Michigan’s Adventure Theme Park
| Michigan Adventure 4750 Whitehall Rd, Muskegon, MI 49445 |
Michigan Adventure opens for the season on May 29, 2021.
WildWater Adventure Waterpark will open on June 19.
This year, park hours are 11 am – 7 pm. The park is closed on Tues & Wed.
Theme parks can be awesome! And…they can be overwhelming.
After two decades of Florida life, time working as a cast member, and many years of Annual Passes to Disney World, my family couldn’t wait to try the mitten’s local fun park, Michigan’s Adventure.
I was wondering how Michigan Adventure would measure up. We purchased season passes to try it for ourselves.
Some of the perks I found at Michigan’s Adventure compared to other theme parks were:
- It’s affordable
- Food and necessities can be easily retrieved from the parking area
- The weather is more agreeable in the summertime
- You spend much less time waiting in line
- You can revisit your faves without fear of missing out
- Water park admission is included
With some simple planning, it’s easy to have a blast at Michigan Adventure.
Michigan’s Adventure Highlights
Located just north of Muskegon, Michigan, the park is just about an hour’s drive away from Grand Rapids.
“Two Parks for the Price of One”
Michigan’s Adventure is unique because your ticket gets you into both the amusement park and the waterpark for the day, making thrill-seekers happy with their 60+ rides and seven roller coasters.
Little kids will find fun in the new 2021 Peanuts®-themed area, Camp Snoopy.
Water lovers in the whole family can splash away the day at WildWater Adventure water park
You can do it ALL while staying on track with your budget, too.
About the Rides at Michigan Adventure
This is where you can ride a mile-long roller coaster that is over 125 feet tall and travels up to 65 miles per hour!
Michigan Adventure segments riders by height. Below 36″, 36″, 40″, 42″, 44″, 46″, 48″ and above.
To see ride height requirements, download the app or look here.
The park has five rides labeled “aggressive thrill rides.” These include the Corckscrew, RipCord, Shivering Timbers, Thunderhawk, and Wolverine Wildcat.
53 Rides and Experiences are currently listed on the Michigan’s Adventure website.
About the Water Park
Popular features in the water park include:
- Lazy River
- Swan Paddle Boat
- Wave Pool
- Waterslides
See all Water Experiences here.
Life Jackets are required for children who are less than 48″ tall in bare feet or those who are inexperienced or non-swimmers. Life jackets are available for all guests needing special consideration.
Children who are less than 42″ tall must wear life jackets and be accompanied by a supervising companion.
Michigan’s Adventure Open Days, Hours & Admission
Michigan Adventure Rides and the Water Park operate on separate schedules.
Michigan’s Adventure will open on May 29. WildWater Adventure Waterpark will open on June 19.
In general, these are the operating hours for the parks for mid-June, July & mid-August 2021. (Check the park’s calendar to confirm – some exceptions do apply.)
Michigan Adventure Hours
| Sunday | Michigan’s Adventure: 11 am – 7 pm Wildwater Adventure: noon – 6 pm |
| Monday | Michigan’s Adventure: 11 am – 7 pm Wildwater Adventure: noon – 6 pm |
| Tuesday | CLOSED |
| Wednesday | CLOSED |
| Thursday | Michigan’s Adventure: 11 am – 7 pm Wildwater Adventure: noon – 6 pm |
| Friday | Michigan’s Adventure: 11 am – 7 pm Wildwater Adventure: noon – 6 pm |
| Saturday | Michigan’s Adventure: 11 am – 7 pm Wildwater Adventure: noon – 6 pm |
Michigan Adventure Admission
Ticketholders must reserve a spot prior to arriving at the park using the RESERVATION PORTAL.
As of 5/24/21, you may only make reservations to visit Michigan’s Adventure through June 18, 2021. Wildwater Adventure reservations are not yet available.
Pricing may change. These prices were up-to-date as of 5/24/21.
| Early Saver Ticket with Michigan Adventure Reservation Ages 3 & up. Guests 2 and under are free. | $32 |
| 2 Day Pass Come for a weekend or split up the days. | $55 |
| Parking Regular Vehicle | $15 |
| Fast Lane Bypass the lines on 14 rides & attractions | $45 |
| 2021 All Day Dining Pass All Day Dining wristband includes an entrée and a side at participating restaurants during your day at Michigan’s Adventure. Valid for the 2021 season. All Day Dining has a 90-minute interval between each meal. Drinks are not included. | $29.99 |
| 2021 Single Meal Deal Single Meal Dining Plan voucher good for one entrée, one side and a fountain drink at your choice of participating locations during the 2021 season. | $14.49 |
| Cabana Rental 6 guests. Lounge chairs, table, shade. | TBA |
| Single Stroller or Wagon | $15/$10 deposit |
Michigan’s Adventure Tips
Here are several tips to help you have the best day (or two!) at Michigan’s Adventure.
1) Get a Deal on Tickets
When you buy a ticket to Michigan’s Adventure, admission is good for both the theme park and water park. Michigan’s Adventure offers many ways to save on tickets.
Get the most bank for your buck by buying season passes or using special bundle pricing.
Michigan’s Adventure offers season passes – some with food discounts – and free parking. Each family member needs their own season pass. We usually upgrade mine to Platinum to include the free parking. Everyone else gets regular-season passes.
If it makes sense for your family and your budget, you can also opt to add-on extras to your season membership like all-season dining, drinks, parking, photos, or Fast Lane.
Every Memorial Day weekend, military members are given free admission and discounts.
Specials can also be found in the free coupon book, Great Deals, that you likely receive in your mailbox.
Additionally, many Meijer stores sell reduced admission tickets at their customer service counters.
| You may also want extra money to purchase these add-ons: |
|---|
| • Lockers at the front gate or in WildWater Adventure (cash or credit, no debit) • Dining and snacks • Fast Lane wristband to skip the lines for rides • Stroller rentals • Photo Pass, frees your hands from carrying a camera or phone • Cabana rental at the water park |
2) Use the App
Download the Free Michigan’s Adventure Mobile App
Use the Michigan’s Adventure app for:
- Height/weight restriction ride info
- Ride status info
- Ride wait times
- Park map with routes
- Season Pass holders get special in-app offers & discounts
- Car finder – help remember where you parked
3) Planning Makes a Difference
If you have time on your side, spend a bit of it planning. You’ll reap the rewards.
These are some of the plan-ahead things you can do to make your day trip to Michigan’s Adventure even better:
- Plan to get there early to ride all of the more popular rides before the wait times increase. You’ll also find closer parking if you arrive early in the day.
- Download the app in advance (see tip #2).
- Do bring money for parking, and even a bit extra if you’d like to upgrade to preferred parking spaces.
- Check the weather. Michigan’s Adventure offers no rainchecks. We know how unpredictable Michigan Mother Nature can be.
- Confirm hours of operation. These vary throughout the season and differ between the waterpark and amusement park.
- Get a Parent Swap Pass at the Group Sales office to avoid waiting in line twice if you have littles that cannot go on bigger rides.
- Pack the necessities. Sunscreen and sunglasses are a must. I always bring a water bottle that can be refilled at fountains throughout the park. There is not a lot of shade or grassy areas at Michigan’s Adventure – plan accordingly.
- Bonus: If you would like to make your Michigan Adventure trip educational you can do these physics activities with older kids before you go.
| Download the park guide and pre-plan your park strategy. Consider things like: |
|---|
| What does the teen want to ride today? Can we plan our route to minimize toddler tantrums? (Don’t repeatedly pass the toddler by the train if that’s an issue.) For rides with a longer wait, locate the closest bathrooms. Check height requirements to curb day-of disappointment. |
4) Dress for Both Parks with One Outfit
A little extra planning before leaving home can mean a lot less to carry – and much more comfort.
Shirts, shoes, and shorts or pants are required on all theme park rides. However, things like zippers, denim, and rivets are not allowed on water slides. Without packing a suitcase, how do you prepare for both parks?
We wear rash guards and swim shorts and explore the theme park first. After a day in the sun, it feels so good to hit the water attractions, and then we don’t have to walk around soggy.
We’ll wrap up in towels for the ride home or keep a change of clothes in the car. Sometimes we wear swimsuits under our clothes to make changing even quicker without having to run back-and-forth to the car.
For babies and toddlers, plan on water shoes and extra swim diapers at WildWater Adventure, as they are required. Life jackets are available to use at no charge for anyone who wants one.
Don’t forget the towels. (See below for a detailed check list.)
5) Food Options at Michigan’s Adventure
“Mo-om, I need a snack.”
It’s inevitable that someone will get hungry during your visit to Michigan’s Adventure. Although outside food is not permitted inside the park, special allowances are made for dietary restrictions.
There are many options available inside the parks, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and other allergen-friendly choices, too. Whether you crave a cold smoothie or bratwurst from a buffet, the dining locations at Michigan’s Adventure have you covered.
Some families opt to buy a refillable cup to use and share (bring separate straws for different family members).
Other families like to pack a lunch and “tailgate” in the parking lot. They’ll do the regular park first thing, then go to the parking lot for lunch. After that, they’ll go to the water park. With this strategy, they buy drinks and snacks in the park throughout the day, but prefer to save a little money by taking their own lunches.
Since coolers are not allowed, but re-entry is, we personally keep a lunch-filled cooler in the car. This way we can enjoy a healthy, inexpensive meal from home, tailgate style.
I like to use water bottles, filled ¾ way and frozen, as ice packs. After lunch, we take them into the park for cold drinks all afternoon. You may even find some of these camping hacks helpful for meal ideas or food storage.
Usually, the kids don’t want to stop playing to eat a large meal. (And burgers and fries plus roller coasters can equal trouble anyway!) Those are great opportunities to visit local Muskegon restaurants and remember everyone’s favorite activity of the day, before the drive back home.
6) Special Considerations & Safety
If one of your family members has mobility challenges or requires special accommodations, review this page.
Michigan’s Adventure has worked through many scenarios. They have systems in place for everything from Boarding Passes for those with autism or mobility challenges (to help minimize wait times), to a Kid Track system to keep families together.
I always dress my vivacious son in a bright-colored or unique shirt. That way, he is easy to spot quickly in a crowd.
Take a photo of each child as you enter the park. This provides a quick reference if you should get separated in the park.
I also tuck a card with my name and phone number inside a snack-size zipper bag and place it inside each child’s sock or pocket. They’ve never needed to use it, but I feel better knowing I can be reached if they wander off.
As you enter the park, find a tall landmark that can be seen from all locations. Establish it as a meeting place if you have independent teens or if anyone becomes separated from the group.
What to Bring to Michigan’s Adventure
If you’re going for the full 2-parks-in-1 experience, this checklist will help you prep for your day at Michigan’s Adventure.
Essentials
- Sunscreen
- Beach Towel
- Sunglasses or hats
- Hand sanitizer/wipes
- change of clothes
- bathing suit // swim diapers
- plastic bags to hold wet swimwear
- waterproof pouch for money or cell phone
- lip balm
- tummy-trouble medicine
- Tennis shoes for walking around the park
- Flip flops for the water park bathroom & changing areas (footwear is not allowed on WildWater Adventure attractions. )
Nice to Have
- Guests are permitted to bring their own life jacket; however it must be Coast Guard certified. The park provides life jackets.
- A wagon when the kids are a little bigger (instead of a stroller) to cart around all the things especially for the water park portion.
- disposable rain ponchos
- a hairband/clip for long hair
Hotels Near Michigan’s Adventure
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When are the season pass bring a friend days
i am a grand mother with a walker is there any motorize scooter for us disability people ?
If so how much ia rental fee ?
If you have food allergies and don’t feel comfortable eating there, you can bring your food in the park. You have to get a tag on your cooler but then you can join your family when they’re eating in the park.
We enjoy opening the park so we can get the big rides done without a wait. Then we do the not as popular rides, eat then head for the water park to finish our day.
Get an adult meal to split between the kids. More for your money that way.
Hi I have a 3 year old aND a 2 year old I was just wondering how much there ticket is..
If you get the tix thru Meijer, it’s $24.99 per person (3 and up). We went last week, with five children (ages 18mo thru 10yrs). There is truly something for everyone. It’s an annual summer thing for us.
We do the amusement park in the morning (from the kid section back to the scrambler), picnic in the car for lunch around 2pm, work from the Corkscrew back to the waterpark and cool off in the afternoon, then when we’re sick of being wet do the bigger coasters and ride the rail cars and wind down with whatever kid rides we can fit before close.
Note about the new children’s waterpark area – we did NOT like it. There’s no way to keep track of your children in it. It’s packed, it’s big, and it’s overwhelming. Thinking like a pedophile, it’s the perfect place to snatch a kid. I was incredibly uncomfortable with it. We had more fun in the kid-sized wave pool near it, and in Pirate’s Cove… which is now much quieter what with the new park getting all the attention.
Meijer sells discounted tickets- check at their customer service, I am not sure what the price is. Does anyone else know?
Does anyone know of discount tickets for MI Adventure? There are 5 of us and that is pretty pricey….
Thanks for the review. I have been debating on whether or not it would be “fun” for my 3 and 5 year old. Looks like it will be.
Don’t tell my kids that we are going later on in August! I’m excited to try out the new water park- finally something the little people will enjoy and can do! Thanks for the report, Katie!