United States Amusement and Theme Park Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034

United States Amusement and Theme Park Market Outlook

The United States amusement and theme park market size was approximately USD 19.64 billion in 2024. The market is assessed to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% between 2025 and 2034, reaching a value of USD 30.84 billion by 2034.

Key Trends in the Market

The United States amusement and theme parks reflect some of America’s most cherished values including inventiveness (focusing on creativity and entertainment), strong work ethic, and technical expertise. They create high energy environments for people to experience entertainment by setting up a combination of thrilling rides, food stalls, and gaming centres, among others. They fulfil a range of objectives for the government and the people, including economic, educational, emotional and creative, informative, and social ones.

• Increasing popularity of specialised theme parks is expected to contribute to the United States amusement and theme park market growth. This is because they provide an immersive experience surrounding different destinations (real or imagined) and themes, including specific cartoon characters, chocolate, wine, and religious history. For example, Dollywood theme park, located in Tennessee, enables people to appreciate the beauty of the Smoky Mountains and the Appalachian culture.

• The use of virtual reality and augmented reality, intelligent motion control, wearable technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics is enabling companies to provide a safe and thrilling experience to visitors. The increasing integration of advanced technology with existing models is one of the key United States amusement and theme park market trends. For example, people can now experience roller coaster rides in a virtual world, access key theme park attractions quickly, and order food using wearable devices, providing customers a truly connected experience, which is boosting their popularity.

• There is a growing shift towards clean energy sources to power rides and trains and attract Millennials and GenZ, which represent the most extensive customer base, favouring the United States amusement and theme park market demand. This is line with the increasing focus of investors to cater to millennial patrons and GenZ, who are becoming increasingly environmental conscious. For example, the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in western USA runs on solar energy which has increased the annual footfall of tourists there. Walt Disney World also relies on solar farms as one of its energy sources.

Market Analysis

Based on type, the market is segmented into theme parks, water parks, adventure parks, and zoo parks. On the basis of rides, the market can be divided into mechanical rides and water rides, among others. The United States amusement and theme park market segmentation, based on age, includes upto 18 years, 19 to 35 years, 36 to 50 years, 51 to 65 years, and more than 65 years.

By revenue, the market is categorised into tickets, food and beverage, merchandise, and hospitality, among others. The major regional markets for amusement and theme parks include New England, Mideast, Great Lakes, Plains, Southeast, Southwest, Rocky Mountain, and Far West.

The comprehensive EMR report provides an in-depth assessment of the market based on the Porter's five forces model along with giving a SWOT analysis. The report gives a detailed analysis of the following key players in the United States amusement and theme park market, covering their competitive landscape and latest developments like mergers, acquisitions, investments, and expansion plans.

• Walt Disney Company

• Six Flags Entertainment Corporation

• SeaWorld Entertainment Inc.

• NBCUNIVERSAL MEDIA, LLC

• Cedar Fair Entertainment Company

• Fun-Plex Waterpark & Rides

• Family Kingdom

• Camden Park

• Atlantic Beach Park

• Funland

• Others

Market Share by Rides

As per the United States amusement and theme park market analysis, the demand for water rides is expected to witness an upward trend over the forecast period. This is because people naturally love spending leisure time in water and moreover, water rides have evolved with and have been heavily influenced by the Hollywood, which has increased their popularity among children (for example, Pirates of the Caribbean and Little Mermaid). They add to the ride mix of amusement and theme parks, which attracts tourists all year round especially in areas like Central Florida, due to its year-round sunny weather.

Mechanical rides are also expected to register a significant growth as the attraction of rides like the Ferris wheel, carousel, and tilt-a-whirl increases among people.

Market Share by Region

California accounts for a significant United States amusement and theme park market share. This is because the origin of Disneyland in the state popularised the attraction for fun parks among people. Florida and New York also have some of the highest numbers of amusement and theme parks in the United States because of high tourist footfall. Over the forecast period, the number of amusement and theme parks is expected to increase rapidly due to favourable government policies to support the travel and tourism sector. Thus, the US amusement and theme park market outlook remains positive, recording significant profit.

Competitive Landscape

Walt Disney Company was founded in the 1920s and is headquartered in Burbank, California. It is a diversified entertainment company that owns film studios, sports channels, and amusement parks. It has three business segments through which it operates which includes Disney Entertainment, ESPN, and Disney Experiences. It aims at entertaining and inspiring people through storytelling and innovative technologies.

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Orlando. It is a zoological organisation that is engaged in providing veterinary care and rehabilitation services for animals. Through its amusement parks, it aims to instill a feeling of compassion towards animals and promote their protection and rearing. It has made Parent’s Choice and Emmy Award winning shows like Sea Rescue and The Wildlife Docs.

Atlantic Beach Park was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Misquamicut, Rhode Island. It is owned and operated by the Trefes family. The Herschell-Spillman carousel is the main attraction of this tourist destination, and the Windjammer Surf Bar provides drinking and eating facilities with live entertainment performances. It also provides renting options for some of its facilities like the Mariner Room for occasions like weddings, family reunions, and other private get togethers.

Other major players in the US amusement and theme park market include Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, NBCUNIVERSAL MEDIA, LLC, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Fun-Plex Waterpark & Rides, Family Kingdom, Camden Park, and Funland, among others.

Key Highlights of the Report