Remlinger Farms Fun Park: Our Seattle-Area Mini Amusement Park

Hooray! Our local mini amusement park, Remlinger Farms Fun Park, opens for the season the weekend of May 13–14, 2023.

For the uninitiated, Remlinger Farms started as a family farm with a produce stand more than 50 years ago; today, it includes a mini theme park with about 15 rides. It is located about an hour east of Seattle in the town of Carnation.

Remlinger also offers U-pick berries in the summer and a harvest festival in the fall, but we’ve never made it past the Fun Park. My kids love it.

We have been regulars for many years, and what’s great about Remlinger Farms is that it’s fun for kids of all ages. One ticket gets you in for all the rides you can handle.

Fun for kids of all ages

For tots, there is a digger sandbox, tractors to climb on, little canoes, a toddler-size carousel and a Ferris wheel. As the kids get older, they graduate to the wrecking ball, big swing and baby roller coaster — it is just thrilling enough. Note that several rides have posted height requirements.

Now my middle schooler is actually closer in age to the staff. One friendly and helpful pedal car attendant last summer was just 14! But nope, my kid definitely hasn’t aged out of Remlinger Farms. On opening weekend last year, we stayed from open to close, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and finally headed out when a staff member called out, “One minute left!”

New for 2023 at Remlinger Farms Fun Park

Here’s what’s new and fun this season at the Fun Park:

The steam train is back! After being out of commission for a few years, this popular, all-ages ride is back in business as of last fall — with an ultracool new steam engine. Hop aboard for a shady ride along the edge of the park.

There’s a zip line! What?! Yep, kids at least 48 inches in height can zip over the Remlinger pond for a kid-size thrill.

Last year, an enormous inflatable jump pad replaced the sneezy hay maze — achoo! Now, you’ll find a rock climbing wall and a monster truck bouncy house alongside the jump pad. Several parents also joined the fun, and this middle-age mom can attest that running on the jump pad is very fun, like bouncing on the moon. (And it did not pop!)

The carousel is now covered by a new-last-year wooden pavilion. It's perfect for escaping a spring shower or finding shade in the summer.

Also, word is some new attractions will open in June. Stay tuned!

Farm friends

You can also see a menagerie of animals throughout the park: bunnies, goats, sheep, geese, a peacock and a darling trio of alpacas.

You used to buy pellets from gumball-type dispensers in the barn to feed the goats by hand. Now you buy $1 bags of food in the shop that you dump into a tube that funnels into the animals’ food bowls. Not as exciting, but probably more sanitary. 

Pony rides

Pony rides are a highlight for many kids visiting the Fun Park. For any kind of country kid, the rides are very tame. But for city-slicker kids, they’re quite a thrill.

Pony rides have strict limits: They’re for kids ages 2–10 only, and kids within that age range wanting to ride must weigh less than 100 pounds. Only one pony ride per visit per kid is allowed, and the cost is $8. (Book your pony ride when you book your tickets.)

Outside food isn’t allowed in the park; we packed a lunch and ate outside the gates. You can buy burgers and fries in the restaurant, where two model trains chug around on elevated tracks.

New prices

I felt a bit of sticker shock last year when I went to buy our tickets: Prices are up, but that’s true everywhere. Reserved admission for 2023 costs $23.99 per person. There is a small discount for seniors and people with disabilities, and tots younger than 2 enter free. Remember the good ol’ days when you could find $12 tickets on Groupon, with unlimited pony rides? It’s a new era.

We also visited Remlinger Farms during the middle of the pandemic, when safety protocols limited crowds a bit. Now that all that is over, expect heavy crowds on sunny spring and summer weekends.

With rain in the forecast on our visit last year, we lucked out with a low-crowd day. It was fantastic. My kids had the best time riding their favorite attractions to their hearts’ content. The ride attendant at the flying pumpkins even wiped down our seats — to save us from wet butts after a shower.

The Fun Park is a treat, so here’s my parenting tip for you: Go early in the season, and hope for wet weather to keep everyone else away. Have fun!

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2022 and was just updated for 2023.