelming/mismanaged, parks is a great move. They won’t be Dollywood or SDC but I’ll bet they’re all better off 10 years from now

What you said about people who are terrified of roller coasters but can still enjoy them is true for me. I get a little scared every time it's my turn to board a roller coaster train, but I try not to scream and I still enjoy the roller coaster. So for me, roller coasters always get better than I think whenever I ride them.

Will i be able to get in with the platinum splish splash membership

What's your scoring system, max of 2 points per category, x5 categories so 10 is a perfect score?

Been doing season passes there for the last eight years… The kids love this place, it's super chill and the rides are great for anyone under 14... Lake is super clean and the waterpark is a ton of fun. Food is way too expensive here but they sell beer thank God...

This looks nicer than I remember as a kid. Actually thinking about taking my 5 year old.

Worked for them one summer. The owner was scum. I'll never spend a nickel there.

it’s great if you have little guys.

Was just there on Sunday. The kids loved it. The wooden rollercoaster is super fun.

For those ages, I’d skip Quassy. Quassy is great for little kids but can get stale quick for older kids.

I’d say Lake Compounce, but I think it also depends on where you live and what is more convenient. Even Quassy could be worth it if you’re super close. We’re going on our third year of season passes there. It’s only 20 minutes away so we can go any random time we feel like it.

100% Lake Compounce. After a few times they would get board with Quassy, and Six Flags can get crowed and overwhelming with kids that young. Best bet LC.

I think the attendees at Six Flags are a drag. YMMV

With kids that little I would be thinking, which place is the most family friendly

Also would think about distance

They are all in entirely different locations so I would go with whatever is closest to you.

Lake Compounce. I suggest upgrading your membership to the one with free parking, though.

Today, I visited Lake Compounce for the first time. It’s pretty good! Not sure how soon but I’ll definitely make a point to return here in the future.

The park has a lot of charm - it reminds me of old school Hershey, particularly the front half of that park around Comet and Sooperdooperlooper. Lots of classic amusement park architecture, and so many trees. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many trees in a park. Usually I ding a park for blacktop paths, as they always make it feel hotter and they look cheap. But it didn’t bug me today, likely because of how green the park still is.

Despite plenty of visible marketing and signs billing Lake Compounce as America’s first amusement park, it doesn’t feel like stepping into the past the same way a park like Knoebel’s does. It’s a flat rate to enter the park, there are digitally posted wait times, a skip-the-line pass, meal plans, and preferred parking, just like any modern day park. I can’t help but wonder if the park would thrive more as a Knoebel’s-like, with a ticketing system, free entry, and better food vending.

The park has an impressive ride offering for its size, with a good variety of low to high thrill flats, the obligatory classics, and four major coasters. Ride placement is also consistently intelligent here. Wildcat creates quite a landscape at the park entrance, their pirate ship is positioned on top of a manmade waterfall, Phobia is at the top of the hill and visible from everywhere in the park, and Boulder Dash is almost always visible careening through the woods from guest pathways.

The employees. Uh…I saw both ends of the spectrum today. Granted it was dead and it was Tuesday, but still. F-bombs and N-bombs being dropped in front of children, complete lack of expression from food and merch, and ride operators unaware that they should be shut down due to nearby lightning. Also tried to buy a shirt but after ten minutes, gave up on waiting for an employee to show up at the cash register. But at the same time, the crews on Boulder Dash, Wildcat, and Phobia were friendly, moving at a decent pace, and very accommodating to guests.

Rides are also fully staffed and have groupers. In the era of United’s penny pinching and the Six Flags merger, that’s becoming an increasingly rare thing to see. They also haven’t torn down their Skycoaster.

Unfortunately, around 2:30, all rides went down for nearby lightning, and rain came around 3:00. I would’ve stuck around to wait it out and get some evening laps on Boulder Dash and Wildcat, but I have an advance screening of Superman tonight at 7pm and needed to get back to my hotel an hour north.

But if you’re in the area and have a spare $50 laying around, I’d recommend swinging by and checking Lake Compounce out. I’m excited to see if Herschend does anything with the place, there’s a lot of potential and a lot of things already going well for the park.

The park feels a little like Hershey because when it was rebuilt in the 1980s Hershey owned it. It was Hershey Lake Compounce. I can still hear the motto “come back to Hershey Lake Compounce - it’s America.” I worked there two summers.

Boulder Dash gets even faster later in the evening. It's also one of the best night rides too

Great TR. For Boulder Dash, I know the titan track really exists not only to smooth out the ride but also lets them not have to worry about track maintenance since a lot of the track is hard to get to however I really hope they don’t titan track all of it. It is making the ride run extremely fast consistently rn but I pray they keep as much wood as they can. The out of control feeling is the reason why this ride was considered one of the best in the world. My rides last year really put it over the top.

I was about to get semantic with respect to Knott's Berry Farm, but soon realized LP is "Amusement Park" while KBF is "Theme Park".

Mystic. Lovely town to walk around in, great shops and restaurants. Quintessential Connecticut.

Stonington Borough. It’s a very cute, coastal area with shops, restaurants, etc. and right on the water.

Your post is too vague. Some people will probably say restaurants, state parks, town/city parks, museums, and so on.

Bridgeport

Merrit Canteen

I would recommend *to you a day trip to Mystic. Be sure to seek out some great seafood while you are there. It has a lot to offer depending on what you enjoy doing. It's a lovely town to just walk around.

Going by your username, you may really enjoy Book Barn in Niantic. And if you’re in the area, I would definitely recommend Fox Farm Brewery.

For a combined cool town/cool site trip, visit Gillette Castle State Park and then hop on the little river ferry to visit Chester.

Gillette Castle was the home of William Gillette (the actor who essentially created the stage appearance of Sherlock Holmes) and features some cool architecture, plus trails that follow the path of a narrow gauge railroad he had on the property (including through a tunnel). If river conditions are right, you might also be able to spot what’s left of a houseboat he owned that was destroyed in a fire.

Chester has a beautiful little downtown with some nice shops, restaurants, and a good brewery.

Yale Peabody museum, art gallery, and/or library. Then invite yiur Reddit friends for Pizza 🍕 at Sally's, Pepes or Modern.

You’re getting to the time of year when heading up to Kent Falls, taking a trip to the brewery and then heading downtown would be a pretty fun day. Fife and Drum is a lunch spot I like.