The park where the state line runs between the rides.

Carowinds opened on March 31, 1973, on a site deliberately chosen to straddle the line between North and South Carolina — a piece of cooperative regional boosterism so on-the-nose that the name itself is a portmanteau of Carolinas and winds. The original developer, Charlotte businessman Earl Patterson Hall, wanted a destination park that both Carolinas could claim. He got one. The border still runs through the park; a brass plaque in the central midway marks the spot.

For most of its first three decades the park was a regional draw — Top Gun and Carolina Cyclone for the brave, the carousel and the antique cars for everyone else. The transformation came under Cedar Fair, which bought the park in 2006 and began investing in its coaster lineup. In 2010 came Intimidator, named for Dale Earnhardt and dedicated by the Earnhardt family. In 2015 came the headline act: Fury 325.

Fury 325

Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, Fury 325 is, by several measures, the most extreme steel coaster in North America. It climbs 325 feet — taller than the Statue of Liberty from base to torch — and drops at an 81° angle into a hairpin that crosses over the front gate. It tops out at 95 mph. Its 6,602 feet of track make it North America's longest steel coaster, and one of the longest of any kind in the world. It has won the Golden Ticket Award for Best Steel Coaster from Amusement Today multiple times.

What sets Fury apart is not just the size but the layout: the ride threads back across itself, over the entry plaza and through tunnels, so that the people in line are essentially under it. The first time you crest the lift hill and look down at the city skyline of Charlotte twelve miles to the north, you understand the choice of name.

Carolina Harbor

Less heralded but, on a July afternoon, possibly more useful: Carolina Harbor, the 27-acre water park, is included with park admission. Twenty-five-plus slides and rides, a wave pool, a meandering river, and a three-acre children's area called Kiddy Hawk Cove. In 2025 the park added an adults-only zone, the Carolina Harbor Shore Club, with what is, as far as we can tell, Charlotte's first swim-up bar.

The practical move on a hot day is to start in the coasters at park open, get the long-line rides done while the morning is cool, and migrate to Carolina Harbor for the afternoon. Locker rentals are available; bring a towel.

What it's like to spend a day there

Carowinds runs on the modern theme-park economy: a single admission gets you in, and most things inside that gate cost extra. Parking is paid (general or preferred); food is decent, expensive theme-park food; the Fast Lane add-on lets you skip standby lines on the bigger coasters and is roughly worth the cost on peak summer days. Bring sunscreen — much of the queueing is in the open. The trains for Fury and Intimidator load quickly; the trains for the family coasters move slowly because they're full of families.

If you arrive by car from uptown Charlotte, the drive is about 25 minutes south on I-77; the exit (Carowinds Boulevard) is well signed. The park is in Charlotte's southern suburbs, almost touching Fort Mill, SC.