Visitors to Carowinds Park can enjoy a wide variety of rides, from roller coasters to thrill rides to kiddie rides. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, the amusement park also includes waterpark filled with various waterslides and other attractions.
The park also hosts SCarowinds around Halloween and Winterfest around Christmas.
Guests can "feel the sting" on the Fury 325, the fastest and tallest giga coaster in the world. Riders on open-air trains reach a height of 325 feet before soaring down an 81-degree drop. The ride then flies into a huge 190-foot barrel turn and high-speed curves, reaching up to 95 mph. Fury 325 is the longest steel coaster in North America at 1.25 miles.
Nighthawk at Carowinds Park is the closest visitors will get to flying. Riders soar through the sky and above water as they twist, dip, and dive on a daring ride. The first flying coaster of the Carolinas starts with a tense climb and then flies down eight inversions, mostly flying face down, towards the ground and then towards the sky. The first drop of the ride is 115 feet, reaching speeds of 51 mph.
One of several thrill rides, Drop Tower drops guests from 100 feet at speeds of up to 56 mph. Riders ascend into the air in an open car, and have a few seconds to take in the view of the park before the free-fall drop. The ride stops above the ground at sixty feet before slowly bringing riders back to the ground. The Southern Star, a looping giant Viking ship, swings riders in a pendulum motion, providing them with a weightless experience through rapidly changing directions and forces. For guests spending a hot summer day at Carowinds Park, Rip Roarin' Rapids offers the perfect way to cool off. Riders will get soaked as their raft journeys around waterfalls and over bumps.
Plants vs. Zombies™ Garden Warfare 3Z Arena is the first intra-active 3-D attraction in the world. Based on the franchise, players are immersed within the game's universe to find the golden gnome. The intra-active feature allows guests to interact with the screen of the opposing team. Players step inside the state-of-the-art complex, complete with massive screens, 3D technology, motion-based seats, and surround sound to enjoy imaginative and outrageous encounters while competing against another team.
There are also plenty of more laid-back family rides, as well as rides designed for Carowinds Park's youngest guests. Carolina Skytower, one of the signature and original attraction at the park, is an air-conditioned cabin that climbs a tower of 262 feet. Visitors can enjoy panoramic views of North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as the park's scenery, as the tower rotates.
The thrills of the Carowinds Park meet the charm of coastal Carolina within the Carolina Harbor waterpark. One of the newest additions to Carowinds, the expansive waterpark includes everything from wave pools and massive waterslides to a giant children's area and large structures for playing. From easy-going to thrilling, Carolina Harbor has plenty of attractions to enjoy, as well as a restaurant.
300 Carowinds Boulevard, Charlotte, North Carolina, Phone: 704-588-2600, website, Map
