– By JENNIFER BREWER

Special to the Maine Sunday Telegram

York County boasts an impressive number of family-friendly amusement parks, from the historic Palace Playland at Old Orchard Beach to York’s Wild Kingdom zoo and park in York.

There’s been a park at Old Orchard since 1902, and visiting Palace Playland today is sure to bring nostalgia to adults while creating exciting memories for children.

Although the rides and games are constantly updated, there is a timeless appeal to visiting a beachside amusement park, where the sounds of the sea mingle with the music of the merry-go-round, and the scent of fried dough blends with the salty air.

“There used to be a lot of oceanfront amusement parks in New England. We are the last one,” says business manager Fred Golder.

PALACE PLAYLAND occupies four acres of property directly alongside the long, sandy beach. There is no fee to enter the park. Rides require two to four $1.20 tickets, or an unlimited day, two-day or seasonal pass can be purchased.

There are rides for every age and every taste, including 13 kiddie rides, two roller coasters, classics like the tilt-a-whirl, carousel and Cascade Falls flume ride and many thrill rides, including the Adrenalin pendulum ride and the Drop Zone tower.

The Electra Wheel 70-foot ferris wheel offers spectacular views of the coastline, and features an LED display that Golder calls “very beautiful, almost like fireworks.” (Actual fireworks are set off at Old Orchard every summer Thursday at 9:45 PM.)

Rides are joined by 16 midway games and 300 arcade games, including a brand new 16-alley skee-ball. One arcade attraction has been there for at least 80 years: an automated fortune teller that Golder says is nicknamed “Grandma.”

No visit to Old Orchard would be complete with perusing the shops on Old Orchard Street, perpendicular to the beach, or indulging in French fries (with white vinegar for the most authentic local flavor), pizza, ice cream or fried dough.

Also essential is a walk on the pier, an attraction-lined boardwalk extending over the water at the end of Old Orchard Street. The pier has been built and rebuilt several times since the turn of the last century, with destruction by storm and fire in between. Today’s circa-1980 structure houses five restaurants including the famous Patio Pub at the end of the pier, with a view of the Atlantic from the windows and deck, and even through the floorboards.

Parking can be challenging at Old Orchard. Early arrivers might snag a parking meter, or space in one of the private lots closest to the park. There are also two municipal lots nearby. The Amtrak Downeaster train stops just 100 yards from the beach.

As if Palace Playland weren’t enough fun, Aquaboggan Water Park and Funtown Splashtown U.S.A offer even more rides and excitement, just three miles away on Route 1 in Saco. All three parks are linked by Old Orchard Beach Trolley, which runs hourly trolley-bus service from Old Orchard to the Saco parks and back.

AQUABOGGAN has been thrilling (and chilling) Maine residents and visitors for three decades. The park’s eight water features include a variety of water slides plus a giant wave pool, bumper boats and the Splash ‘N Play pool and playground for smaller children. In addition to the watery attractions, Aquaboggan has go karts and a landscaped 18-hole miniature golf course.

About two miles south of Aquaboggan, Funtown Splashtown’s roots go back to the early 1960s, when separate owners opened a drive-in restaurant, miniature golf course, go-kart track and a few rides and other attractions. By the 1970s, Funtown was going strong. The water park began developing in 1978, and Funtown Splashtown was born in 1996.

Today, the merged parks pack over two dozen rides and five water slides onto the property, along with arcade games, gift shops and 16 themed food stands. “In the last 15 years we’ve invested millions of dollars in the attractions and grounds,” says Ed Hodgdon, in group sales and marketing.

“We ride on the leading edge, and with new technology rides can do things they couldn’t do before.” The grounds are “manicured and lush,” he adds. “We spend a lot of time on them, so that we have not just top-notch rides but a top-notch environment.”

Rides include two roller coasters, including a wooden coaster that Hodgdon says is northern New England’s largest. The Thunder Falls flume ride is New England’s tallest and longest, he adds.

Visible for miles around, the Dragon’s Descent is one of the most popular thrill rides, carrying riders up the 220-foot tower and then dropping them down. The ride requires a minimum height of 52 inches, and Hodgdon often overhears younger children saying that they can’t wait to grow tall enough.

For the less adventurous, there is a carousel with a Stinson band organ, and several kiddie and family rides. Although little remains from the early years, the circa-1976 Astrosphere is still in place. “It’s one of a kind,” says Hodgdon. “It’s a scrambler, but with a laser light show and music that you don’t find anywhere else.”

Admission to both Aquaboggan and Funtown Splashtown is by all-day pass, with free parking. Separate Funtown and Splashtown passes are available, although Hodgdon says the combination pass is most popular. Both parks offer specials, such as Aquaboggan’s discounted Mondays and Funtown’s discounted admission after 3 PM.

YORK’S WILD KINGDOM isn’t much more than a stone’s throw from the ocean. The attraction combines a zoo and an amusement park, which is just two blocks from York’s Short Sands Beach, says general manager Amy Wheeler.

York’s amusements are geared mostly to young children, says Wheeler. They include the Wacky Mouse, a new roller coaster with “no big drops and loops,” a merry-go-round and kiddie rides. Rides also include go-karts, a scrambler, bumper cars and a ferris wheel.

The park has a midway with one-dollar games and win-every-time kiddie games, plus plenty of food including “the Seacoast’s largest fried dough,” says Wheeler, and a mini-golf course and batting cages.

The zoo, which requires separate admission, began as an animal forest park after World War II, Wheeler says. Privately owned, it currently houses about a hundred species, from ducks and prairie dogs to monkeys, lions and tigers.

A full schedule of animal shows includes three shows a day with Lydia, the long-time resident elephant. Repeat visitors enjoy re-visiting old friends like Lydia as well as seeing new animals. “It’s different from season to season,” says Wheeler.

York’s Wild Kingdom prides itself on conservation efforts, including breeding programs, and the education it provides visitors. “We want to help the species,” says Wheeler. “It’s one thing if you see a tiger on TV, another if you see it in real life — it means more.”

Jennifer Brewer is a freelance writer who lives in Saco.