When is Six Flags Great Adventure least crowded?
The largest of all the Six Flags parks, Great Adventure boasts over 50 rides, including 13 roller coasters. If thrills aren’t your thing, there’s the neighboring Six Flags Wild Safari animal park, one of the largest drive-through safaris outside of Africa.
Six Flags Great Adventure has something for everyone, but what about the crowds? Some days are busier than others. Here are some of the best and worst times of the year to visit the park.
March – April
Opening Day – Great Adventure’s operating season finally begins in late March or early April. Big crowds and long lines are the norm for opening day and through the opening weekend.
Spring Break – The week after opening day is typically Spring Break time for most of the schools in the area. That means the park is open all week long and it’s usually packed. Your best bet for lighter crowds would be on the Sundays after Spring Break week.
May
Weekdays – Great Adventure is open on Thursday-Sunday in May and the weekdays are usually least crowded, although the crowds do tend to pick up a bit on Fridays.
Memorial Day Weekend – Memorial Day marks the start of the summer season and Six Flags gets very crowded for the three-day weekend. The park is still open on the weekdays following Memorial Day, so try to go after the holiday if you can for less crowds and shorter wait times.
June
Summer Season – Six Flags Great Adventure is open everyday in June, as the park gets ready for the summer crowds. Weekdays are again the least crowded days, while Saturdays tend to be the busiest.
More schools start to get out for the summer in mid to late June, so the earlier in the month you go, the less crowded it will be. The summer crowds start to get a lot worse on the last week of June.
July
4th of July Weekend – The summer crowds are out in full force by July, and it’s typically very busy for the 4th of July.
There’s really not much relief from the summer crowds in all of July, including on weekdays, so be prepared.
August
Summer Season – The big summer crowds are still around in all of August.
September
Labor Day Weekend – Great Adventure is typically very crowded for the three-day weekend, as the summer season finally comes to an end.
The park is only open on weekends in September, and Sundays are the least crowded days.
October
Columbus Day Weekend – The three-day weekend attracts big crowds to the park. Be prepared for long lines.
Fright Fest – Fright Fest takes over for the Halloween season on Fridays and the weekends in October. The event is very popular, so try to get there early.
For crowd predictions of upcoming dates, as well as historical crowd ratings, check out the Six Flags Great Adventure Crowd Calendar.
Have you been to Six Flags Great Adventure? How crowded was it when you visited? When do you think is the best time to go? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
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The summer season crowds will be out by then, so I’d be prepared for 40-60min waits. Flash Pass should be a good idea if you want to ride all the coasters.
I think the middle of the week (Tuesday or Wednesday) is best, but there shouldn’t be much of a difference between Monday-Thursday. 40-60min waits is the norm around then. Get there early!
Thanks
What do we think the wait times will be on Thursday June 16th? Should I try and go this week instead?
I’m thinking around 30min. This week should be a little better. The earlier in the month you go the better.
Hey! Do you think it will be crowded on Friday July 8th ? Thanks in advance
Yes, it’s usually fairly crowded by then. It shouldn’t be as bad as the weekend though. Get there early!
I think the information for June may need to be updated. June 9th is listed as “Ghost Town” on the calendar, and the guide says “Weekdays are again the least crowded days…more schools start to get out for the summer in mid to late June”. I booked a day off work in the hope of getting a quieter day, but there were hundreds of school buses and thousands of kids celebrating class graduation field trips. I got on 6 rides all day. I doubt June 9th could ever be a ghost town if so many local schools are out and celebrating class graduation around that time.
What do you think the wait time will be at Six Flags Great Adventure on Monday, July 18th? Will get there very early.
It’s usually worth it around then since the summer season crowds will be out. You can always wait until you get there to see how the lines are before buying, but I’m thinking it would be helpful.