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When you think of the word Theme Park- where do you think of? My guess is you think of a place with a wizard or a place with a mouse. But believe it or not, there are lots of different theme parks all over the country…including here in Idaho! That is right, Idaho has it’s own theme park. Today I am excited to share with you all about Silverwood Theme Park.
Welcome to this month’s Blogorail Peach Loop. Today we are exploring regional theme parks. Lots of fun can be found locally!
Where is Silverwood Theme Park Located?
Silverwood Theme Park is Idaho’s only theme park and is located in northern Idaho in a town called Athol (it’s okay to laugh, we always do). Athol, Idaho is located just minutes from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and about 30-40 minutes away from Spokane, WA. The Canadian border is approximately 90 miles north.
When is Silverwood Open?
Like many smaller theme parks, Silverwood Theme Park is a seasonal theme park (much like Lagoon) being open mostly in the summer, and then weekends in the spring and fall. Boulder Beach (the water park section) is closed after the weather begins to cool down. During October, the park is made over for Halloween (much like Lagoon or Knott’s Berry Farm). You can find the park calendar HERE.
How much does Silverwood cost?
Silverwood theme park has varying prices depending on how you purchase your ticket, how far in advance you purchase, and how many days you purchase tickets for. A general admission ticket, at the gate for adults runs $48 and children will pay $25. For those used to Disney and other theme parks, it is important to note children are considered adults starting at age 8!!! Children ages 2 and under are free.
Multi-Day tickets are a better deal and something really cool, if you decide you need another day, you can purchase a bounce back ticket BEFORE leaving the park that is good for the next day. If you are able to plan your visit in advance, I STRONGLY suggest pre-purchasing your tickets online AT LEAST 3 days in advance as this will save you $8 off an adult 1 day ticket. Silverwood also has an after 5 pm ticket option that runs $25/adult. You can find all the ticket information HERE.
If you will be visiting the park for more than 2 days, I strongly suggest purchasing a season pass. It gives you free entry, free parking, discounts and more. There is a single pass available, or a Gold Pass which allows you to bring up to 2 guests in with you each time (so while it is more expensive, it saves you money if you have a family rather than getting everyone their own pass). You can find info on season passes HERE.
Rides at Silverwood Theme Park
Silverwood has a lot of fun rides for the entire family, so don’t feel like you can’t go even with younger children. But there is no shortage of thrills either. We are going to break down the rides by thrill level. (This does not include rides in Boulder Beach)
High Level Thrill Rides- include the Aftershock, Corkscrew, Panic Plunge, Round Up, Sky Diver, Spincycle, Timber Terror and Tremors.
Medium Level Thrill Rides– included in this level are rides such as Bumper Boats, Krazy Kars, Krazy Koaster, Paratrooper, Roaring Creek Log Flume, Scrambler, Thunder Canyon, Tilt-A-Whirl and the Tiny Toot Coaster.
Low Level Thrill Rides- included here are the Antique Cars, Barnstormer, Butterflyer, Carousel, Climbing Trees, Ferris Wheel, Flying Elephants, Frog Hopper, Kiddie-Copters, Kiddie Wheel, Puppy-Go-Round, Red Baron, and the Steam Engine Train.
Boulder Beach
Boulder Beach is the water park inside of Silverwood Theme Park. Boulder Beach is open seasonally, and is included in your park admission. It includes a lazy river, several water rides/slides, and you can also rent cabanas. The hours for Boulder Beach can vary from the rest of Silverwood Theme Park so be sure to check the park calendar for more information.
Where to Stay
When visiting Silverwood Theme Park, one of the hardest things to figure out is where to stay. You can stay in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho if you want to be near by. If you are hoping to save money, there are plenty of areas to camp in Northern Idaho, or you might try staying further away in Spokane, WA or Moscow, ID. One great option that Silverwood Theme Park has is they actually have an RV park (which also has tent sites). The price ranges from $35-$60 per night depending on the accomodations needed. The RV Park includes free WiFi as well as discounted tickets. You can find out more about the RV Park and check availability HERE.
So- What Are My Thoughts On Silverwood
So, what does a Disney addict think about Silverwood? For starters, I actually didn’t realize Silverwood was considered a Theme Park. From being a Disney regular who is totally emerged in the story of each area, I did find the theming of the park a bit lacking, and I probably would have considered it more of an amusement park then a theme park.
As for the rides- many of the rides are similar to rides you might find at your state fair or a carnival. Now, don’t let that discredit the entire place- remember Goofy’s Sky School in Disney California Adventure got a whole lot of back lash for basically being a designer ride (often called a mad mouse) so even Disney has used some of these types of rides. That said, the thrill rides are definitely a lot of fun, and for the price you pay, the other rides are a great value.
The value of Silverwood is great. for $40 (if you purchase online ahead of time) you can get around 10 hours of fun. That boils down to $4/hour. On top of that, the lodging is much more affordable than many larger theme park areas and with the option of camping and seeing the beautiful northern Idaho area at the same time, you can really make a trip to Silverwood a full vacation for the fraction of the cost as going else where.
It is definitely a great place to get your fix in between trips to larger theme parks. The biggest bonus in my eyes is that the lines are much more manageable compared to Disney, Universal or even Six Flags. You can spend most of your time riding and not in line.
check out the other great posts from the Blogorail!
Here is the map of our Blogorail Peach | Family Adventure | Regional Theme Parks
- 1st Stop – Love Our Crazy Life | Idaho’s Theme Park- Silverwood
- 2nd Stop – Adventureland Pam | Busch Gardens Williamsburg
- 3rd Stop – Trips with Tykes | California’s Great America with Kids: The Complete Guide
- 4th Stop – This Roller Coaster Called Life | Hersheypark
- 5th Stop – Alway Moving Mommy | Spending a Family Day at the Roller Coaster Capital of the World
All photos courtesy of Silverwood Theme Park.
Those look like some serious coasters – had never heard of this theme park and I’m always amazed at some of the offerings of smaller places. Not so small after all! 😉
Nice post! I’d seriously never heard of this park, and I’ve been to Idaho many times. But I have been to Lagoon and Knotts Berry Farm, so I appreciated the comparisons.
I have never heard of Silverwood. Sounds like a lot fun and it really cool that it has a waterpark attached to it as well!
I have been to Idaho before, but I didn’t realize there was a theme park there! It looks like there are some fun rides, and it does seem to be a good value for the money.
This looks like a great regional park. Must be gorgeous there in the summer!! And I really appreciate the water park being included.
I’ve never been to Idaho and have never heard of this park. Looks like it’s got some nice, well-kept rides, though. 🙂