Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park

We had a good time today with family at Gilroy Gardens. The trees and focus on nature and food is great. The landscaping is beautiful. They have a couple different water play areas one more for toddlers, another for bigger kids. It's ideal for little kids through day 10-12 years. They have swan boats and a train that runs around the perimeter. Unfortunately, some of the rides weren't working. Still we had a good time and will be back again for a couple more days.

🌊 Gilroy Water Theme Park – Underwhelming for the Price & Age Range, No air conditioning or fans throughout the theme park. Need lots to upgrade to make the place happening. Visited Gilroy Water Theme Park recently and, to be honest, it left a lot to be desired—especially if you’re not visiting with toddlers. 👶 Best for Kids Under 5: The park seems specifically designed for very young children. Toddlers will likely have a good time with the shallow splash zones and small slides. But for older kids (8+), there’s very little to keep them engaged. The excitement runs out quickly. 🎢 Lack of Variety for Older Kids & Adults: With about 22 rides, only 3-4 stand out as “attractions,” and none are actual thrill rides or roller coasters. Parents and older siblings will find themselves mostly waiting around. The park doesn’t offer anything engaging or energetic for teens or adults—no lazy river, wave pool, or any signature attraction to make it worth a day trip. 💰 Value for Money? Not Really: At nearly $80 per ticket, it feels overpriced for what’s offered. The experience just doesn’t match the cost, especially when you compare it to places like California’s Great America or Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, both nearby and much more worth your money. 😐 Overall Vibe: For first-time visitors, the park can feel slow, a bit disorganized, and lacking in energy. The charm wears off quickly unless you’re specifically catering to very young kids.

We had an amazing adventure at Gilroy Gardens!! With my 25,21, and 12 year old kids! So many fun rides and almost no one was there on a week day! So affordable, if I lived nearby I'd have a pass and we would be there all the time. We wish there were more 🧄 garlic themed gifts but the staff told us the tarrifs kept them from restocking. Boo! Besides that the environment is stunning, lots of beautiful plants, lots of shade and benches. All of the fruit and veggie themed rides made our lil hearts light. I think if they infused some life into the park with more themed events, brought in local artists to draw the park characters and rides, much like Knott's Berry Farm has done in the last few years they could drum up more interest and income. Bringing in local farm to table events in their beautiful event spaces would be magical. Such a beautiful place has so much potential!!

Check in process is very hectic and management has made it difficult Inspite of getting annual pass they made us stand in Q for 2hrs in hot sun with 2yrs old. Security didn't allow toddlers food Because it is in a small glass box. They made us come back in line because we had to keep just one small box back in the car. Wow!! Check my photo there are 100-150 families in line, and there are 3 security folks. Where is all the money going into If you provide tickets for 1000+ families atleast on summer day have more people in security. Make it smooth its not an "adult" park its a "family theme" park and expect more of 2-3 Olds and think like a "family". Also only one person handling 100 customers at the restaurant. Again 30-40mins wait line. Clearly short staffed?? On a full house weekend. Why are all of these issues not reported by anyone. With the money spent on tickets and annual pass, customers expect these management issues addressed @Gilroy garden family: Thank you for responding back on my post with the food FAQ. However no response was provided on short staff at every place even though tickets were sold for 1000s of families

Easy to find, people were all friendly, they have a metal detectors at the entrance, so it takes a minute to get in. Once inside the park, it was very clean, they have rides and carnival games all designed for kids. Butterfly exhibit was empty right now so a little bit of a bummer. Water areas were open and seemed clean and safe. They have a train and a monorail to check out the park, takes about 10 minutes total. We bought a season passe because it gives you free parking, and 25% off of merch and concessions. Plus access to a list of other events for free. Couldn't see everything so well be back.

Great spot to hit if you're in Gilroy and surrounding areas. It reminds me of what Knotts might have been, decades ago. A little slice of hometown Americana. We went on a weekday, it wasn't busy, the kids had a chance to go on just about everything, multiple times . Don't forget to get the Gilroy Garlic Fries!

An amazing and fun experience tucked away in the Gilroy redwoods... Great for families with young kids. Fun rides, water Park and all American food. Budget wisely but definitely worth it if you get there early.

We went for my kids spring break on opening day. It's such a great smaller amusement park with plenty of fun rides for everyone. We love the nature aspects of the park, how beautiful it is to walk around and the art building for kids crafts. We bought a membership last Halloween 2024 and so glad we invested in one. We're planning to visit a few more times this year. *Update, 5/26/25, we just did the movie camp night last night for the first time. It was an incredibly fun experience. It was our first time camping as a family so it took a lot of stress out of finding a safe, accessible campground. They had bathrooms nearby (no showers), and provided dinner, breakfast, movie w a snack last night and entrance to the theme park today. We have memberships so we got $20 off a person (normal rate is $70). We leisurely enjoyed the water park yesterday then entered the campgrounds later around 415pmbto set up our tent. Definitely get there a bit early to pick out your camp spot under the shade or further away to be more secluded.

I'm having a hard time picking a star count. On the one hand, we love this park. It's great for our young kids. The playground and water park are so fun, and we love the natural elements like the waterfalls and gardens. But they do not keep these rides up and the kids they are staffing to run the attractions need better training. I don't know if they tell them to move slowly, but we were at the park for 3 hours the other day and only rode two rides (one being the train where the line is almost never very long...that's a positive I guess) The process of unloading a ride and letting more people get on and starting the ride is painful to watch. They move like turtles. I counted almost two full minutes in between each boat to go through the little garden boat ride they have. We went to the park on a holiday, and I expected crowds and long lines. It was actually not busy, but they just take too long to get people through the rides. On top of that, the cars ride broke down FOUR times by 1pm. You can wait an hour in the cars ride, all for it to break down. The rides are short. There's no reason why they shouldn't be able to get people through quicker. Again, maybe they tell them to go slow? They are selling fast track tickets so maybe they keep the lines slow on purpose. Don't take your kids if they are going to lose it in line because it's mostly what you do here. I also cannot understand the hours. It's summer and they are open from 11am-5pm Mon-Thurs? And only 10am-6pm Friday-Sunday? So bizarre. We will see how long my kids like this place because it's hard to get past some of the negatives. I'm picking 3 stars because there are great things and really terrible things. Fix the hours and take some notes from Disneyland on how to load and unload rides.

We love Gilroy Gardens!!! We have been members for about 5 years now and the membership cost and perks are well worth it. We love how beautiful the facilities are with their landscaping and the ride options for kids. The carnival area is awesome as well but tickets to play add to the costs. We love their holiday themed events so if you haven't been, I would come then. They usually have great membership deals then as well. We usually renew then. Now what could be improved...there are no water refill stations anywhere though we generally will use their fountains. The other issue that happens most visits is that there are usually always broken rides. While this might be unavoidable, I feel like this is more common than not on big attractions so perhaps they need a better engineering team? Also, one year someone from the park committed fraud on my card. I thought I would prevent that from happening again by taking cash next visit only to learn that they become cashless at some point.

Usually we have a good time here but the Security named Neil was just on us today. Came in with Udis hamburger buns which are gluten free for our kids, he said no, you have to eat outside, we've gone through before with no problem. It's on your website which he looked suprised. He kept asking where they were from repeatedly, we said home, they are gluten free sir. So we left it in the car. I get they want us to spend more money on food but these were for our kids. We usually buy food for us adults. Next throughout the day, we played games and won prizes, the kids picked balls as their prizes, look who comes walking towards us and says, no balls are allowed here. We said we won them at the game place. He said well kids usually fight over them, ummm they're our kids. I believe he needs to be trained more on their policy or know what the prizes are before scolding us. Worst day when an employee is hounding you when it's supposed to be a fun family time... Management, please talk to your security Neil

Ean was extremely rude. We went to ride the garlic and my daughter was right at the line. So unfortunately she couldn't ride. But right behind me was a kid much shorter than my daughter and that kid was let on. I was very upset and confronted him on why he was allowed to go on and he wouldn't even acknowledge me he ignored me the entire time. Extremely rude person and had no business working at a children's ride. And the lines are extremely long. Expect to wait over 30 minutes for a 1 minute ride. And not only that. The fast pass is the worst part. People flood the exit with fast pass tickets so it's almost a 45 minute wait. Along with all the other items that's are EXTREMELY expensive. A churro is 9.99! Give me a freaking break. It's a kids ride. Many rides that go in a circle. Maybe 8 carts to ride on. The fast pass gets half so it'll be 4 people going in every 5 minutes to ride. Their system is awful. Save your money and go somewhere else. This place is ridiculous

Make sure you buy everything online to avoid unnecessary wait time! Also to make sure to get your fast pass wrist band at the welcome center as soon as you enter the park because the staff won't accept the virtual fast pass from your phone. Waiting under the heat isn't going to be fun especially with younger kids. I wish the instructions were a bit more clear on the fast pass and the benefits of a premium membership. We asked around to figure out where to get our fast pass wrist bands. There was a short wait time with the fast pass, so it makes it worth the buy if you plan on coming back often. The food wasn't that great, but I guess it's always like that at themed parks. I didn't explore the water area, but I did smell a strong chlorine smell when I passed by it.

Furst time here! Very friendly, not too busy and (Im use to Disneyland busy) Rides were cool and lots of food options! As far as souvenirs not alot of garlic things.. a plushie, a little sitting garlic. lots of tshirts at a reasonable price. You should really try groupon if going ! The water park is very nice with a bar! They close at 5 so that is strange for summer

my first and only prom experience and i'm glad the amusement park gave us options on what to do bc im not one to dance/chit chat for the whole time straight. here was the agenda for $120 ticket: 1. check in, eat 2. 4 rides/games to win boba plush prize/walk around park/photobooth 3. dance w dj under canopy FOOD: rubbery chicken, almost raw + crumbly brownie, unlimited churros CARRIED OMG GIMME 10 of these!!! didn't expect much from food. photobooth had plenty props, 3 poses. rides were banana ride, merry go round, a roller coaster, air ballon! i rec they have the swan ride too but i understand it gets dark.

This will be a short and simple review. My toddler loved it. There were plenty of rides for her and ways to keep her entertained. With that being said, that makes it a 5 out of 5. There's nothing left for me to say, but if you have a youngster and you want to go to an inexpensive amusement park, hit up Gilroy Gardens.

My family and I love Gilroy Gardens, if you've lived in the area long enough you remember when it was "Bonfante Gardens". It still has a lot of the same charm and it's a great place to relax and spend time with the family. The kids love the rides and games, and the food is really good. It's definitely got more expensive over the years, but what hasn't?!

What a hidden gem for families with little ones! We recently spent the day here with our two kids (our daughter is 2, and our son is just 8 months) and left with huge smiles--and plenty of memories. I was pleasantly surprised by how many rides were baby- and toddler-appropriate. It's a rare treat to find a theme park where even our 8-month-old could join in on the fun! The splash pad was a big hit for both kids--perfect for cooling off on a warm afternoon. We tried both the burger and the wok chicken teriyaki bowl for lunch. The burger was your standard theme park fare--perfectly decent and satisfying after a morning of running around. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the chicken teriyaki bowl. The flavors and texture just didn't work for us, and we actually had to mention it to the staff (they were apologetic and helpful). I'd recommend sticking with the burger or other classic options. The park was clean, well-organized, and thoughtfully designed with young kids in mind. Staff were generally friendly, and the lines (at least when we visited) moved quickly enough to keep everyone happy. Helpful Tips: Bring swimsuits and towels if your kids want to splash around. Check ride height restrictions ahead of time--many rides accommodated our littles! Arrive early for the best parking and lighter crowds. Aside from the disappointing teriyaki bowl (the reason for one star off), our day here was truly fantastic. If you have little kids, this spot should be high on your list for a fun family adventure!

The main reason I did not give it a higher rating is because a couple of the rides were not operating. I also think that the employees need better training. It almost felt like there weren't enough "adults in the room". The water feature area was the exception to all of that. A very fun and memorable experience, especially if you book a cabana. The food was also surprisingly high quality too. This is my critique and not a complaint.

I must preface that my review is tainted by the fact that I'm a frequent Disney goer and that has severely impacted my standards for all amusement parks. I would say that Gilroy Gardens scales around a Castle Park in terms of quality and production. So don't go here expecting Knott's, though this theme park is also somewhat food themed. I went here with my boyfriend who got discounted tickets, but I can't imagine going here with an entire family paying full price. I feel like at that point just save the money and splurge at a nicer park...to be honest. But for the price I got in and the day that I spent there, I had a great time! I think my only qualm is that for a theme park in Gilroy, Garlic Capital of the World, there is not that many garlic themed dishes, rides, etc! Aside from maybe garlic bread, garlic on a seasonal croquette item, and their savory garlic funnel cakes, there weren't any other garlic dishes or snacks at the park. Bummer. Another slight qualm I had was with the merchandise that they had here. I wish they had more goods of their garlic mascot in different sizes other than the larger plushie. Their other goods were left overs from Halloween (not original characters, just random 3rd party merch), some Peanuts characters (not sure if they're affiliated with Knott's?), Squishmallows, etc. They did have a discount gift shop where everything was under $10 before you leave, but it was mostly random left over items that I feel like you can find anywhere else.

I must say it's been years since I last came to Gilroy gardens. Used to come here as a kid and now I'm taking my niece. We had a great time at Gilroy Gardens! The gardens are beautifully maintained, and my niece loved the various rides and attractions. The water park area was a hit, especially on a warm day to help keep the kids cooled off. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the overall vibe was relaxed and family-oriented. They do allow snacks and water to be brought in. I would recommend buying tickets online to get them for cheaper. The food here is a little pricey, but that is where every amusement park. It's a perfect spot for a day out with young kids. Definitely a place we'll visit again!

This was a nice breather from Great America. It was not as crowded as I anticipated for a Saturday morning. We easily rode multiple rides within two hours of being there and transitioned to the water play areas. It's not as nice of a water park as GA. There's a toddler area and more 5+ age playground that aren't near each other. This is not convenient. I did appreciate that there was plenty of seating available in both areas. While the play structures are fantastic, I was bummed there was no pool to swim in. Loved the pedal boats and certainly wish it was a 4 seater, not a 2 seater. Great way to spend a Saturday!

I was really impressed by Gilroy Gardens. This place is perfect for a 5-year-old. Despite Gilroy's hot weather, there's shade everywhere, thanks in part to the founder's love of trees and horticulture. Gilroy Gardens is essentially a botanical garden with a medium-sized amusement park nestled within it. I visited during Labor Day 2024 and found great deals, like $70 for an adult and child ticket combo. Unlike many theme parks that nickel and dime you on food, Gilroy Gardens had $2 ICEEs and hot dogs while we were there. I also tried a $15 teriyaki skewer with rice, which was very good compared to other theme park food I've had. The rides are fantastic for kids under 10. I wouldn't recommend it for older kids, but for younger ones, most rides are accessible and enjoyable. The park itself isn't huge, so you can easily spend a full day without feeling completely exhausted like you might at larger amusement parks. I also loved that admission includes both the theme park and the water park, giving you the flexibility to do both in a day or split them up if you're making a weekend of it. Lastly, the annual pass is very reasonably priced. If you're planning to visit more than once, it's worth considering since it's not much more expensive than a single day's admission. I'm based in San Francisco, and it took me just over an hour to get there, which isn't too bad. Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Gilroy Gardens, and we're already planning to return a few more times.

Today we brought our 4 y/o the park for the 1st time. Almost every activity envolved a ridiculously long wait. Entrance ticket booth only had two windows open=30min wait. Security= pls focus on booze, weapons, drugs, glass containers and not chips and sandwiches. Food concessions out of food=30min wait. Vintage cars= I may as well been at the DMV!! 45min wait. The price and lack of activities and poor food options means that this was a one and done trip.

Cute Bay Area theme park! I've never heard of this place despite being a Bay Area local for most of my life (East Bay). I think that if you had small kids this would be a great place to bring them. Lots of kiddie rides, water park, plenty of land to walk and wear out your energetic kiddo. If you're not a huge fan of the super intense roller coasters, the rides here will be perfect for you. There are really no thrill rides here, unless you have a very low tolerance for thrills. The highest intensity rides here are pretty chill, although majority of rides are the spinning kind. I liked the banana boat, train ride, and roller coaster the most. I'd rank the banana boat as the most thrilling (yes over their biggest rollercoaster). As I'm now in my 30's, I admit that I'm more of a chicken when it comes to roller coasters. I'm more sensitive to motion sickness, so I enjoy these kiddie rides. Although some parts of the park feel low budget (like the main food court area), the rides still feel safe, unlike your local fair. I would advise to avoid the duck boats if there is a long line. There seemed to be no time limit and no way to really impose a time limit, so you could find yourself in line for hours just to do some simple pedal boating that you can pay to do elsewhere. Our wait was not worth it imo, and we saw many smart people leaving the line. On a hot day, the waterfalls area is refreshing to walk through; the garden/greenhouse is a nice area to escape for a tranquil moment. As a plant person I wasn't super impressed by the variety of plants, nothing really caught my attention, but it's still a nice quiet area to have in a busy park for those who want a little break. The train ride was nice and breezy. Plenty of games to play and win cute plushies. The gift store is fun. They have the mascot as a plushy available for purchase, and the a/c felt so nice in the summer. FOOD: For a garlic themed park I wished they offered more garlic flavored foods. Garlic ice cream would have been amazing. I liked the garlic fries but felt like they could have given a larger portion for the price. Hot dogs were standard. The ice cream was more icy than creamy. Overall, this is a no frills, basic theme park, chill rides (skip this place if you're looking for big thrills), great for little kids (age 2-10). It's a 3 for me, but if I had small kids I'd rate it a 5!

Came on a hot day to enjoy the water parks. Gilroy Gardens is a less magical version of Disneyland, with some workers there who may not really enjoy their jobs. Some parts of the facility are a little run down. For what it is (a theme park), I would rate it a 4 in terms of how much enjoyment my toddler had. But as the parent...it's a 2.5. Parking costs $25. Upon entry, we breezed through security. I picked the line handled by an old gentleman. He saw the snacks that I packed for my toddler and didn't even question it. Just gave me a thumbs up. The lady scanning tickets though....oh my word. She really had a stick up her rear end. My husband pulled up tickets on his phone, but apparently he gave her the wrong code to scan. She announced loudly "those don't work" and then proceeded to NOT help us anymore. Excuse me ma'am, we purchased tickets and now you're telling us they don't work? Our toddler is on the verge of throwing a tantrum because he wants to enter the park, but you are not letting us, so can you please help us find a solution? Nope. Scan tickets for other families? Yes. Help give her coworker some brochures? Yes. Help the customer LITERALLY STRUGGLING in front of you and maybe give them a hint as to why the QR code doesn't work? Nope. All she did was periodically come back and ask "did you get it yet?" PSA #1: Your ticket is not a QR code. You have to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the email where there are individual ticket bar codes. PSA #2: There are different water play areas for different age groups. The Water Oasis has both the infant water play area and the big kid water slides. Lakeside Splash is more suitable for toddlers age 2-8. My toddler is only 2.5, so he is not old enough to go on the Water Oasis water slides, but too old for the infant zone to be much of a thrill. So naturally, being the danger magnet he is, he gravitated to the big colorful water structure. Biggest mistake ever. I followed him onto the stairs and while we were just standing in the middle, suddenly the giant bucket of doom at the top of the structure tips over and straight DUMPS 100 gallons of water on us. My son was shell-shocked for a good 15 minutes after that incident. Luckily, my phone was zipped up inside a waterproof belt bag, otherwise it would have been a goner. They really need to provide some sort of warning sound, like a horn or a bell, to signal that the bucket is about to tip over...even as an adult the amount of water that poured on us was not enjoyable. I can only imagine how scared my toddler felt. PSA #3: If you see a long line for a ride, do yourself a favor and don't wait. Look for a different activity to do instead. There's plenty of kid rides that have no line. The hot air balloon ride looked very popular, and to be honest, I wanted to try it myself. But I quickly learned that there is a "fast track" line and a "regular person" line. The ride lasts maybe 3 minutes but took forever to come to a stop to release everyone from the balloon. On top of that, some balloons were out of service. If you let all of the people in the fast track line in, that leaves maybe 3 balloons for the rest of the long regular person line to claim. Good luck entertaining your kids in the long line. There is a train ride that has two stops. The first stop is at the front of the park next to the carnival rides. The second stop is at the back right past Lakeside Splash. We thought the line would go fast because the train has more seating, but boy were we wrong. Basically the train only loads the front half for the folks returning to station 1. Then it loads only the back half for folks wanting a round trip back to station 2. There is only one train, so the line goes VERY SLOW. It took us an hour just to get onto the ride (for a 15 min straight train ride). The views were nice, but for the wait time, not worth it in my honest opinion. Everything on the non-water zone side of the park was perfect for the kids. They loved the mini theater singing fruits show, the giant playground, and the little kid rides. They're all slightly different versions of the same low thrill ride that spins around in a circle. There's one with a worm eating an apple, artichokes, garlic cloves, and strawberries. We did not try the swan boats on the lake. The carousel was a hit. Overall, Gilroy Gardens is a great way to entertain the family without breaking too much of the bank. We might come back again next summer, now that we are more informed on what pitfalls to avoid.

Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park, is located @ Gilroy of course, is a beautiful theme park with a focus on gardens, water features, and family-friendly attractions. The park features a variety of rides, shows, and exhibits including a stunning botanical garden with over 40,000 plants species. What a great busy day we had, with our full day schedule we managed to squeezed in Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park and I truly loved my experience. Kind of like/reminds me of a Knotts Berry Farm but without the Boysenberry and Gardens. We only had 2 hours to kill before an event and we did good! It was getting hot ( late April 2024) so glad we got out of there with the heat. I am happy I get to kill 2 birds with one stone visiting here = Gardens & amusement park. It was fun squeezing in most of the rides & looking at the gardens within 2 hours. We did good & yay., my other half didn't experience motion sickness like at Disney and Universal. Some of the rides include the Mushroom Swing, Garlic Twist, Timber Twister, Quicksilver Express Mne Coaster, Bulgy the Goldfish, Balloon Flight, Illions Supreme Carousel, Bofante Railroad, and South County Backroads. Gilroy Gardens also has carnival-style games, art and nature exhibits. The park has six unique gardens including Claudia's Garden, Camellia, Garden, and Monarch Garden. My favorite ride is the one with the duck in water, It looked easy but it really is hard work, but fun peddling the duck. Such fun times exploring the scenery in the water while peddling. Also check out Bonfante Falls, such great photo opt for waterfall theme, I loved this! We only got the one day pass but if you plan on visiting more often and for the same price as one day you should just get the value membership. Parking is $25. which I feel is high, only $5. difference from the happiest place on earth. All in all, I enjoyed my visit to GG, loved exploring the gardens, rides, and hubby played a carnival game and won me a cute stuffed animal, I feel like we were dating again. Gilroy gardens is a super huge and great place to visit for a fun and relaxing day out with family and friends. I would love to go back again!!

#MomLyfe Okay, so we realized the babies are a little too young for this place. We bought memberships online and plan for this to be a go-to for my neice and daughter to meet up. Next year will be perfect for them, but in the meantime it's just a nice and fun place to walk around, eat good food and enjoy the gardens and other visual attractions. Mom and dad can enjoy a glass of wine or a beer with lunch (available at certain food joints throughout the park) and socialize with other parent friends. We enjoyed amusement park food (waaaay too much sugar) and good company while wandering around the park all day. 10/10 recommend as a low key place to hang out if you have young kids. In early April, it was perfect weather but not too busy. We had a great time and can't wait for our next trip back. Ps- def. Recommend the Asada fries. Yum!

We enjoyed our first time visit.... it was a Sunday and hot as Hades out. Thankfully, this park has ample tree cover and shade to make the summer heat bearable. The grounds were quite pretty and I really liked the chill instrumental music playing throughout the park. Other theme parks blast modern pop and it can be overwhelming. This was peppy and fun without being overstimulating. The rides are geared towards kids ages 3-9, I would say. Nothing particularly thrilling, but mellow and enjoyable. For being relatively empty, though, the lines moved reeeeeeaaaaaalllly slowly. Maybe they need more workers to expedite loading and unloading. That part was the only bummer of the day. The splash pads and water areas were a huge hit for our kid. She loved the slides (again, aimed at younger kids) and played happily for 2 hours in the water while we hunted for shade and seating with all the other parents. We didn't try the food this trip, as it was typical theme park junk food and overly expensive. They do have beer, wine, and cocktails for adults in the water areas, we noted. I'd come again before my kiddo ages out for this park. I'd also like to come alone sometime to enjoy walking the grounds without someone tiny begging to get to the water areas. Lol Ticket prices are a bit steep, but probably in line with theme parks nowadays; we don't visit them frequently enough to truly gauge.

Beautiful venue with lovely trees and toddler-friendly activities, but the Mother's Day event was a letdown. For $35 per child (plus $65 admission), we were served stale Christmas cake and years-old cookies--totally unacceptable. Great setting, but poor service and worse food, we never got our table cleaned either, left after 15 min as they also ran out of tea and champagne at 12:30pm (Even was from 11-2pm) 2 star for Mother's Day (nice venue) 4 stars for Park

This place has grown men and grandparents riding in their own strawberry on a kids ride, while toddlers are having to wait over 30 mins for a kiddy ride. There needs to be a change in the rules that adults can't ride unless accompanying kids. 2 grandparents, 2 parents, and 1 kid took 4/8 strawberries for a ride and another random guy took one. That's 4 strawberries that could have had 4 different kids on the ride. Pathetic

Going on 3rd year of premium membership. Really enjoyed it until the last 6ish months. The food options are becoming more limited, inconsistently open even during peak season. This last week when we attended all food carts shut down a hour ahead of the park closing. Along with pizza counter and ice cream stand near the carousel. This leads to the last hour of rides super impacted as their are less and less options for partons to go too.

We just got memberships for our family of 4 and went to the park for the first time today . The park is nice and clean , but it does take awhile to get on rides , and it's hard to exit the rides that are busy because people who have the fast lane are lined up in the exit area . During peak season I think they should stay open until 6/7 pm everyday to make it worth it . For food you can't bring any outside food inside , but it's complicated to buy food. It was barley 3:00pm when my husband went to 3 different stands one was closed for lunch I'm assuming , the other one said they weren't serving anymore , and one said they had 1 hour wait so he stood in line only for them to say they were closing too .

What a great place to beat the heat with the family! The park is filled with multiple water play area, rides that are suitable for all ages (including the little babies), and affordable foods compared to other theme park. We love coming here early and grabbing a seats by 11am, and play through the afternoon until it's nap time. What's differs Gilroy from others is the amount of shades they provide within the park. Additionally, all the staffs are friendly and helpful.

Went one day! And got hooked they upsold us on the season pass and we already drove 4 hrs twice just to come here. So much fun for all! Kids and adults there is something for all

My family and I made the 45 minute drive out to Gilroy to give my little one some much needed fun and excitement. Being that Gilroy Gardens had a reputation for being very accommodating in providing the perfect amount of fun for younger children, this was the perfect place to visit. This theme park is the typical establishment offering tons of fun for a fee. Parking in itself is $25 unless you opt to purchase a seasonal parking pass- a better bang for your buck but only if you plan on coming back multiple times. GG is full of dense greenery, providing you with an abundance of shade throughout the entire park. It is well kept by staff and has the perfect ratio of thrills for your little ones and beautiful photo ops for the calm-er individual. While we didn't get to experience the entire park, a few highlights stood out: supreme carousel, the playground, panoramic wheel, & ballon flight. For our next visit, we are hoping to experience the Bonfante Railroad Train and hopefully the duck paddle boats will go along a lot more smoothly. My toddler and I were stuck with a duck that didn't steer well which left us annoyingly stranded in one part of the lake. It took us so much longer to actually make it to the front of the line vs the time actually spent on the water. I gave up out of massive frustration and still struggled to make it back to the docks-UGH!!!! 4 stars. My child had the most amazing time and they even roped us into purchasing a family photo. Not worth the pricing but it made for a memorable souvenir.

Nice place for kiddos! Great price on Groupon deals, I purchased from Groupon Deals and took my family there. Kids love it. There's rides and water parks, and foods courts... food okay but there are bars.

We all agreed that this is the BEST Theme Park ever! It's so beautiful and the rides are family friendly. The roller coasters were the most thrilling rides, and there was a good selection kid friendly rides to choose from. If you're kids are too young for rides there are beautiful gardens and lots of interactive activities to engage in. We had the pleasure of enjoying San Juan Grill for lunch. It's a really neat spot that is reminiscent of a California Mission. Jesus, the customer service associate who helped my family, was very kind, understanding, patient, and professional. Overall we had an amazing experience and are planning to visit in the future.

Fun & neat family theme park. Low crowds good food. Great walking areas. Some fun rollercoasters that kids will enjoy. We didn't do the water park areas but they look like alot of fun. We will go back for sure !

Super unclean and not so friendly for kids under 5. With the change in height requirements, you're better off going to another place. Waste of money and time.

Me and my family came to Gilroy gardens with the understanding they were apart of the program museums4all which make it possible for low income families that have WIC or SNAP programs get a discounted rate. The supervisor was very aggressive and not understanding or willing to help with the misinformation they look down at you and do not make you feel welcomed. For families on those programs beware Gilroy Gardens doesn't advertise they aren't apart of the program so you won't know until you get here. There's many other options that are apart of the museum4all and are great alternatives and family friendly. For the price you have to pay it isn't worth it. Also was charged membership price and given a single day admission and had to redo the whole process again this place has been such a bad experience from the beginning the supervisor is completely unprofessional.

Wow, last I reviewed this was in 2009. Didn't have kids then. Now I have 3 kids. I been to Gilroy Gardens 3-4 other times since my first review in 2009. After my recent trip there in 2024, I must say it's still a great FAMILY theme park. The grounds and the landscaping in and around the park is amazing. Something you learn to appreciate as an adult/parent really. Over a decade and things still look kept up well. What is also taken for granted: the EMPLOYEES. Every single employee we ran across were respectable and polite and showed enthusiasm and pride of working there. This is a HUGE CONTRAST from our trip just a day before at SIX FLAGS where the employees there showed laziness and just showed they didn't care--not all but a majority of them. So bravo to the Gilroy Gardens employees and management to pick the great ones. Attractions wise, this is definitely more for kids up to tweens/early teens. After that age, teens wont appreciate the atmosphere that Gilroy Gardens provides, and the not extreme rides. There is a roller coaster or 2 but its starter coasters but perfect for those younger kids. They have water parks within the park as well, complete with slides. Again the water parks dont have anything extreme for those older than tweens. For parents, it also doesnt get too crowded which is a huge plus, but at the same time it makes you want to root for Gilroy Gardens to continue to thrive because its such a gem and a great experience for families with young kids. Get there early and you could probably knock out everything in a day. The waterparks and the many gardens and play areas will eat up a lot of time for your young kiddos, but they'll love it.

For context, I came with my husband and 2 kids (6F, 14M). Our 6yo had a blast despite some ride closures. Water attractions were great until they ended up closing one for at least 15 mins. (We think someone had an "accident". For snacks, we ordered curly fries (~$5) and Mac and cheese ($7.99). Also ran out of water so we ended up buying 2 standard-sized Dasani bottles ($4.99ea) vs Smart water ($5.99ea). Typical theme park prices so expect to spend $$$. All employees are courteous and helpful. Overall, my 6yo had a blast and we'll definitely be back, definitely 4.5 stars!

What a gem in Gilroy! Family friendly. Very cute! Clean and beautiful. Plenty of shades throughout on a hot summer day. Some rides were closed because we went on a Monday but we didn't mind. Parking is $25 card only while tickets are $40/person. The kids had a wonderful time. Perfect size theme park. It took us about 4 hours to really enjoy. They're only open til 5pm so that's the only downside.

My family and I always love visiting this theme park! It's quite a drive from home, but always so worth it! We never have a hard time finding parking, the admission is fair as they had discounts and bogos when we went, and it's seriously kid friendly. Met up with some friends, and we got to enjoy the spring festivities before season ended and Memorial Day deals!! When my daughter is a bit older to ride more rides, we'll def come back then!

Wanted to visit a nice theme-park-with-play kind of place for my toddler and Gilroy Gardens did not disappoint. Got the membership close to New Years Eve and visited the park at night. It bundled with the fast lane pass and we were able to get front of line. My toddler had fun going in the carousel, the train and the balloon rides . And finished it off with the fireworks for new years!! The lighting and decor was very holiday vibe and cozy! Will be visiting often. Recommend!!

Such a great theme park for kids between 3-10 years of age. My little ones always have a ball here. We always get a season pass, and enjoy the summer, Halloween themed October, and Christmas themed December. Highly would recommend:).

Amazing park, hidden away in the mountains of Gilroy. Surprisingly clean and plenty to do. VERY friendly staff (for the most part) Pretty much everything you could ask for from a small theme park for kids. The only minus (and it's a BIG minus) was the pizza shop. I have been eating pizza for nearly 30 years, and this was by far the worst pizza I have ever eaten. It's a shame. Take some pride in what you're providing GG. I can't exaggerate how terrible it was, even if I try it will still not come close. But overall, great time.

4.5 stars looking through the lens if my child. We took like 3 year old here after a trip to Disneyland a month prior. She had a really great time! We went on Memorial Day weekend and it was crowded, but manageable. We got there at opening and didn't have trouble parking. As an adult, I thought some attractions were very dull and not worth the wait, but my child enjoyed herself and got to try out a bunch of new rides. She even raved about the monorail. Pros - handful of ride options for the wee little ones - relatively small park with shortcuts, so walking and wheels are easy - water park included - playground so they can burn off the sugar - interesting landscaping and well thought out layout - didn't have trouble finding benches for nap time Cons - water park water is not heated and some kids were shivering, but they don't seem to mind - limited changing rooms near the water areas - long lines for simple rides - some food places took forever

Had a terrible experience with customer service in the past where I did not want to come back. Recently visited again and wow customer service has changed completely. Hats off to Sofia. She was so sweet and asked if everyone enjoyed the ride and wanted to make sure everyone had a good time. This level of detail, care and compassion was definitely not what I expected. Gilroy definitely has hired some great people! I hope that level of care and passion stays for the 2024 season. I had a membership for 2023 and decided not to renew. However, the service received this time around has made me want to reconsider. The premium membership offers a lot and is a great place to take young kids. The water park is always a fun treat too if you are nearby the area and can visit multiple times. Prices are steep for individual tickets and parking so it makes more sense to get a membership and visit twice a year if you can. The only part that sucks is that sometimes the rides break down (I'm talking about you car ride!!!) and it can be frustrating waiting in line so long to have to leave and not do that ride. Hope the maintenance or whatever for that ride can be fixed. Keep it up Gilroy G.

We brought a 6 year old here on a Saturday in mid April. This was his first time at an amusement park and he had a great time. Most of the rides had little to no wait time so we were able to get a lot done in one day. The grounds themselves are pretty to look at and clean. Even our lunch in the park was pretty good. We had barbecue chicken kebabs with rice and corn and even a picky six-year-old enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend coming here with young children!

Don't bother paying for fast pass still waited over 1 hour in the line. When asked the agent he said they were instructed by supervisor to let equal amount of people fast pass and non fast pass on for each boarding ... what is the point of fast past

Gilroy Gardens is a delightful family-oriented amusement park that offers a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere, making it the perfect destination for all ages. The park's beautiful gardens and gentle rides create an inviting ambiance that encourages exploration and enjoyment at your own pace. Our visit was nothing short of fantastic, filled with memorable moments and laughter. We're already looking forward to returning for the North Pole Lights in December, as it promises to add a magical touch to our next visit! Buy the parking online to save $5.00 and the park is cashless.

This is my 3rd time here Two times were specifically for the water park which we enjoy and definitely recommend the cabanas. Nice to have our own spot and not worry about being elbow to elbow with another family. We went the third time this Saturday (10/14) for the Halloween experience. At first it wouldn't let me purchase the tickets with my premium membership and when I called no one was able to help. I ended up putting my browser on privacy mode and purchased the tickets. This I do not recommend, it was cool to have the trick or treating but big kids are just running everywhere not paying attention to the little ones. Some rides are closed. Other Lines were super long and food was not good. We got two pretzels that were hard, churros were good but out cup or corn was so small and not worth it. We left early to beat the traffic out.

This place actually surprised me a bit. I wasn't really expecting much as it's an amusement park in Gilroy, but it was nicer than expected, and a lot cleaner. Came on an off day so the crowds were small. There are mainly rides for the little kids. It's like Happy Hollow, just a lot bigger! The kids will love this place up to about 8 or 9 years old. After that, it will probably be a bit trickier. Still, this place had talking vegetables, and after a long day, that's all you really need.

Great place for kids. My two year old loves the rides, water park and overall vibe of the theme park. It isn't too big, so it wasn't as exhausting. I would recommend going when they open to beat the crowds. Gilroy residents get entry for $10 on special discount days, which is such a deal. Kids under 3 are free. Strollers are recommended and have plenty space for parking when going on rides. The food selection is okay, but the park doesn't allow for you to bring in a lot of food. I usually pack a sandwich and snacks for my toddler. If you don't want to buy food there, you can also eat what you pack in front of the park on their picnic tables.

I took my daughter to the Easter Egg hunt today. Thank you Gilroy garden for separating the egg hunt by different ages. It definitely felt safe for the kids. Kids 0 to 3 got to hunt first at 11am. The kids in this age hunt slower, so it's great to see a separate hunt for them. The older toddlers age 4 to 7 got to hunt at 12pm. This hunt went super fast. I saw lots of kids running and filling up their baskets. Surprisingly, I saw a few younger toddlers in this heat ( maybe because they missed the 11am time slot). The last hunt was at 1pm for kids 8 to 12 years old. Overall, there was a lot of eggs for the kids to hunt for. The picnic grove field is really big and a wonderful spot for the egg hunt. Thank you Gilroy Garden for organizing this family event!!Please continue to separate the egg hunt into different heats based on age in the future. My daughter left really happy.