Visiting Story Land - a New Hampshire Amusement Park

I have fuzzy, 30+ year old memories of visiting Story Land as a kid. Summer days at Mother Goose's House and rides on the yellow flying dutch shoes. These nostalgic childhood memories are what makes it all even sweeter, taking my kids to the same park I visited as a kid and seeing the same charming rides mixed in with updates to the park.  

If you have young kids in the northeast, Story Land is a must. I know Disney World gets a lot of attention and many families save up vacation time and cash to take their kids to the "Most Magical Place on Earth". As someone who has visited Disney as a child and again as an adult, let me tell you, Disney lost a whole lot of magic over the years. The crowds, the level of planning needed to get around long lines, and the expense is wild. The Point Guys broke down their Disney World trip (3 nights lodging, 2 days at the park) on a "nice but budget conscious" trip - over $3,662 for three nights and two days at the park, not including flights. 

Story Land on the other hand, was even better than I remembered. Of course, it's a much smaller, and seasonal park set in the White Mountains of New Hampshire but here's the thing... Your 4-year-old does not care how big the park is. They care how happy/not stressed their parents are, how many rides they can get on, and how long they might have to wait for these rides. In all of these aspects, Story Land delivers. I wasn't resentful at the cost, tickets were $40 each for Adam, Whitney and I, $30 for seniors, and kids under 3 years old (Piper) are free. The longest our son waited was 20 minutes for those antique cars kids love to drive, and the roller coaster. Everything else was 10 minutes or less, even on a busy summer day. Whitney rode the flume three times, the roller coaster twice, the antique cars, the tractor ride, two times on the water raft ride, an hour at the amazing new splash pad, and then some. We got there right at opening, left for an hour for naps/rest time, and then closed out the park. We played on playgrounds, had lunch, rode every ride he wanted, and watched him cackle and squeal at the splash pad and water slides. 

There is something so magical about how simple things can make kids so happy. They don't need big lavish summer trips, an afternoon at the lake with a fish net is just as great. On the same note, while a trip to Disney World is great, a trip to Story Land *in my opinion* isn't just as great, it's even more magical at this age. So much so we already planned a trip back for late in the summer. While you can do a lot of the park in a day, there were areas of the parks and rides we didn't get to experience. We plan on going back and taking advantage of the "Final Three" (discussed below) to really be able to enjoy the whole park with a few extra hours. 

History 

"In 1954, the Morrells bought a piece of affordable land in Glen, acreage that the previous owner said wouldn’t even make a decent pasture. With some local help, they built a handful of colorful buildings and characters, and opened for business in late 1954, a year before the opening of Disneyland forever changed amusement parks." Read the full history here.

Need to Know - Visiting Story Land

• Over 50 attractions (themed rides, play areas, shows) 
• New Moo Lagoon water play area
• The park opened in 1954, making this their 70th year in operation. 
• Pet Kennels are available for use free of charge on a first come, first served basis, no reservations
• Open rain or shine - rain checks may be given in some instances.
• You can leave and come back same day (get a stamp)
• Pick a day pay ahead passes were between $30 and $40 in 2024. Parking is free
• The park is open from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m
• Main attractions are aimed at kids between the ages of 2 and 12.
• You can bring your own food in, or there are cafeterias/eateries in the park. You can also leave to go out to eat elsewhere or back at your Airbnb.

T i p s 

• Take advantage of the Final Three When you visit our park after 2pm with a paid admission ticket, you'll get a FREE return ticket for an additional full-day at Story Land through October 14th, 2024. Visit the park from 2pm - 5pm until October 13th to qualify and free return tickets expire 10/14/24. - no reservation needed, just show up after 2pm.
  
• Get there early and stay until close! Make it a fun full day and if you have little ones, you can leave for an hour and come back for car or hotel naps. 
• The least busy day to visit Story Land tends to be Sunday
• Don't forget towels and a swimsuit for the water park area