By Suzanne Sampson

Would you like to spend quality time with your kids without breaking the bank?  Nothing beats an afternoon at the park or in the swimming pool for low-cost, kid-pleasing summer entertainment, but sometimes we all need a break from our regular routines.   When you are in the mood for extra fun, yet relatively low-key family outing, try Funderland.  We took our three-year old daughter there and were pleasantly surprised.

Funderland dates back to the 1940s and still manages to retain much of the charm and simplicity of that era.  Our daughter loved the roller coaster, one of the few around that will accommodate riders as young as two years old (the minimum height is 36”).  We loved the low prices.  Admission to the park is free, and all rides cost $1.50 each on weekday, $1.75 on the weekend.  You can also purchase an unlimited-ride wristband during the week for $13.50.  Parking is free.  Occasionally, there are other specials listed on their website http://www.funderlandpark.com Admittedly, this park can get a bit pricey if you have older children who go on the rides over and over.  However, it’s the perfect place for younger children who may just want to try a few rides.  It’s also affordable as an add-on to a day at the Sacramento Zoo or Fairytale Town. Both are located just across the street.

Whether kids like to go fast, around and around, or take it slow, there is something for everyone.  There are nine rides, most of which are suitable for children as little as two-years-old, and up to about nine or ten years old.  Infants are welcome on the train ride and the carousel.  For the thrill seekers in your family, Funderland also has a log ride and teacups in addition to the “dragon” coaster.  The teacups are a bit smaller scale than the more famous teacup ride at Disneyland, but judging from my husband’s expression while riding, just as fun.  Kids can also try their hand at driving the Back Road Buggies, or piloting their own plane.  It was fun watching our daughter figure out how to work the joystick to get her plane to fly up high. She also enjoyed Himalaya, a ride that defies categorization, but involves centrifugal force and lots of giggles.

We were there on a Sunday but there was never more than a few minutes’ wait for any of the rides.  The entire park is fenced, which means that parents of older children can sit and relax while their children ride the rides on their own.  Knowing that it won’t be long before our daughter will want to ride independently, I was reassured to see an attentive roller coaster operator stop the ride early for a little girl who was upset by the ride.  The operator then resumed the ride for everyone else without skipping a beat.  

After a few runs on the surprisingly fast roller coaster, an ice-cold watermelon sno-cone was the perfect way to cool off.  Food is available at a concession stand inside the park, with all of the choices that you’d expect, including hot dogs, chicken nuggets, cotton candy and several flavors of sno-cones.  Fortunately, we ate lunch before we arrived, so we were somewhat immune to the smell of cotton candy wafting through the air.  The park does allow you to bring in your own food (which means you don’t have to be sneaky about bringing in something a bit healthier).  There are plenty of shady places to sit and eat whatever food you decide on.  

Birthday party packages are also available for a reasonable fee.  If you book the party for a weekday, you get unlimited rides all day.  Weekend birthday parties include two hours of unlimited rides for the guests.  All details, including cost, are available on their website.  

After a summer spent touring all the bigger amusement parks, with their high prices, extra charges for parking, and rules against bringing in my own food, this park was a refreshing discovery.  Now that I know that I can purchase a wristband on the weekdays and bring in my own food, my next visit to Funderland will be even more economical.  What’s more, I will feel good spending money at Funderland because all of the profits go into a special fund benefiting Fairytale Town and the Sacramento Zoo.  

Funderland is located in Land Park at 1350 17th Ave (on the corner of Sutterville Road and South Land Park Drive in Sacramento. For more information, call (916)456-0115 (recorded info) or (916) 456-0131 or visit their website http://www.funderlandpark.com.   Hours and days of operation vary by season.   Check with the park for the most up-to-date information before you go.

photo courtesy of Funderland Park
© 10/01/2007 Suzanne Sampson