Theme & Amusement Parks in Rio Rancho

Whether the name of the game is to have some family fun or to scream like a banshee, Cliff's Amusement Park has been the place to do it for more than 50 years. The first thing you'll notice as you drive up is the New Mexico Rattler, a 3,000-foot wooden roller coaster that twists and turns its way around the edges of the park and plunges—for a few terrifying seconds—into an underground tunnel. The Cliff Hanger makes an anticipation-building ascent before freefalling back to earth, and the SideWinder twirls passengers 80 feet into the air on a structure resembling Paul Bunyan's spare wagon wheel.

The jungle-themed WaterMania area lets youngsters climb like monkeys and race down slippery water slides. They also can enjoy slower-paced fun inside bumper cars, on the Tilt-A-Whirl, or during a leisurely trip around the park on an old-timey train.

Murals of zebras and elephants surround each of Monkey Mania's jungle-themed, climate-controlled rooms, which include areas designed for toddlers, older kids, and the entire family. The creatures gaze down as visitors paint in an arts-and-crafts room and relax in the Jungle Tree Media Center, where movies play on televisions mounted directly into trees. Elsewhere, kids wind their way through a giant yellow obstacle course with padded floors and cannons that fire soft projectiles—dubbed the Jump Arena with Battleball—or take up a game of foosball or air hockey.

The Hollywood Room offers an escape from the untamed wilderness, letting kids experience all the glamour of Tinseltown. Boys and girls can sing, dress up in costumes, or vacuum the fashion runway's red carpet.

Designed as an oasis of family fun, Putt-Putt Golf and Games entertains all ages with three 18-hole Putt-Putt Golf Courses, more than 50 arcade and prize-redemption games, and a snack bar packed with pizza and soda. On the outdoor courses, kids putt past giant tortoises and colorful mushrooms as adults hone their short games. Additionally, a game room rings with the bells and whistles of Fruit Ninja, Monster Drop, Deal or No Deal, Big Bass Wheel, Skee-Ball, and more, and a snack bar filled with treats makes the center a memorable birthday-party location or presidential-inauguration site.

At ABQ’s Playroom, barefoot tykes aged 9 and younger tote tiny shopping baskets through the Discovery Zone, a colorful shopping center replete with cashier station and kitchen. The miniature commercial hub reflects ABQ’s Playroom’s mission to furnish young minds with ample opportunities for role-play and interaction with their peers during unstructured playtime. In addition to the shopping center, children can reenact scenes from their favorite Beckett masterpiece at the puppet theater, or tinker with toys and Wii video games at the School Age Clubhouse. Additionally, instructors complement the unstructured playtime with a variety of enrichment classes that explore music, art, and Lego robotics.

Hinkle Family Fun Center houses a multitude of yawn-busting attractions, from the whimsical Bumper Boats and Miniature Golf courses to a futuristic Lazer Tag arena and Virtual Reality pods. Under the direction of Gene E. Hinkle, the park has blossomed into a veritable utopia of thrills and amusements for all ages. Waterfalls douse bumper boats, paintballs explode in bursts of neon pink across a 12,500-square-foot course, and hidden obstacles spell the end of all but the craftiest golf balls. Indoors, the Nickel City Game Room and Prize Center and Fun Center Game Room and Prize Center brim with more than 200 games and more than 1,000 prizes, and strobe lights illuminate the chest packs that litter the laser-tag complex.