Take the kids: Rye Playland

Perhaps the Hudson Valley’s most famous amusement park, Rye Playland has seen some changes since it opened in 1928, but with the legendary Dragon Coaster and plenty of other thrills on site, it’s always been one of the region’s top places to bring the kids — and feel like a kid again.

Playland offers much more than thrill rides and cotton candy. Here's a closer look at the top attractions.

Playland is home to the Dragon Coaster, a landmark ride whose wooden track spans almost two-thirds of a mile and boasts a 128-foot drop. It also carried former Bedford resident Mariah Carey in her music video for “Fantasy.” While you must be at least 4 feet tall to ride the Dragon, there are lots of other ways for adults and older kids alike to seek thrills on the premises. There’s the Playland Plunge (a 50-foot drop into a pool); a log flume (a 1,150-foot chute filled with 170,000 gallons of water); the Playland Yo-Yo (a circular, mechanical swing-set perched a couple of stories above the ground); and Thunder Bolt (a ride that moves in all directions to a hip-hop groove). The park’s “dark rides” — including the Flying Witch, Starship 2000, Ye Old Mill and Zombie Castle — involve enclosed spaces, loud noises and flashing lights, so those are probably not ideal for the youngest children.

To the right of the front entrance are about 20 rides geared toward kids ages 2 to 6. Rides include the Mini-Scrambler (for kids between 3 feet and 3 feet 6 inches tall); the Mini Coaster (for kids between 3 feet and 4 feet, 7 inches tall); the Convoy ride (for kids at least 3 feet 4 inches tall or shorter children accompanied by adult); and the Kiddy Carousel (for kids 3 to 4 feet tall). On opening day, Kiddyland will host “Mad about Science” shows at 2 and 4 p.m., and a DJ will play music at 1, 3, 5 and 6 p.m.

Entertainment varies from day to day, but there always seems to be someone playing music or performing an act in front of an audience. DJs, drummers, singing competitions, magicians and classic rock cover bands are among the recurring performers keeping things lively throughout the park.

Whether it’s fireworks on July Fourth or any subsequent Wednesday or Friday through Aug. 31; the swingin’ sounds of the Milt Gerver Big Band Orchestra in July and early August; or concerts on the Music Tower Stage by rising stars and long-time favorites (with previous performances by Cyndi Lauper, the Plain White T’s and “American Idol” alum Elliott Yamin), Playland knows how to put on a show.

This 19-hole mini golf course is a great way to practice your putts between the park’s fountain and the Sound Shore. The course opens about one hour before the park, and the last round begins one hour before Playland closes.

In the dog days of summer, sometimes the log flume and Playland Plunge don’t offer enough water to quench your thirst for some pool time. Playland’s pool, on the southwest corner of the amusement park, solves that problem when it opens to the public on June 25. Daily rentals are available for chairs ($3 with a $10 deposit) and lockers ($1).

If you prefer sand between your toes, the beach by Playland Park provides another aquatic option. If you want a deal on access to both the pool and beach, discounts are available, as are daily rentals on chairs and umbrellas ($3 with a $10 deposit) and lockers ($1).

In the last 25 years, no fewer than seven movies have been filmed at Playland, including “Fatal Attraction” (1987), “The Beaver” (2010) and “Working Girl” (1988). But perhaps no Playland scene is more memorable than that at the beginning of “Big,” the 1988 Tom Hanks blockbuster that features the main character as a child on the boardwalk wishing he could be, well, big. Feel free to make a similar wish as you stroll by the Sound Shore, even if there’s no Zoltar machine to help make your wish come true.

Playland’s snack bar and its surrounding property offers everything from amusement park favorites to seafood dining. Candy, caramel apples, cotton candy, hot dogs, burgers, funnel cake and Italian ices are among the kid-friendly fare. But perhaps those with a more adult palate might prefer a sandwich from Wrap City or the seafood specials at Pier Restaurant.