Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park

Buy Tickets in Advance! Went for the Boo Bash. It was fun and they did a good job decorating and the theme of Halloween. Fires are for 6 and under. Lots of the same ride style but repurposed. Great price if you live in the area and do the annual pass. Food choices are a little sparse. It they do include Chick Fil A. The water park was closed but looked like it would be great for young families.

Gilroy Gardens is such a fun spot for the whole family! The park is super clean, well-kept, and full of colorful gardens and rides that kids and adults will both enjoy. We especially loved the fantastic vibe and all the different attractions. There’s something for everyone. The staff is friendly and helpful, which makes the day even better. It’s easy to get around and just enjoy yourself. Definitely a great place for a family day out. We can’t wait to go back!

It was a great experience visiting the park with my 3 years old. It was a Halloween evening and the park had a complete vibe of it. Loved the rides (carousel, Strawberry ride, banana ride, train, pumpkin patch, Hotair balloon ride and many). Time just flew by and we couldn’t complete everything in this first visit, but had good time. Will come back soon. Plenty of parking. First stop is parking ticket, then after you park, it’s the entry ticket booth, after crossing that there is a security check and then it’s all fun stuff. The souvenir store is near the exit and had some good stuff. I felt there is not many food options inside the park.

Great for nature lovers. Thankfully our tickets were free. Parking lot is 25 and would recommend to eat first before coming here. Bring some snacks. Spent over a hundred on food and

If you haven't gone to Gilroy Gardens, and you have little ones, take them. The admission is alot more affordable then other amusement parks, with shorter line (plus if you have kids w/ no patience). This location is family friendly. We recently went to the Boo event (Halloween Vibes) but we have also gone during the summer when the water park is open, and during the season its included with admission. There is a parking fee, we do take our own waters and small snacks and its never been an issue. Your little ones will will enjoy it, they have coasters, a fun park, and shows through out the day.

Such great family fun. The park is awesome and I love seeing the same familiar faces when I bring my son here. He likes to bug the ride operators and ask them how everything works. Often times they know the answers to his questions which are pretty elaborate for an eight year old. I recommend getting a season pass because that's what we've always had and it just seems worth it especially since I live in Gilroy. The employees went above and beyond to help me locate my son's friend who has a bad habit of slipping away and hiding as a "joke". The employees handled it quickly and I spoke with a couple of men who work to keep the rides going, they are the real backbone of this park. I always fascinate over how such a large place can operate so smoothly. I can't stand the big amusement parks like Disney. This is a real non profit and education is around every corner if that is what you seek! Big shout out to Jess who saved my new iPhone last year when it slipped from my hand on timber twister AND Jess, once again saved the day when we got stuck on sky trail I was nervous and he quickly calmed me and had us off the ride in a jiffy! I buy all my friends and family with children tickets every year. I love that my kids get to grow with this as their big treat several times a year. Even better that is basically in our back yard! Thanks GG and team. You guys are pros and rock! Thanks for keeping the children safe and smiling!! P. S. Christmas is my favorite time of year at the park, summer can get sooooo hot, it's a good thing they added the water features for summer time!! I loved ice skating with my kids for their and our first times trying to ice skate!!

We used our Great America Gold pass to go to the Big Boo. You need to reserve your Boo ticket online using your Gold Pass on Gilroy Gardens website. There were about 8 candy stations and several shows to watch. The candy stations gave out 1-5 pieces of candy each and had 0-5 kids in line. The lines were very short for rides. We got dinner around 5pm and the wait was really long at Castroville corners. Plenty of tables! We will come again when it’s not raining.

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.

Such a fun experience for the whole family! The Great Big Boo at Gilroy Gardens was adorable and perfect for kids. The decorations, music, and friendly characters made it feel so festive without being scary -- just the right amount of "boo" for little ones! Lines were manageable, staff was super friendly, and everything felt clean and organized. My 4-year-old absolutely loved the trick-or-treat stations and the show -- we couldn't stop smiling the whole time. Definitely a must-do Halloween event and something we'll make a yearly tradition!

We showed up today--a Saturday--for a day at the park plus The Big Boo. We arrived just after park opening (1pm), only to be turned away for a last minute closure. We were told that they rented out the park to a company (a "buyout") for the entire day and evening. While this really sucks, it isn't what I'm most frustrated about. Since it was a last minute thing, they had a lady in the roadway letting people know that they had to turn around if they were not part of the private event. I expressed surprise and the lady said, "You should have checked the website and our socials!" Ummm, as premium members (for years and years), we know the hours, and we don't check the website every single time we go. We have never had to! Lesson learned. As for the private buyout last minute, I'm going to have to think long and hard about whether or not we want to renew this year. They didn't even send out an email about this to their supposedly treasured members. Very shortsighted!

Gilroy Gardens has become our favorite summer spot with our 2-year-old! We visited three times this season. Once for the rides, once for the splash pad and water play, and once for the Carnival Nights and each visit was a blast. There are plenty of toddler-friendly rides like the carousel, giant strawberries, train, little car ride, garlic ride and panoramic wheel. The water area is perfect for cooling off, and during Carnival Nights we loved watching the balancing acts by a couple of very talented artists near the hot air balloon ride while enjoying popcorn and their must-try Tex-Mex baked potato (without the carne asada). A few tips: parking is $25, and the park gets crowded later in the day, especially on Carnival Nights, so come early for a more relaxed visit. A wonderful place for families, we're already looking forward to coming back for Halloween!

I would give this place a 5/5 for most Christmas holiday seasonal vibes, but for a casual stroll with family & friends on other days or Veterans Day weekend, it's a 4/5. Gilroy Gardens was pretty dead during pandemic few years ago. Today/Saturday opening, it was worse because there's barely anyone riding on the rides and many stores & food places are closed. Not worth the full price. Yes, no long lines and no huge crowds. Place feels quite empty now. You can still find a $5 hot beverage coffee, but $7.99 for a cup of hot chocolate is beyond my budget for hot chocolate here. Gift store by the entrance/exit area still have good looking toys and souvenirs. You can easily buy something cute for just under $20 here. It's still a peaceful & beautiful place to walk around. Looks well maintained and clean outside. I am used to seeing much more visitors and more riders, especially throughout year end. This year has gotten very expensive due to higher inflation times. Gilroy Gardens still offers free parking & free admissions for military/veterans/first responders on selective dates. Definitely check for special dates and deals. I found a few great spots for photos too. Not bad, but the place doesn't feel like what it used to be anymore. I hope the shops and food places decide to reopen again. It needs more excitement here.

Gilroy Gardens family theme park is a great place to visit with family and friends. There's fun for all ages and lots to explore and discover. I enjoy walking around the theme park and finding all the different trees that are unusual and unique. Visited during the cherries, jubilee celebration, and got the lanyard because we had to sample all the different foods with cherries and cherry flavor. I enjoyed the cherry ice cream cone, the corn on the cob with cherry flavor, the cherry chip cookie, the cherry funnel cake, and the cherry flavored adult drinks. Also came for the carnival night, which was fun. We saw the acrobats and the magic shows and the knife juggler and tried some good food and adult themed beverages like the neon drinks the mystery drinks and so on.

This place really is a hidden gem in the Bay Area! It's perfect for kids and such a nice change of pace from the bigger theme parks. If you go, the number one thing to remember is to bring swim gear--swimsuits, towels, flip flops, sunscreen--the water play areas are a huge hit and you'll definitely want to be prepared. The roller coaster (Quicksilver Express) was surprisingly fun, and the train ride that tours the perimeter of the park is such a classic. You can easily spend the entire day here without running out of things to do. If I lived closer, I could see myself coming back all the time. Definitely worth the trip!

I visited Gilroy Gardens during Halloween time, and it was so cute! It felt like a mini Disneyland -- perfect for my daughter. There were so many fun rides (though some lines were ridiculously long). Such a charming place, and I can't wait to go back in the summer! Quick tip: Make sure to buy your tickets online. They are much cheaper than at the gate!

We just renewed our membership and now I'm kind of regretting it....we went today, Veterans Day, when there weren't a lot of crowds, but we ended up spending 3 hours in lines for just 2 rides. The last time the same thing happened. I can't quite figure out how an amusement park can have such a lack of efficiency at the rides, it wasn't even a busy day. Pretty miserable with a little kid. It's a beautiful place but if you want to ride anything besides the baby rides, it may not be worth it.

This is not a roller coaster theme park and certainly not Disneyland. It used to be Bonfonte Gardens which had some cool trees and landscaping which later gained a few kiddie rides. If you are 12 or older this place probably isn't for you unless you come on a hot day and enter the water park area. It's a nice place for small children in a park that can be covered in an hour or two. The food here is much better than Great America for a decent price. What I like about it is that it's never super crowded and the lines are never more than 10 minutes. We got season passes here and took advantage of their Halloween, Christmas, and Carnival summer event for the little kiddies. We also came to the water park to let the kids splash around for a couple hours. Again don't expect Disneyland experiences at a Groupon price. If you come in with this mindset, you and your kids will have a great time.

Fantastic amusement park for babies and toddlers!!!! We have taken our toddler to a couple different amusements, but he rarely got to go on any rides since he's still too short for them. As soon as I saw the FB/IG add for this place pop up, I knew we'd have to take him here. Located just about 45min South of San Jose, it's not a terrible drive at all to get here. However, the opening hours are pretty limited, only from 11am-5pm, not sure if they do change it based on the season, but this is for the summer, which I would think when they stay open the latest. If you purchase the GetOutPass, it's pretty much BOGO for the tickets (you'd have to purchase 2 GetOutPasses if you have 2 people). However, the downside of that is, if you end up liking the garden and want to keep coming back like we do, you can't apply the amount you paid toward the season pass, which is also the mistake that we made. Otherwise, the parking fee and the ticket fee would get deducted toward the season pass if you want to upgrade. This place is a pretty good size especially for toddlers. There are at least 12-15 different rides our toddler was able to go on. On top of that, they have a water park section that's already included in the ticket. So make sure to pack swimwear or a change of clothes for you and your kids. Just beware that they really cater to younger kids and not adults at all, so don't expect to go on 90% of the rides with your kids, this includes the waterpark. You can watch them and follow them up on the water slide, but ultimately, they go down on it themselves. We would love to live closer to here to take our kid here every week. Unfortunately, we'd just have to settle for every once in a while for now. Until next time!

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.

My kid got 5 rides in 5 hours. Insane wait times, $10 for a popcorn. Went home very unhappy.

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.

I took my kiddo to the "Big BOO" Event today for Halloween, it's Halloween so game on. We were totally let down and disappointed in Gilroy Gardens as a whole. First things first, there's no real reason for the premium passes. The benefits provided these days to premium members is the minimum they can get away with. Not even a special line at the entrance for premium members. Even when event busy, only two entrance lines. No matter how long the line gets. Park Entrance = Grade F Premium Membership = Grade F The Big Boo Event, (Halloween Night) -Live "Do the Boo" show with costumed characters. No show happened while we were around. Fail -Trick & Treats on the Boo Trail. Previous years these folks were easy to find around the park, this year we did not see a single one. Fail -Frightfully Fun Bites So over priced even with a premium membership we were not about to pay that much for garbage food. Fail While Gilroy Gardens has never been a must go to spot it at least was a nice local spot I could go with my kidos and have a good time. Unfortunately poor or mismanagement is again driving this park into collapse. At this time Gilroy Gardens is worth less than half of what they are charging for what they are providing. Honestly it might be time that we all (including local gov.) stop supporting and let this one wash away. Unfortunately the city of Gilroy needs to step away from this waste of tax payer money. Bonfante started it, and failed. Gilroy tried to save it, but has gotten greedy or desperate. Unfortunately it is time that we all let this one die and go away. Alternates to wasting money at Gilroy Gardens on Halloween; Go to Morgan Hill. They block off the entire downtown area and make a safe and free good time for everyone. Yeah there are no amusement rides in downtown Morgan Hill, but since Gilroy Gardens only has a couple rides in the toddler area running neither does Gilroy Gardens.

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.

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

Went to the Boo Nights - $25 for the parking leaves a sour taste right of the bat. Then due to light rain, they cancelled ALL the shows for the entirety of the night, even though the rain stopped shortly after. Consider this before going on a cloudy evening!! So, great, that was the main draw for our little one who is too small for most of the rides. We stood in line for the Boo train for 20 mins and about to get on when an emergency caused them to shut down the ride. So we wait for another 20 mins to get a $17 funnel cake in a depressingly lit cafeteria; when we get it, we have to saw with a knife through this overfried dough - my husband says "Isn't supposed to be soft inside?" Yep. NOT a good experience all around. Felt like a waste, especially driving from San Jose.

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.

Subject: Formal Complaint - Inappropriate Conduct by Employee "Dakota" Near Bulgy the Goldfish Ride Causing Emotional Distress to My 3-Year-Old Daughter Dear Gilroy Gardens Management and Guest Relations Department, I am writing as the father of a 3-year-old girl to file a formal complaint regarding a deeply disturbing and inappropriate incident that occurred during our recent visit to Gilroy Gardens, near the Bulgy the Goldfish ride. While waiting in a long line for the ride, my daughter suddenly told me she urgently needed to use the restroom. As any parent would understand, a three-year-old child cannot hold her bladder for long. The restroom was quite far, and given the emergency, I quickly took her to a large tree nearby in a secluded, dark, and empty area, where there were no other guests around. My intention was solely to help her relieve herself discreetly and avoid an accident. While she was in the middle of urinating, a young male employee named Dakota suddenly appeared out of the dark and said harshly, "You can't do that here," and immediately followed with, "I'm calling security." His tone was intimidating and aggressive, and his sudden appearance and words frightened my daughter severely. She began crying uncontrollably and was visibly shaken. Since the incident, she has shown clear signs of emotional distress and fear, particularly around strangers or staff in uniform. While I fully respect the park's rules and cleanliness standards, this was a medical and developmental emergency involving a toddler. I chose a hidden spot to handle the situation responsibly and discreetly. The staff member's reaction--threatening to call security instead of showing empathy--was completely inappropriate, unnecessary, and lacking in basic human compassion. This reflects a serious failure of duty of care and insufficient staff training in how to handle sensitive, family-related emergencies. As a father, I am deeply disappointed and disturbed by this experience. I formally request that Gilroy Gardens: Conduct a full internal investigation into this incident; Review the conduct and sensitivity training of the employee named Dakota; Provide a written response outlining what corrective actions will be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. What should have been a joyful family outing turned into a traumatic experience for my child. I trust Gilroy Gardens will treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and ensure that compassion and professionalism become central to your staff's interactions with families and children. Sincerely, Justin Father of a 3-year-old girl

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.

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!

We went for the Great Big Boo and read on the website that some rides wouldn't be open because it's off season. We took the risk and boy were we disappointed. Arrived when they opened and the first two rides we went to were broken and they didn't know when they would be open. One of the rides was the train, which is one of the most popular rides. They have 2 roller coasters and the other handful of rides are for small kids. My twins are 7 and they were very bored. The food places were very disappointing. Tables were dirty and unkept. The teenagers working there don't seem to know what they're doing and hardly changed their gloves as they were pulling up their pants, playing with their hair, and touching the register. We were in line to get drinks and food and then left because it grossed us out. We drove 2 hours and were so excited, but was so let down. And the tickets weren't cheap, $50/person and $25 for parking.

We visited Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park for the first time. I was very impressed with how shaded & spread out the amusement park was. There is plenty of parking and having the option to buy a front of the line wristband (guest services near the carousel) made the experience even more enjoyable. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. This amusement park is perfect for kids ten and under. I really enjoyed the swan paddle boats and tram ride through the very large greenhouse. The roller coaster, cars, paddle boats were all a family favorite. We spent all day at the park, rode all the rides we could fit on and then headed to our next destination. I would definitely recommend Gilroy Gardens to families with kids under ten years old.

To the person who said the food was reasonable and tasty. Nope. The popcorn bucket was $16 the ice cup was $22 refillable. Chicken strips took 35 minutes after i ordered $17 water is $5.99. Someone in line said its cheaper at Disney lol. Boat ride was closed the swanns and the flowers also water area is closed.

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.

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!

Last year, my family purchased a premium membership to the park. My daughter and her family really enjoy the place because it's conveniently close to home and is a charming little theme park. My grandsons especially love the water oasis, where they can splash around and have fun. While the food and drinks are decent, they can be a bit pricey, particularly for a small family-oriented theme park. The small retail stores are adorable, and they offer some fun toys for toddlers. Overall, the membership has been worth it.

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.

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!

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!!

Premium annual card holders, sent into the line with everyone during BOO fest, huge fail. I don't know who's running the park these days but they are trying to fail.

#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!

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

I decided to purchase member passes to enjoy the holiday events, FREE parking, and being a friend Friday! The staff is usually friendly and it's easy enough to get to, that just a few hours is good enough to break up boredom. I also love the park soft serve!

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.

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.

We have been to this park over the years since they opened as Bonfonte Gardens. The park has always been a perfect place to bring young children though not for older teens, always clean and kept nice. It has gone downhill slightly with some of the gardening/sloppy staff/and little effort for daytime events such as shows, the learning barn(doesn't matter what season you are in, there is always something to learn) I understand that October is for the Big Boo but have some events during the day for those who aren't staying until dark. Quite a few rides were closed, as well as food options. The place near the entrance that used to be the "bakery" is run down, needs cleaning and updating, dirty counters/floors, contact paper covering the bakery glass and limited seating inside. Some of the garden planters appeared to have old dead potted plants discarded into the planter. Black garbage bags seen on the side of the building, upper management staff gathering in the walkway for a meeting didn't even acknowledge us until I loudly said excuse me, they finally moved to let us pass. I recommend trying late spring/early summer, our kiddos were too young to stay out for the Great Boo evening events which I am sure would have been fun, Super crowded but fun(be sure to air tag your kiddos and put them in something so you can spot them, as it was crazy and it wasn't even dark yet). Maybe the Gardens will feel refreshed after a long winters nap, wake feeling energized and ready for spring and next year will be a new beginning because it really is a nice place, but they need to do some updating with attention to detail like it was 20 years ago.

We just discovered Gilroy Gardens and I'm so glad we did--it's incredibly toddler-friendly! We had the best day ever. I also feel like the whole trip was super reasonably priced. From the gentle rides to the beautiful gardens, it's the perfect spot for little ones to explore and have fun. Oh, and the water area- SO FUN! I only wish we had found it sooner. We'll definitely be coming back often... just wish they were open more days!

I'm sorry for the review I left when I was hangry. We had such a blast at Gilroy Gardens + Carnival Night. Being able to ride the ride in the cool evening was so nice. The employees were also very nice everywhere we went. Most of the rides work and when they were fixing something that was wrong on one ride with a weird code/issue. I appreciate the extra for to make sure people are safe instead of saying it looks fine and putting people on it. The low part of the day was trying to find gluten free food. The website said they had food for vegetarians and other food allergies including gluten-free. I went to every food stand except the The Wok because I knew the The Wok wasn't going to have anything. The employees told me there was nothing I could eat. The front office was not answering the phone. I was at San Juan Grill so I didn't want to walk all the way to the front to complain while hungry and angry. I reluctantly and angrily ate $15 fruit bowl knowing that I was going to be starving the rest of the night. As I turned the corner to go to meet my family again I noticed "the wok" is now chic fil a and had a grilled chicken salad that I was able to eat. I was still upset. I spent $15 on a fruit salad but at least I wasn't going to be hungry and grumpy again at 9PM. We will be back, but I will definitely be packing my own food despite what the website says in case Chick-fil-A doesn't stay.

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

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

Why couldn't I receive a vanilla ice cream scoop? :( Went to the Sugar Plum desserts w my sweet lovely girlfriend, asked for a funnel cake and scoop of vanilla ice cream. The ice cream is in view of every customer, but for some reason they said they had no vanilla? I said that's fine, and paid for funnel cake. Redhead worker comes out and rudely says "we're not doing funnel cakes anymore." Luckily cashier told her otherwise (company policy or something?) so we sat on the least dirty table, waited and watched as multiple customers who were in line after us got vanilla ice cream cones and cups.

While this is an awesome place, there's a lot of downside to it. I live about 2.5 hours away from GGFTP. The first time I went i was so excited because it's a theme park plus waterpark! I even got the membership. The first time we went is what sold me of this place. It was on a weekdays so not a lot of people. The second time we went (friday-bring 1 person free) super crowded, the lines were super long, and a lot of people purchased the fast lane, so the wait time is even more. One of the train ride (that goes over the monarch garden, was super slow. The way they measure the height of the kids is just ridiculous-like literally one by one with a stick. Where they could've measured while waiting for the next ride but instead they measure while we're about to get in the ride. But I personally, love the trees shades but other than that I would not come back. Waterpark is super crowded (if you want the cabanas is at least $200 that's crazy!) I gave it a try but not for me.

Visited Gilroy Gardens for the first time and had such a great experience! The park is perfect for families, especially with younger kids. The rides are fun and gentle, and the garden areas are beautiful and peaceful. Everything was clean and well-kept, and the staff was friendly and helpful. It's such a unique mix of nature and amusement--definitely worth the visit! Much try the churros and soft ice cream. Will be back soon.