Top 15 Rides at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 

I absolutely love the Giant Dipper! It's not the fastest or highest, and it doesn't loop, but it gives a great, classic ride. Spectacular views of the beach and ocean by day, and cool lights by night.

This boardwalk continues to evolve. I’m so impressed!

Just watched your video on SC boardwalk and it took me back to my childhood. I grew up not far from the park and spent many days riding all the rides. The giant dipper was for sure the best, in fact there were days when you could buy an unlimited wrist band for 5 dollars and ride all rides from 10-5. We would count and many of those days we road the giant dipper 50 or more times. Thanks for brimmed back to a special time in my life.

As someone who actually lives in Santa Cruz and has visited the boardwalk many times, I can proudly say that: 1. Giant Dipper is the best roller coaster 2. Haunted castle is the best in terms of scenery and small details 3. Shockwave is the best family-friendly and deceptively fun non-coaster And my honorable mentions go to: 1. Logger's revenge for beautiful view 2. Wipeout for amount of induced nausea (like seriously) 3. Serpent for a more family-friendly roller coaster with fun scenery (not listed in video)

I’m glad that Ring and Clown’s Mouth carousel gets to be on this list. It’s my favorite ride at the Boardwalk because it’s tolerable and is the only carousel in California that let’s guests do something.

The cheaper ride tickets at 5pm are amazing. This place always has a magical energy to it even long after the rides close, this is the best park on the west coast

I spent two summers there, 78 & 79, and had a blast. Bussed tables at the Ideal Fish Restaurant at the wharfs entrance, then hit the arcade after work. Good times for sure.

Cyclone looks like top 3 at the park, I absolutely love those sustained Gs for literally the entire ride, the park has a great wooden coaster and an S&S Super shot which makes this park fantastic.

Went on wipeout today and I gotta say this one has one of the whipest transitions and yanks you out of your seat a few times

I love the carousel and the cave train, but I'm also really fond of the Tsunami, which isn't on your list. Great video, thanks! June 2023, I'm amending this, because I've just recently fallen in love with WipeOut, Tornado Ghost Blasters, and Riptide as well!

Very entertaining and fun to watch. Thanks for posting this.

Canobie Coaster 40.9K subscribers FUN FACT: (In case you were wondering) The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park was actually the primary filming location that was used in the 1988 horror comedy alien invasion film "Killer Klowns from Outer Space" (one of my all time favorite horror movies that I will watch alongside the 1987 film "Predator"). I absolutely love watching that iconic horror film class every year in October!

I went in December so most of the rides were not open. I love Giant Dipper, so much I feel comfortable saying the best coaster of the 1920s is still in operation. It definately holds its own with modern thrill machines, which really surprised me being that it runs Morgan's wooden coaster trains. The only mild critique I have is to sit so the laterals slam you into the side of the train, not the seat divider. I will also say that I consider their caroucel to be the best caroucel in the world. No other caroucel that I've done is capable of getting the addrenaline pumping like Santa Cruz's with the combo of the rings and lights. While I didn't get to do the dark rides because they aren't open in December, the mini golf more than compensated with similar elements to what you'd get on a dark ride. Glow sections, canons, animatronics, it's the full package. Easily the best mini golf I've done. And while the ride availability may be limited, if you want 15+ rides on both Giant Dipper and the Caroucel, go in December. It's clear the lines get bad in peak season looking at your footage but everything was walk ons for me. While I do want to go in the summer at some point to do dark rides, I was pleasantly surprised with what it was like in December.

In 1966, I was only 4 years young when my family moved to San Jose, only 20 minutes away from the beach. . Once my other 4 siblings & I were older & tall enoudh to ride the adult rides we would come to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk almost every year. . . Now, much later in life, (thru my 40s 50s & now early 60s) for the last 20+ years my youngest brother & I have made it our tradition to come to this historic Boardwalk & relive our carefree, fun- filled, younger days. . . As older men, we appreciate the UNDERTOW built in 2013 bc it's smooth & easy on our bodies especially our backs. . . In 2016, we rode it 32 times in a row bc of extremely short to no lines. . . Our other favorite is of course, the GIANT DIPPER a classic wooden coaster soon to be 100 years old this year of 2024! We always get the automatic photograph taken while on the ride. . . Unfortunately bc of it's sharp & rough turns are old bones can only take about 4-5 rides per year. . . Also the Typhoon, Double Shot, Logger's 🌊Revenge, Shockwave & Sky Glider are all great fun & easy on older bodies. . . Lastly, in 2024, two new rides will be added: a 65' Ferris Wheel & the Surge ?? (see their website for details)

Seems like a fun boardwalk. Giant Dipper would be the reason for me to go. The log flume and carousel seem cool too. Makes me want to go to Indiana Beach. I can't believe the Summer is already over.

Use to go there all the time as a teenager. I like the Big Dipper one the best🤪

Seems like a fun little place!

My favorite Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk rides are Cave Train Adventure, Haunted Castle, Ghost Blasters, and the sky glider.

Great Memories at Santa Cruz Board Walk ! 1960 Service time ' Begonia Fest Queen 🙂

I wish more parks had Rock O Planes

Why does this look so cool!

I love the Tsunami,the Joker,the sea swings,and Crazy surf

I definitely have went on all of them I live in California and it's so fun

My personal ranking; 1: Giant Dipper, it’s a must do 2: Undertow, also a must do 3: Fireball, went higher than I thought 4: Double shot, a lot of thrill and gives u an amazing view 5:Cyclone, not bad 6: shockwave, pretty fun 7: logger revenge, only fun part is the last drop. 8: crazy surf, boring 9: pirate ship, it’s all right

I went here countless times as a kid, i had no idea how lucky i was until i visited more small parks and other boardwalks.

You can’t go wrong with those small S&S Towers

This park is so much fun. It's been a while since I've visited. Three things stand out to me there besides the beach. 1) Loggers Revenge is okay as a log flume but it's an example of a ride that can be 100% made by a great view. I think the view alone makes this a very memorable ride. 2) Haunted Castle is an excellent dark ride. I generally think that non-screen-based dark rides need to be separated into two categories: Disneyesque and Boardwalkesque. We are all familiar with Disneyesque dark rides but most Sally dark rides are more Boardwalk like. The Boo Blasters rides and Gobbler Getaway are typical examples. But I think Haunted Castle is the best of the Boardwalkesque dark rides. I really think Cedar Point should have a ride like this, as well as several other parks like Hersheypark, Magic Mountain and Carowinds. It isn't something elaborate like Forbidden Journey or Haunted Mansion and it doesn't need to be. And it's just creepy enough not to be a joke. 3) Giant Dipper. It's just an absolute classic with few coasters that can really rival its classic status.

Great place for family fun. Fun Fact: some scenes from the movie: The Lost Boys were filmed at the boardwalk.

This place gets so crowded during holidays like 4th of July - We really need more trains and high speed rail 🚄🛤

I’m going tomorrow 😅 wish me luck cause these rides are gonna be lit!

Santa Cruz! SANTA CRUZ!

excellent review! although I do like tsunami more than 14 and 15

In my opinion: 3. Giant Dipper 2. Rock-O-Plane 1. Wipeout

My favorite is definitely Typhoon!

looks like a lot of fun!

Will you be making a top 15 boardwalk rollercoasters in the world? (If you haven’t already)

I go to Santa Cruz a lot in the boardwalk there is amazing

I like a nice old creaky wooden rollercoaster.

Honorable Mention: Beach Train. Though not affiliated with the Boardwalk, Roaring Camp Railroads' Beach Train takes you from the beach to the Redwood forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where you'll find a narrow-gauge railroad with logging steam locomotives running up steep grades to the top of Bear Mountain.

I want to go see Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk 😃

Fireball is a KMG Afterburner. Not a Chance Revolution.

The rides are the same from 1990s?

Since I was born we have been going to Santa Cruz every summer

Awesome!!

so I think cyclone is actually not a hrubretz - but made by battech, which is basically the modern offset. Unless it still has its drive tires, (I think)

I would fail miserably with that carousel's rings, considering that I had a very difficult time getting them on the one at Knoebels. I was not gifted with that athletic skill.

That’s interesting they brought back typhoon! I’m sad they got rid of the old school Ferris wheel

So did you also revisit California's Great America and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom while there? Come to think of it, did you just visit Northern California or were you adventurous to do the drive and revisit the southern part of the state also?

Have you ever been to the Santa Monica pier? They have a roller coaster there called the west coaster. I thought it was kinda lame when I rode it. But, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts.

yes

Iaapa just posted a behind the scenes of the giant dipper

I almost died on the double shot-

Has the Ferris wheel been removed?

santa crush .... 🤞 😅

Number 15 is one of the worst flat ride types in the world. In Israel there was one, I called him a torture device. I like parks, roller coasters and most flat rides but this thing is simply a vomiting machine without any fun IMO

I live in Santa Cruz it’s the best

so where are the lost boys?

12 used to be called Mighty Mouse.

Been here 3 months ago. But i dont see the cyclone. I posted a video

Giant dipper isn’t 100 yet in 1 year it will be

2:38 relatable

Only 10 rides there.

Are they open every day?