For those looking to combine screams with savings this summer, vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo ranked 42 theme parks across the country based on affordability and attractions in its annual Theme Park Index, while also taking nearby lodging into consideration.
Six Flags Great America, the "Thrill Capital of the Midwest" just ranked high on a list of the country's top theme parks.
The list, produced by vacation rental marketplace HomeToGo ranked 42 theme parks across the country based on affordability and attractions in its annual Theme Park Index. The rankings also took nearby lodging into consideration, editors said.
To determine a park's affordability score, HomeToGo calculated a score for each park's ticket price, parking price and nearby nightly vacation rental price, editors said.
Each park's attraction score was determined by the number of active roller coasters and other active attractions at each park, editors added.
Four of the list's top five amusement parks were located in the Midwest, with Six Flags in suburban Gurnee coming in at No. 3.
Topping the list was Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, located in Santa Claus, Indiana, outranking all of the other top five parks in terms of affordability.
Holiday World posted an affordability score of 28.56 and an attractions score of 15.65, leading to an overall score of 44.21, topping Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, which came in at No. 2
Ranking in third with a total score of 41.85 was Six Flags Great America, which tallied a 23.50 affordability score and an 18.35 attractions score.
Coming in at No. 5 was Adventureland, located in Altoona, Iowa. Boasting dozens of attractions and seven roller coasters, the park scored a 41.43.
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The only park not in the Midwest to crack the top five was Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, ranking fourth with a score of 41.49.
In the report, HomeToGo editors also ranked the "Best Amusement Parks For Roller Coaster Lovers," with Six Flags Great America nabbing the No. 4 spot.
"The Midwest is home to some of the biggest, most acclaimed theme parks in the world, and Six Flags Great America is up there with the best," the park's entry reads. "Offering visitors 14 roller coasters of all shapes and sizes, roller coaster lovers of all ages will be blown away."
Saturday, Six Flags Great America will debut "Sky Striker," its newest ride, to the public. According to officials, the ride is the Midwest's "tallest pendulum ride."
The full ranking and more information on HomeToGo's methodology can be found here.
