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!
Image: diffusor
The weekdays after Memorial Day usually aren’t too crowded. Most of the big summer season crowds shouldn’t be out yet.
Okay, thank you for your reply!
Hey Sam. I’m going May 18th. Any idea how the lines will be? Thanks!
The park isn’t scheduled to be open on May 18.
Would may 21st, the Thursday before memorial weekend be a good day to go? Or Would there be as many people as Friday or the weekend?
Yes, I think Thursday will be a good day to go. It should be more manageable than the holiday weekend.
I just realized that hahaha. We are going on June 2nd now. Any idea? 🙂
I’m thinking it won’t be too packed yet since that’s early in the summer season. It usually starts to get busier on the following weeks.
I am going on May 30th is that a good day to go? How long would the lines be for the roller coasters?
Hey, Sam. You seem to be the Great Adventure guru here. Monday, August 31st. Crowded, right? And when you say “less busy”, do you mean like, 30-45 minute lines still? And any clue if fast passes reserved online in advance are refundable on arrival if the park is really empty? Thanks in advance.