Santa Clara - Paramount's Great America

A few years ago a leisure park on the lines of Disneyland was created in Santa Clara, not far from the U.S. 101. Known as "Great America" it covers an area of 100 acres/40 hectares and is made up of five sections (Hometown Square, Yukon Territory, Yankee Harbor, County Fair and Orleans Place). These depict various aspects of life in America during the 19th and 20th centuries and provide plenty of scope for entertainment of all kinds.

Attractions in the park include the 224-foot Drop Zone, the standup roller coaster called the Vortex, the Top Gun inverted suspended jet coaster, and a James Bond motion simulator ride. There are also the Rip Roaring Rapids, a 1,600-foot white-water raft and the Days of Thunder motion simulator which recreates a high-speed stock car race. Theaters present stage shows and films, while concerts are held in an outdoor amphitheater.