Scandia: SoCal's secret

The Scandia Screamer

Most of you have never heard of Scandia theme parks of California.  Scandia is a small chain Viking-themed parks that basically consist of a couple dozen permanent carnie rides set on 12 acres of land with miniature golf courses and a considerable arcade. Parks are located in Sacramento, Victorville, and Ontario(my hometown!). Interesting side-note from a native: Many kids in Ontario have grown up finishing their chores and acing their tests not with the promise of a Happy Meal, ice cream, or pizza, but of a ride on Scandia’s Tilt-A-Whirl, Nordic Spaceship, or the Bumper Cars.  The kids I teach have been promised a day at Scandia if they maintain perfect attendance by the end of the year, and it’s working like a charm!  Hey, at $1.25 per ticket, you have to admit this incentive is both nutritionally and economically clever.

These days, the park seems deserted if you’re viewing it while driving by on the freeway.  Sadly, this is confirmed if you actually enter the park.  Recently, I went on a weekday during Christmas vacation.   Scandia is offering a Christmas season discount of $9.99 for the unlimited ride pass (usually $24) until Christmas Eve.  As we parked, we knew we were entering a ghost town since there were only about 10 cars in the lot.  This is usually good news for me since, ironically, I hate lines and crowds.  The fact that it was one of the very few rainy days that we ever get here in SoCal didn’t help lighten the depressing atmosphere.

**patrons beware** unlike most mainstream amusement parks, Scandia’s rides close during and after rain.

Luckily, we’d made it just in time to ride the Scandia Screamer, the park’s signature roller coast.  The Screamer is steel coaster that is definitely larger, faster, and more complex than anything you’d find at a local carnival. Its steep drops make it fun and thrilling enough to make it worth a visit.  For those with small children, there are 8 rides without a height requirement including a carousel, train, and a low airplane.

Most of the attraction’s business seems to derive from its extensive arcade.  Once you enter, more than a few local kids mill around the 100+ video and arcade games like natives.  Scandia’s arcade can probably be compared in size and range of games to those of the Dave & Buster’s chains.

Last, but definitely not least, Scandia Ontario has 16 batting cages and 2 miniature golf courses, one for young children and one for players aged 10 and up.

Since the rain had most of the fun/scary/thrilling adult rides closed, we managed to leave, having eaten lunch and ridden the roller coaster, for under 20 bucks!  All things considered, Scandia is a pretty decent way for locals to enjoy a few thrills rides without breaking the bank.