Make Memorial Day plans with rides, slides and savings
A message from: Carowinds
Spring is giving way to summer — and around Charlotte, Memorial Day weekend is the kickoff to hotter weather, longer days and cooling off the fun way.
What you need to know: Carowinds is leaning into the season with Memorial Day weekend operations from May 22-25 and the official season opening of the Carolina Harbor water park on May 23.
- Plus, the park's Memorial Day Sale is live, offering up to 50% off tickets, passes and more through May 25.
Why it's important: As Memorial Day weekend demand spikes, travel and multi-destination trips get pricier and harder to coordinate — especially if you're trying to satisfy kids of different ages or friends with different interests.
The solution: Carowinds brings it all together with 2 parks in 1 — more than 60 world-class rides, Carolina Harbor water park, live entertainment, Camp Snoopy and on-site places to stay that make it easier to turn one day into a full holiday weekend.
First things first: Carolina Harbor is the easiest way to beat the Memorial Day weekend heat, with giant water slides, two wave pools, big play structures, a three-acre children's area and private cabanas.
- 😱Take on Blackbeard's Revenge, a six-story water slide complex with Pirate's Plank, Captain's Curse and Cannonball Drop.
- 🌊Jump into one of Carolina Harbor's two wave pools: Surf Club Harbor, a 27,000-square-foot wave pool with waves up to six feet high, or Tidal Wave Bay, which holds 400,000 gallons of water.
- 🍸 Swim up to Paul Metto's Boathouse Swim-up Bar at Carolina Harbor Shore Club, a new 21+ area with an in-pool bar.
- 🧒 For younger visitors, Seaside Splashworks, Myrtle Turtle Beach and Kiddy Hawk Cove help round out the park's family-friendly water play areas.
- 🍗 Afterwards, grab Carolina favorites, including BBQ and regional seafood at Harbor House, located in the middle of Carolina Harbor.
Even better: If one day in the park still isn't enough, Carowinds also offers on-site stays at SpringHill Suites Charlotte at Carowinds and Camp Wilderness Resort.
Here's what else: Save time to dry off on Carowinds' flagship coasters, including:
- Fury 325, one of the world's tallest, fastest and longest giga coasters.
- Snoopy's Racing Railway, a new launch roller coaster that families can ride together in Camp Snoopy.
- Copperhead Strike, a double-launch roller coaster built for riders who want more bite.
- Thunder Striker, a high-speed hyper coaster with seven extreme drops and speeds up to 80 miles per hour.
The takeaway: Memorial Day plans can spiral fast. Carowinds works because it bundles the thrill, the cooldown and the all-day entertainment into one easier, more affordable option close to home.
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