Playland - Rye, New York - traditional amusement park in New York

Located in Rye, New York, Playland (often called "Rye Playland'') is the only amusement park in the country to be fully owned and operated by the government. It was founded in 1928 by Westchester County, who's residents wanted to cut down on the "unsavory'' people who frequented Rye Beach and Paradise Park. The county combined the two parks into Playland, and it became National Historic Landmark in 1987. Today, a number of the original structures still are part of the park.

Playland has five roller coasters, which are some of the park's main attractions. One of the most popular is Dragon Coaster, a wooden roller coaster that was originally built in 1929. This coaster reaches speeds 4 miles per hour and heights of 80 feet. There are less than 100 wooden roller coasters still in operation in the United States today. Along with Dragon Coaster, the park has Superflight, a steel coaster built in 2004 with two loops, as well as Crazy Mouse, a steel wild mouse coaster built in 2003. Additionally, there are two family-friend roller coasters in the park, including one specifically for children that was originally built in 1928.

There are also a number of other rides at Playland for guests not interested in roller coasters. Guests often ride the log flume to cool off during the day, and the park boasts a large Kiddyland area with rides such as the Mini Scrambler, Kiddy Carousel, Flying Dragon, Red Baron, Swing Around, Convoy, Jump N Bean, Kiddy Whip, Boat Ride, Crazy Submarine, Fun Slide, Antique Cars, Himalaya, Sun & Moon, Slime Buckets, and Pirate Ship. All of these rides have minimum and maximum height requirements

The park also has a miniature golf course, which is 19 holes and costs $4 per person to play. Nearby, guests can enjoy the beach, which has a short boardwalk, as well as the pool. Beach and pool access costs between $2 and $6, depending on age, and they also have chair, locket, and umbrella rentals for guests. Along the lake, guests can also rent two-person or four-person pedal boats or take a lake cruise, which lasts around 15 minutes. Playland is also home to the Ice Casino. This rink is home to Manhattanville's ice hockey teams. This rink has been around for over 75 years, and there are weekday times for the public to skate, as well as for adult-only skating and children's hockey. In addition, they have birthday party packages, party nights, and family skating nights.

The rink isn't the only area that holds special events at Playland. There is daily entertainment, which is free with a park ticket, as well as Friday concerts and holiday events. Some of the daily shows guest can see include a magician, Robot Man, costumed characters, strolling singers, and a family of daredevil stunt performers. Times for these shows vary depending on the day and time of year.

General admission costs $30 for adults and $5 for non-riders. Children under 36 inches tall are free, and there are special discounts for Twilight riders and Westchester County residents. Guests can also choose to purchase a non-rider ticket and fun car. Fun cards allow guests to just pay for the rides they want ride. Fun Card points can also be used for food. For more information, guests can call 914-813-7000.