There is something special about experiencing nostalgic moments with your child by your side. Both myself and Ben are Connecticut natives and have fond memories of visiting Lake Compounce as children. The park has been around for over 175 years, making it America’s First amusement park! A few weeks ago, we had the joy of taking Benny there for the first time. Although he is still too small for the rides, we had a wonderful visit. We can’t wait to return next summer when he’s older!
Getting There
Lake Compounce is located in Bristol, Connecticut, which is near the middle of the state. You can purchase tickets before your visit, making it so easy to check in once you arrive. We were shocked at how quickly we got there from lower Fairfield County. It was the perfect distance for a quick day trip, and Benny napped the entire hour-long ride. Double bonus! Once we got there, there were plenty of parking options. The Lake Compounce staff was so friendly and helpful right from the start as we checked in.
Visiting the Park
The cool thing about Lake Compounce is all the different activities there are to do. There is the actual lake, Connecticut’s largest water park, and, of course, the rides and carnival-style games. I hadn’t been back in over twenty years, and I’d forgotten how many rides there were, especially fan favorite rollercoaster Boulder Dash. You can check out Lake Compounce for details on each ride, and it even gives an intensity rating. During the summer, they have a free concert series every Saturday night with park admission.
If rollercoasters aren’t your thing, the park has tons of mild rides, including classic favorites like bumper cars and a carousel. Benny wasn’t quite tall enough to make the 36-inch height cut-off. I’m sure by next summer, he will be tall enough for all the little kiddo rides. They look like so much fun! We spent most of our visit strolling around, watching the rollercoasters go by. Benny was shrieking with laughter, listening to the people screaming as they soared by. On a summer weekend, the park was busy, but we never felt crowded as we walked around, and the lines for rides moved relatively quickly. We played many carnival-style games and finished our visit with dinner at Johnny Rocket’s. One of our favorite memories was when Ben won Benny a gigantic shark stuffed animal. Now, if we can only figure out where to put it in our house!
Thank you for having us, Lake Compounce! We can’t wait to visit again next summer. *This post is sponsored
