Carowinds Amusement Park

Carowinds is a theme park on the state line between North and South Carolina with your car rental Charlotte.

Blowing in the Wind

Carowinds was conceived as a resort area that would include hotels, a shopping center, golf course, and pro football stadium. However, with the oil crisis of the early 1970s, attendance was down and the resort plans were abandoned. In 1993, the park was bought by Paramount Communications and the park was re-invented. The park was built around he history and culture of the Carolinas. The park was eventually acquired by Cedar Fair Entertainment in 2006. It is one of the smaller parks that was once owned by Paramount. It is a popular destination to visit with your car rental Charlotte and one of three major theme parks in the Carolinas (the others are Freestyle Music Park in Myrtle Beach and Wet ‘n Wild Emerald Pointe in Greensboro).

Cruise the coasters

When you visit with your car rental Charlotte, there are a number of roller coasters at Carowinds that you can try out. Afterburn is an inverted roller coaster. Carolina Cyclone is a arrow dynamic with 2 loops and 2 corkscrews. It was the first coaster to have 4 inversions. The Carolina Goldrusher was the first roller coaster at Carowinds and was the first coaster to cross state lines. The Carolina Cobra is a “boomerang” coaster in which you are pulled to the top of the hill and released, then you will repeat the ride backwards. Nighthawk is a flying coaster. There are also a couple wooden coasters, including Thunder Road and Hurler. Finally, there is Vortex, the stand up roller coaster.

A thrill a minute

There are also other thrill rides besides roller coasters when you visit with your car rental Charlotte. Drop Tower is a free fall tower that will drop you 100 feet to the ground. Southern Star is a looping ship thrill ride. There are also a couple of additional rides that cost extra: Xtreme Skyflyer and Thunder Raceway Go-Carts.

Trips for kids

Of course, when you visit with your car rental Charlotte, there are also things to do with kids here. For kids under 5, Nickelodeon Central and the live shows are a good place to start. You can take a train ride and see some of the favorites from Nickelodeon. There are also a number rides for kids 6-12, there are 20 attractions as well as the water park.

Plan your visit

To get here with your car rental Charlotte, take the I-77 to South Carolina exit #90 at the state border. The Park is 15 minutes south of Uptown Charlotte and 15 minutes north of Rock Hill, SC. The best time to visit, if possible, is during the week rather than the weekends. Hours of operation also vary depending on the time of year that you visit, so you will want to call or check out their website to find out when they are open when you plan on coming. There are lockers on site, so you might want to pack a few things just in case the weather or anything else changes. You will want to be comfortable when you spend the day here. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes and don’t bring any valuables - you don’t want to loose them on the rides! Of course, there are plenty of places to get food and drinks here, and outside food and drinks are not allowed.

When you visit with your car rental Charlotte, Carowinds is a thrill-a-minute theme park that is located on the border with South Carolina. It is fun for people of all ages.