Destination retailers at theme parks and water parks mix things up with a combination of nostalgic and unique souvenirs that appeal to families returning year after year.For much of the past century, people across the United States have loved making annual trips to their
favorite theme parks and water parks on family vacation. Some enjoy these attractions for the
thrilling rides, some come for the games and others enjoy tasty treats along the theme park midway.
Theme park employees seldom get bored of the fun work atmosphere, and they even enjoy bringing their own families to these attractions to make memories of their own. Brett Friel, director of retail and games at California’s Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, says he feels honored working at the historic theme park attraction.
“Being a part of a 118-year-old tradition is humbling,” he explains. “My first memories of the Boardwalk are, like many people, of riding the Giant Dipper. More recently, memories continue to be made with my kids coming of age and riding the Giant Dipper for the first time.”
The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk features eight retail locations and over a dozen game locations, with Friel overseeing merchandise buying for both the games and retail departments. He says it’s important that the merchandise at these stores and even prizes selected for the games encapsulate the park’s identity.
He says, “You need to make sure the goods you are sourcing and buying represent the business values and identity.”
Top-selling themesSince many people return to theme parks every year, these destination retailers need to come up with fun yet relevant themes to feature on their merchandise each season.
Kaitlyn Smith, social media manager at Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, New Jersey, says the attraction’s retail team is always coming up with new themes for merchandise that will appeal to the next season’s visitors.
For 2025, Morey’s Piers is trying several new themes, including Coaster Era (inspired by Taylor Swift), the Sunny Collection featuring the theme park’s mascot plush toy, and a Wildwood beach culture collection.
Sometimes, theme park retailers do well when they stick to the tried-and-true souvenirs with the theme park name drop. For a few years, name-dropped towels have been one of the biggest sellers for the gift shop at Raging Rivers WaterPark in Grafton, Illinois.
 Dollywood displays souvenirs to commemorate its anniversary.
Suzanne Madewell is an enterprise buyer for Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE), which manages many theme parks across the United States, including Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, Kentucky Kingdom and Kennywood to name a few. Madewell says she has noticed a rising interest in retro and nostalgic souvenirs this year.
Friel says nostalgic souvenirs and apparel also seem to work well at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk’s stores.
“As fashion and culture have cyclical natures, throw-back and retro styles can be impactful,” he says. “If your design can connect with mom — because she lived it — and daughter — because retro is cool — you know you nailed it.”
Excite with exclusivityTheme park retailers can also create excitement by offering one-of-a-kind merchandise for each season. Madewell says it’s been very important to find souvenirs and gifts that are unique to each of HFE’s properties.
“We are in the ‘Creating Memories Worth Repeating’ business, so we want to sell items that remind our guests of the special family time they spent with us,” says Madewell. “For example, you can get a sweatshirt anywhere, but you can only get a Dollywood one at Dollywood, which makes it special and memorable.”
Special release products are also popular across HFE’s attractions. Madewell says Dollywood has a lot of new merchandise specifically for its 40th Anniversary Celebration that has been exciting for the theme park’s fans.
Quirky souvenirs have been big for Morey’s Piers. Smith says the theme park’s most popular item in 2024 was its Curley’s Fries dog toy — a dog toy shaped like the delicious boardwalk snack. The souvenir even won a Brass Ring Award from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions last year as “Best Custom Retail Souvenir.”
Friel adds that offering new merchandise each season makes those souvenirs even more special for customers.
He says, “Merchandise at theme parks and water parks is unique because it’s closely tied to the emotions and experiences of the visit. Theme parks that create original merchandise truly offer exclusive, one-time offers that create excitement.”
Find kid-spirationPeople of all ages enjoy a trip to the theme park, but a lot of these destination retailers know the importance of going all out on their kids’ sections.
Friel says bubble wands are always kid favorites at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, particularly at its Kiddie Korner shop. “Children can be found throughout the park chasing each other with bubbles.”
For 2025, Morey’s Piers is expanding its apparel option for its youngest guests, with new apparel items for toddlers and infants, including hoodies, T-shirts and onesies.
 Silver Dollar City showcases its ride merch,
“We sell more things to adults for their kids than anything else!” she notes with a laugh. “I think this is the case at many water parks. Usually, if an adult is visiting a water park, they’ve lived their dream once. Now, it’s about their kids. I work here, but I bring my grandkids in all the time. I won’t buy for myself, but I’ll buy for the grandkids. It’s great to see the excitement on their faces.”
Stay on themeWhen retail buyers and managers at theme parks decide what to put on their shelves for the upcoming season, they often need to do some homework in the off-season. Madewell suggests that attractions retailers consider what makes their particular property special.
For some HFE properties, offering interactive experiences with the products is key. Madewell says guests love DIY candle souvenirs at Silver Dollar City’s candle shop and custom-made ornaments at the theme park’s glass blowing shop.
Friel says trade shows can be a good tool in the off-season for destination retailers to see what’s happening in the souvenir industry.
“Staying on top of movie and music trends through school events or social media can also provide insight into what kids are excited about,” he says.
Finding the perfect theme park or water park souvenirs isn’t something that can be done last minute — Smith suggests doing good research before diving into product development by exploring what similar stores are doing and considering color trends. However, she cautions, it’s important to not just copy popular fads at other major attractions and hope it works out.
“Remember, what works for other parks might not work for yours,” she advises. “I think it’s essential to be aware of the trends but always stay true to your brand.” |
