10 Tickets to Ride - Connecticut Spots for Thrill Seekers

At the world’s largest indoor ropes course in New Haven, you have options. There are two ropes courses reaching 60 feet high, with more than 100 elements, four 200-foot-long zip lines, four climbing challenges and a kids’ course. New tweaks are regularly made to the courses, which hover over the Waltzing Water Show’s awesome fountain.

An old-time charmer in Middlebury, Quassy celebrates its 111th season May through September. The Splash Away Bay water park is a huge hit with kids, in addition to rides, arcade, midway, swimming and boat tours on Lake Quassapaug. Rides include the Wooden Warrior coaster, Frantic pendulum, Skipper’s Clippers pirate ships and Up, Up & Away balloons.

Roller coasters are a major draw to this Bristol theme park, particularly the triple-launch Phobia Phear and the wooden coaster Boulder Dash. Fierce animatronic dinosaurs line the pathways through Dino Expedition. Cool off at the Crocodile Cove water park with slides, wave pool, lazy river and play area with water cannons. Recharge after a day of play at the on-site Lake Compounce Campground, which includes tipi, hut and cabin sites.

Almost all the action at this former quarry in Portland takes place in the refreshing lake. You can slide or jump into it from the rocky cliffside, zip over it, scuba under it or climb the inflatable obstacle course floating on top of it. There are six new zip lines and additional inflatable elements as well as an expanded beach area. Dry off and go rock climbing, biking or hiking.

More than 40 life-sized dinosaurs live in this Montville park, and you can walk among them along 1.5 miles of trails. Other attractions include the T. Rex Tower, the Jurassic Moon Bounce, Monty’s playground and Discovery Depot—an indoor area with gem and gold digging. New England’s largest splashpad, a zero-depth water park, is great on hot days. The newest addition, Copper Creek Mini Golf, is so challenging that only kids eight and over get to play it.

Tucked into the trees behind The Discovery Museum in Bridgeport, this aerial forest ropes park consists of 11 different courses of bridges and zip lines, connected by 180 platforms. Anyone aged five years or older can find one at their comfort level. During Glow in the Park nights, the entire course is lit up in color

This outdoor zip line and climbing park in Storrs offers a variety of aerial trails for beginners through experts. These trails of cable, wood and rope crossings, including zip lines, are connected by platforms in the trees and are lit at night for late-day climbing. Plan your visit during a fun event like Superhero Day or Luau Night for music, games and prizes.

This indoor rock climbing gym in Wallingford offers safe but challenging rock climbing surfaces, the highest reaching 40 feet. The newest wall features separate top rope and lead anchors, and steep lead-only sections. Kids and beginners should start at Mountain Fun—the auto belay stations let you climb without needing to know knots or rope techniques.

Bring your friends to get locked up together. Sound fun? Escape rooms let you solve puzzles together, against the clock, to win your release. At Escape 101 in Danbury, you have 60 minutes to work through one of three adventures. At Mystified in Mystic, B.Y.O. costume if you choose to play Chaos at the Comic-Con. If you don’t want to be locked in, Pursue the Clues in Torrington offers mysteries to solve while progressing forward through the space.