Ever wonder what it would be like to dig with an excavator, drive a real dump truck, or find out for yourself just how high a telehandler really goes? At Diggerland USA, the only construction theme and water park in the US, kids and their grownups can operate actual earth-moving equipment—think Ventracs, excavators, tractors, and more—plus splash around in the brand new outdoor water park come summertime.

My family of five headed to West Berlin, New Jersey for opening weekend to experience Diggerland USA for ourselves and we had a blast! With over 40 themed rides and attractions, the park gives guests the chance to have some safe and totally one-of-a-kind fun. It's the perfect destination for a weekend, spring break, or the hot summer days to come. And Mommy Poppins readers get an exclusive discount on tickets—just read on for details.

Photo courtesy of Diggerland

Top Rides and Attractions at Diggerland USA

Diggerland USA is spread out over 20 acres—with about 2 acres dedicated to the new Water Main aquatic park—and there’s a ton of things to do. It takes about three or four hours to cover the entire park, but you can certainly pick and choose your activities based on everyone's ages and interests. Here are some of my family's favorite attractions:

Big Diggers, Mini Excavators, and More

The park is a large loop, and if you start with the excavators, you won’t be sorry! There are banks of Big Diggers where you can operate real 7,092-pound digging equipment. Don’t worry—the Diggerland staff is amazing and will teach you everything you need to know. In less than a minute, my boys were digging and dumping like pros.

Also check out the mini excavators, where you can use the crane like an arm to knock down bowling pins, pick up ducks, or dig for treasure. I was amazed by how much skill is involved in running this equipment. It truly gave us all a new appreciation for the know-how required to operate these machines.

There’s plenty of other cool equipment to try out too. New this season is the ROXOR A/T, a turbo-diesel jeep that you can drive through a controlled “off road” course. You can also learn how to operate Ventrac 3400 hydrostatic compact tractors, skidsteers, steam rollers, or farm tractors, and then drive them around a fun course. When my son walked proudly away from one of the courses, I thought, “Wow! I can’t believe my second grader just drove a steam roller!”

I loved seeing that little ones were able to get in on the fun too. While a number of the attractions require the driver or operator to be at least 40" (and sometimes even taller), kids who are at least 36” are often able to be lap riders and see for themselves what it’s like to dig and drive. I also saw plenty of multigenerational families on outings, too—a perfect grandparent-tween date!

Photo by Kaylynn Ebner

Construction-Themed Rides

Diggerland USA isn’t just about the driving and digging. The park is filled with incredibly unique construction-themed rides! The Dig-A-Round is perfect for little ones. It’s sort of like a carousel, but in true Diggerland style, you ride in the bucket of a JCB 8065 excavator. You can also take a spin on the Excavator Express—a family-friendly Diggerland train pulled by tractor—or see what it’s like to ride on a real five-ton military transport vehicle. Kids can even experience new heights in the Elevation Station, a plate deck that makes a slow 60-foot vertical trip—a favorite of my seven-year-old!

Little guys (again the 36"+ crowd) can also experience the thrill of driving their very own Digger Derby mini-car around a small track. A huge shout out to the Diggerland instructor on this one, who patiently guided and encouraged my four-year-old daughter until she figured out how to make her way around the track.

Other great calmer attractions include the Kid Zone slides, duck racing with a water pump, a bean bag toss, a giant four-in-a-row game, panning for gold, and the adorable barrel train, which takes the littlest of passengers around a short track.

Photo by Kaylynn Ebner

Rides for Thrill-Seekers

A major highlight of our trip was an exhilarating ride on the Soaring Eagle Zipline. Sit side-by-side a buddy as you soar 700 feet back and 130 feet up in the air. Our hearts were pounding by the time we stepped off this one!

Another not-to-be-missed attraction is the Spin Dizzy, a modified excavator with a gondola that spins 25 feet in the air! Speaking of heights, try the Sky Shuttle, modified backhoe with a telescopic arm that raises a gondola of passengers 50 feet in the air. A super-unique fan favorite of our family was the Greased Beast, a steel demolition trailer that raises passengers over 30 feet in the air before “dumping” everyone forward. Don’t worry; everyone is harnessed in tightly, but it’s a real thrill!

There’s also an enormous Ropes Course where you can suit up and try to make it to the top of the four-story structure, or scale the 32-foot high Rock Wall.

No matter which ride we chose, we couldn’t have been more impressed by the professional, kind, and courteous staff that ensured safety with careful instructions and took the time to disinfect the seats between each group.

Photo courtesy of Diggerland

The Water Main Aquatic Park Rides and Attractions

The Water Main aquatic park is an awesome new addition to Diggerland—plus it's included with general admission to the park! Water-loving families can enjoy construction-themed splash pads, water slides, in-pool basketball, leisure swim areas, and even personal lockers to store all your belongings while you get soaked. Spacious shaded personal cabanas are also available for rental, complete with lounge chairs, tables, fans, and refrigerators.

My family absolutely loved The Water Main. Here are a few of our favorite attractions, including a couple of brand new additions to the water park: 

• Claw Hammer Cove: In this massive new wave pool, visitors can enjoy gentle waves by the zero-depth entrance, or go deep–like our eight-year-old eagerly did–for wild waves up to 4-feet-high.
• Carpool Lane: In this new adventure, kids jump from one inflatable car to the next, making their way across the 24-foot-long pool.
• Digger River and Vortex: This small lazy river was a big hit with our five-year-old. The gentle current pulls you along while spray features cool you down.
• Jackhammer Bay: My two-year-old couldn’t get enough of this construction-themed splash pad. Mini slides, spray jackhammers, and geysers make it extra fun.
• The Pipeline: My husband and I were partial to the side-by-side water slides, which made it easy to race each other to the bottom!
• See all of The Water Main attractions here

Family-Friendly Amenities at The Water Main

It makes such a big difference when a destination really caters to families. These amenities make The Water Main at Diggerland extra kid-friendly:

• Accessible changing rooms and bathrooms
• Covered pavilions with picnic tables and plenty of chairs
• A lifeguard on duty at each water feature
• Life vests available at no charge, plus families are welcome to bring their own US Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Devices
• Towels available for purchase in case you leave yours at home
• Locker rentals to store belongings while exploring the park
• Shaded private cabanas available for rent
• Loads of dining options, including The Tool Box Café and Splash N’ Dash snack shop located within The Water Main

Diggerland Dining Options

When it’s time to refuel, there are plenty of dining options across the park! Head to the Lunch Pail, The Munch Box, or Fork Lift Cafe for a slew of family-friendly options like pizza, cheesesteaks, quesadillas, burgers, grilled cheese, and chicken tenders. Or, grab a snack like ice cream, pretzels, and ices. If you're busy splashing around at The Water Main, The Tool Box is new to the dining line-up, serving up lunch, snacks, and beverages.

There are plenty of seats and tables in the outdoor pavilions.

Birthday Parties at Diggerland USA

Of course, Diggerland USA is a fantastic and totally unique spot for a birthday party. Party packages include admission for 10 kids (the birthday child is free!), 12 adults, time in the park, and time in the pavilion for food.

Photo courtesy of Diggerland

Schedule and Ticket Reservation

Visit the Diggerland USA calendar for park hours, as well as special events like campouts, drive-through holiday lights, fall festival, and more. Also, note that Diggerland will be open from March 27 through April 11 from 11:00am to 6:00pm for families looking to have some spring break fun.

Day tickets can be easily reserved online and construction-loving superfans might be interested in the season pass, which includes unlimited visits to Diggerland and The Water Main, free parking, and tons of special discounts and perks. Plus, it pretty much pays for itself after three visits.

No matter which option you dig, you can snag your tickets here!