Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Park

This place was such a great time! Being that I’m not from CT or near by, I did not know the perks of coming to this park. There were a few things I wish I had a little more insight on. But now that I do know and I’ll make sure I share so if you decide to visit you have an even better time!
This place was about 2HR drive from the NYC area. There are three different entrance pricing depending on what you’d like to do at park. Great news is the pricing doesn’t exceed $ 45 which would include all the activities at the park. Something you can do to cut some time on the long but fast moving lines is print out their liability release waiver ahead of time (its a MUST to be in the park and it makes you do quick life assessment on the the ‘what if’ event — a bit unsettling if you ask me, lol). We were a group of 8 and tried to bring as little items as possible to avoid using many lockers. We rented 2 large lockers only to find out they were not working properly and were issued a refund. Instead we got 3 small lockers that worked out well.
I knew you were able to bring food into the park and we opted not to do this because we really didn’t know where we would store anything while enjoying the activities.
Heres what I wish we knew:
*There is plenty of space to set up your own picnic area in the park as long as you arrive early to claim a space.
*If you bring a big cooler along with grub and picnic mats or blankets you are able to leave the items in your area (at your own risk of course) and go about your day until hunger or old age (this park is a workout) strikes.
*If you come with someone who isn’t interested in doing any activities in the park they can have a relaxing day at the park — maybe bring some music, games, nap, tan, read etc…
The activities throughout the park were all really fun. The long lines are to be expected unless you arrive as soon as the park opens or i’m guessing a weekday. I’d suggest not to anticipate short lines too much being that most people are looking to go water parks and make the best of their summer and the park has a limited times of operation. The zip lines were my favorite, however the climb to them wasn’t fun. The climb can be a bit scary; definitely not for anyone who is scared of heights. The inflatables were terribly crowded and not very well supervised as people were literally on top of one another trying to climb! When and if you do make it up they’re a good time! If you are not a strong swimmer or maybe not a swimmer at all, don’t worry much, as long as you are able to relax and trust your life vest (must be worn at ALL times) you will be A-​Okay. If you want to stay away from lines you can take it easy and just swim around the park.
The park also has a concession stand. Regular concession food. Burgers, fries, chicken tenders etc. I personally thought the pricing wasn’t bad; average $ 12 PP that included fries and a drink.
Overall Brownstone was a great place to cool off while having a great time. I must warn you that you may be sore as heck the day after. But its all fun and games! See you next summer Brownstone!

Had no idea this place existed until a family member stumbled upon it one day and told me. Seemed like a neat place and turned out to be a lot of fun.
Some of the floats and things are getting a little worn out but all and all it’s a great way to get some exercise and have a fun time swimming.
Went late in the season on a September Saturday, was a little cloudy so maybe that scared off some people but when I went to check out the place on labor day weekend, there were so many people they had to refuse new entries into the park.
Would definitely recommend and return to, just be wary of the crowds. If it’s a hot day there will probably be a ton of people.

they are having a clambake this weekend at $ 50.00 a head. but the catch is you have to purchase a park pass to attend at $ 32,00. on top of that price. what the hell kind of ripoff is this? if you want to charge $ 80.00 just do it.

Decided to go this past Sunday. Really liked the fact that there was tons of open space to swim. I think this place is more for teenagers and physically fit people even though I saw children and older people having fun. Not saying that other people cannot do these activities, but a majority of the fun was strength based. I can swim also, but constantly having to jump into the water was tiring. There was one activity where you had to swim to and then attempt to rock climb to the top of the base in order to jump off to a large pillow, possibly launching someone into the water. I have rock climbed before, but pulling myself from the water onto the rock wall was difficult for me even with the help from my boyfriend pushing me up. I had to skip my turn to save myself from more embarrassment and annoying others waiting in line. All of the zip lines had to be swam to except for the 4 line cliff one and rock climbing wall. Wake boarding was fun, but very difficult for beginners.
I felt like there could have been more life guards for each obstacle since they were constantly yelling or blowing whistles to people (can’t blame them, there are no rules in view once you get into the water and signs are small that people brush right by them). They also should take the time to clean the water once in awhile since debris gets pushed into it and collects into corners. One shuttle bus from the parking lot to the entrance, vice versa was nice. We were able to catch it both ways so we didn’t have to walk.
All in all, I had a great time. It felt like we were there all day, but it was only 4 hours since we got there when we left. Must get there early to claim tables and the nicer life jackets. Also, going early doesn’t stop people from collecting near your area though (we had a large family build a spot near us that was a little uncomfortable, they had over 15 lawn chairs and coolers pushed towards us. Another family laid blankets and towels near us so we had to awkwardly step over their things to move in and out of the spot).

Awesomeness. Or EPIC as my kids would say. Who knew zip lining into water from high cliffs could be so fun. Everyone wears a life jacket so even the young guest in your party have an added degree of safety to ease your mind. Awesome end of summer activity for the entire family. I felt like a 10-​year-​old again.

We have visited Brownstone for 4 years in a row, and while our most recent visit was not a total bust, I feel like an update is due since some things have changed.
1) we didn’t go on a weekend this time, but a weekday very late in the season hoping some college-​age kids would be back to school and that other families would be getting into back-​to-​school mode as well. WRONG! As crowded as ever… probably double the capacity I saw this time last year.
2) they were offering discounts for poor weather on their website, and even though we were driving up there in a huge storm, the sun came out and… no discount.
3 & 4)) We hit traffic and got in line around 10:30. By the time we got our PFD’s the grassy knoll was totally full. We had about 8 sq ft of area on a slope to drop our stuff.
5) The terrain was worse this time. After years of foot-​traffic, the «beach» has pit-​holes and exposed rocks near the entrance to the causeway that were bad, and the causeways themselves are frankly gross (carpeted with an all-​weather material) that is slimy in lots of spots.
6) water was warm again, and yes, there is eel grass and… eels. But truly, that doesn’t bother any of us because they don’t bother you.
7) facilities still suck. Bathrooms don’t flush well, and the changing rooms are minimal so everyone uses the bathrooms as changing rooms and of course, 2 toilets for thousands of people just doesn’t cut it… translation: more pee in the quarry water, I presume.
8) DIdn’t see the floating pizza oven anymore. Gift and tattoo kiosks are moved and there is a new food court/​tent that aims to feed more people. Bring a cooler and save your money. Nothing was worth buying.
9) PFD’s are in VERY sorry shape, and were ripped, popping open and moldy. I know it’s the end of the season, but these were NOT this seasons’ lifejackets… no way. I did see a few folks wearing navy blue ones, which I gathered too late were the newer ones.
10) I still think going in a group is fun, but kids still split up and go all over the place. I don’t worry about my camp being invaded and having things stolen, but I also don’t come it with lots of cash, ccards or cameras. Leave it home.
11) Large groups are hard only because it’s hard to stay together, but good because you see your friends all over the park.
12) After this last crazy, unbelievably crowded visit, I have a new appreciation for the staff, and a new distaste for 14 – 18 year olds who are there without parents and apparently haven’t been taught that a little kid waiting in line for 20 minutes should be allowed to go ahead of you BECAUSE THEY’VE BEEN WAITING FOR 20 MINUTES. (note: I mean in the water, all the lines for zipping and slide are controlled) Bunch of complete assholes, and the staff is only there for safety… they can’t police these idiots that have no manners. My kids are not tiny… they are 11 and 12.
I will still go back, and I’d still say it’s a good time, but I feel like this visit, the park was showing its age a little, and that I possibly should have come either very early in the summer or later in the day… people left after 3 and we had no problem getting on ziplines. During the day, it was just not worth the money to get cut off in line, or have to wait an hour for a 15 second zipline. My kids were upset being pushed off causeway by older kids, cut off in line and just frustrated at the sheer mass of people. Overall, I was disappointed with Brownstone this time, but more upset with the ugly American teens that were swarming the place this week.

Not too sure how this place has positive reviews. I visited brownstone for the first time last year and had a great time. Last week I re visited and didn’t have the same experience. First we arrived and noticed that prices went up due to insurance purposes, (32 dollars for the very few rides they have is a bit much). Then it took over 25 minutes to find a life vest that was in decent condition. I couldn’t believe the vests that they had on display, VERY poor conditions, and everyone around me was complaining about it. Then I finally found one that seemed decent and it ripped in the water and I had to get out and spend another 25 minutes waiting for another vest. I then proceeded to get a manager to complain because I just couldn’t believe what they charge to get in, yet couldn’t provide a mandatory life vest that was in somewhat decent condition. Needless to say the manager said they may have to close the gate due to the issue of the vests.
Also, if you know people are working around barefoot, try to put some sort of black rubber around certain spot so people don’t hurt their feet.
Do yourself a favor people, don’t do the rope cliff jump, (as easy as it may look) myself and a friend didn’t land the right way and couldn’t move our necks for a few days!

Visited this park with two children 15 and 16 who really enjoyed it.
The location is in an industrial zone which was kind of disappointing. There were large trucks zooming around and there is some type of fuel transfer station across from the park and the odors were wafting into the park occasionally making me nauseous. Parking was at a remote lot but shuttle service is provided. The shuttle bus is an older model and was dumpy. Although the driver was very courteous.
The entrance fee is reasonable and the park is well run. It was crowded so the zip lines were a bit long. The cliff jumping was fun and the kids enjoyed the floats which you can climb on. The snack bar had decent food. There are some nice areas to sit and watch the action.
Overall, a fun day.

This place has the potential to be something great but safety concerns me the most. I hit the water so hard on two different zips that I was in major pain for days afterwards. If the impact wasn’t so intense I might return.
I was told by a staff members that we went on one of the busiest days of year. I waited at least 30 minutes to get in and at least an hour in line to try an activity. I don’t have patience so the waiting part was brutal.
The life jackets are a joke. They are dirty, ripped and the inside foam pokes out depending on which one you get.
The locker and changing area was very small. Couldn’t fit a lot of people because the lockers are stacked and there are 3 changing rooms for hundreds of people. The heat that day made it a pure sweat box. Awful.
As for the activities, if you are not physically fit, you really don’t stand a chance. I could only accomplish one of the water toys as the rest required so much upper body strength that I lacked.
First big activity was the zip line where you had to let go and drop in the water between two red buoys. The impact was so intense I almost lost my breath. I inhaled too much pee infested water and there was a sharp pain on the left side of my face once I popped my head out of the water.
One of the highlights of the day was the 4 line zip activity. I was so excited to try but didn’t turn out as expected. The sun was beating down on me for good 90 minutes before I got to zip. I had to leave at one point to get water otherwise dehydration would have made me sick. By the time I got closer to the end, I was zipping backwards so my back/​butt took the entire impact.
I truly truly wish that the activities were configured just a bit different so that everyone could enjoy them and so that it didn’t hurt so much to hit the water.
I was still able to have some fun swimming but the overall experience was tough.

Loved it! Kids had a blast! Zip lines were exhilarating! Lines were not too long on the weekdays. It’s a good idea to bring your lunch and buy your tickets ahead of time. Don’t forget to fill out your waivers online.

The kids loved it. You do need to be in shape as and adult to participate in the activities. The price was reasonable for the activities. We felt $ 22 for the non participants was too pricey. We wanted Grandma to come to watch all the kids but $ 22 was too much to sit at a picnic table all day. Zip lines are amazing. My oldest son said there were not many rules there and that made it more fun. We brought in coolers and food. If you want a good spot where you can lay your stuff out go early. We used the concession tables and no one chased us off. Got to the big zip line early because the line becomes longer as the day goes on.

We have made Brownstone an annual trip for the past five years. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that’s something we’ll continue following our visit there this week.
The day pass to go on the zip lines, slide. water structures, etc. is $ 32. When comparing the entry cost to other water parks in the area, it seems to be competitively priced. That’s the good news.
The not-​so-​good news is the food offered on premises is Ridiculously overpriced!!! We had received conflicting information as to whether food was able to brought into the park this year, so we chose not to pack a lunch believing it would likely be a problem. We won’t make that mistake again. When a 15 year old comments (on their own accord) about how expensive a hotdog is… you KNOW the pricing is out of line! Lesson learned.
The bad news. The lockers were ripped out this season due to a «system glitch». While it sounds like they are intending to replace them, that’s not much help THIS summer. Needless to say, when bringing a group of kids, all with a bunch of phones and cash in tow, lockers are a necessity. When I asked about what other folks were doing to secure their valuables, one of the staff members suggested I return to the parking lot to lock items in my car since you can re-​enter the park for the day. No apologies. No here’s a free drink coupon for your inconvenience… Nothing. Ultimately, I chose to go lock our stuff in the car but was admittedly concerned the rest of the day about the items in the car. This particular point tends to highlight the overall customer service experience at Brownstone… Pretty much not their problem or concern unless it’s a safety issue. And where safety is concerned, some of their employees are far more attentive than others.
All in all, my kids and their friends have enjoyed going to the park throughout the years. It’s just truly unfortunate that their management doesn’t understand good customer service and/​or the value of returning patrons.

Every once in awhile my girlfriend and I like to find activities on Sunday afternoons that do not involve copious amounts of alcohol and debauchery. We went with a group of friends to Brownstone and had a blast. Yes, its a little bit ghetto. Yes, some of the cooler things to do (water slide, zip-​lines etc…) may have a bit of a wait, but to just lunge around in the water makes it all worthwhile. The inflatable structures they have anchored in the middle of the lake/​pond/​i dont know what to call it are fun to play on, but goddamn it made me realize real quick that I dont have the agility and energy of the 12 year olds that were quickly scouring it. Will def return.

So much fun! We all loved it! I loved the zip lines and I would consider myself a big baby! The staff is wonderful and very helpful! I love that they let you bring your own food in. I would recommend it to anyone! The water is so clean and clear. Well done Brownstone! We will be back soon!

We had a group of 10 and they had a great time! There was an event for all the ages. Higher zip lines for the older more adventurous kids, and lower ones for the younger ones. We brought coolers so the only food we bought was frozen yogurt. For the price AND they let you bring your own it was worth it! We will definitely be back!

I have been wanting to come here for the past three summers, and finally made it today. My only regret or disapointment is that I didn’t come here sooner.
First of all the park is easy to find and get to from just about anywhere. Check-​in was super easy and we were quickly on our way to having fun.
The staff was all very friendly and very encouraging. I am extremely afraid of heights, but the activity attendants we friendly, made small talk to help me relax, and even offered tips on the best way to do the activity (zip lines, slides, cliff diving, etc.).
I also like that the park allows outside food to be brought in, does not serve or allow alcohol, and does not allow smoking. I found this place to be much more enjoyable and interactive than just going to an amusement or water park.

Definitely a neat experience. I was hesitant based on some of the reviews however my husband and I drove by to check it out one day and it looked like so much fun! I brought my teenage daughter and her friend. They had a blast and stayed in the water the entire day!
We came on a weekday around noon. The crowd was decent but not overwhelming. Some of the zip lines had 15 – 20 min waits but towards the end of the day 4 pm or so lines died down. Based on other reviews I was expecting rude teenage employees however the encounters I had were rather pleasant… Greeted nicely and wished us a fun day! The food shack had a decent list of selections– burgers, chicken strips, sausage grinders, pulled pork, clam strips, French fries, fried dough, ice cream etc. for 3 of us I spent about $ 30 on lunch.
We also rented a paddle board for $ ¹²⁄₃₀ mins. The area to paddle board wasn’t too big but good enough for a first timer. I would however recommend anybody who owns water shoes to bring them because the walk up to the zip lines was all mulch and was a bit painful at times. I didn’t find it hard to find a spot on the beach area to lay out my stuff. Beach chairs, coolers, food from outside is totally allowed which is great! I will definitely plan ahead and bring my own food next time. Renting a floating gazebo seems fun but I think it’s a bit pricey $ 95/​half day for the smallest size (12 people).
Bathrooms are very very hot and muggy… A bit on the gross side, but what would you expect for a water park… Sinks were clean at least. Love that parking is free and the shuttle drives you down from the parking area. All in all, for $ 29/​per person, it was better than any amusement park and will for sure be back. Plus is… It keeps kids physically active and off social media for a day! Ha!

Can I give it negative stars? LAME LAME LAME. If you are an adult who had any time «misspent» as youth this place is BORING!
I wanted to jump off the 60′ cliffs, not the 20′ cliffs. Zip line? !YAWN! The big one was an 8 second ride (I timed it). Oooh. I guess after jumping out of airplanes and experiencing free fall for a full minute, I should have expected that being strapped onto a zip line to drop a total of 60 feet in 8 seconds would be pretty boring. It was.
The «rock climbing» is fake handholds bolted to the rock face. About as challenging as climbing a ladder… I’ve technical climbed Mt. Washington routes and several other of the Presidential Range mountains and I’ve hiked/​climbed various other parts of the Appalachian Trail. This? I wouldn’t even have bothered with a rope.
If you have done any white water rafting or kayaking then the idea of slowly paddling around a small, enclosed area will be excruciatingly boring.
Bottom line is this: if you have any experience doing REAL adventure sports, this place is no more exciting than an elementary school playground. If all you have experienced is an elementary school playground, then this place will get your blood pumping.
My one word of caution: we took people’s advice and went on a kind of dreary weekday to avoid the crowds. It is true that there were only two or three busloads of kids, but almost all the attractions were closed.
We checked the website in the morning for conditions. It said ¹⁴⁄₁₄ zip lines were open, ³⁄₃ wakeboarding runs were open, ⁶⁄₆ rock climbing runs were open, and everything else was open, too. When we got there only 3 zip lines were open (and that included two «racing lines» that were right next to each other, so in reality just two different runs). The rock climbing was closed, the wake boarding was closed. The water «obstacles» (inflatable) were open, but all the kids seemed to flock to them (not that adults would probably want to bother with them, anyway). The cliff diving (a whopping 15′ and 20′ high) were open but the high springboard was closed.
The people doing check in never mentioned any of that, and there are no refunds. Make sure you call ahead and ask before you plop down all that money and only be able to access 15% of their activities (and only about 5% of the really adventurous ones).
FYI: after your very expensive admission fee, if you buy their food be prepared for movie-​cinema type prices. Hotdogs are $ 4. Hamburgers $ 5, cheeseburgers $ 5.25. I didn’t even see what a slice of pizza cost (because the pizza ovens were closed, as were the Monster drink booths, the pretzel booths, and pretty much everything else). They try very hard to get you to part with your money as they have other «shacks» that sell Oakley gear, various «surf/​wakeboarding» gear, «cool surfer» jewelry, etc.
There is only one «public» covered tent area which is pretty much out of the way from the rest of the park. All the other «gazebos» are available for rent only.
I could see a family of four (two adults, one high school-​aged child, and one middle school-​aged child) easily dropping $ 300+ for the day.
I found the pictures on their website to be very deceiving. The place just didn’t feel as big in person as it looked online. They also don’t tell you it is smack dab in the middle of an industrial/​commercial area with a petroleum terminal across the street on one side and «main street» on the other. The quarry gets run off and you can just see parts where there is just a bunch of garbage and flotsam. EEW!
Parking near the entrance is very limited, so be prepared to walk if you go on a busy day.
I can honestly say that I wish I had gone into work. This was an absolutely HORRIBLE experience. Not only did I waste the admission money, but I burned a vacation day, too. I will never go back here, and will never recommend it to anybody else, either.

This place has anything you can think of doing in the water.
It’s a huge quarry with zip lines that end in the water and a water slide with a drop at the end. It also has a rope swing and cliff jumping. There is a separate area for kids 12 and under with an inflatable obstacle course. For an extra cost you can try weight boarding.
You can rent a private gazebo or just find a table or sand for your stuff. You can bring in coolers and chairs and they do have lockers to rent.

This place is amazing. Fun for kids and adults. Totally get your money’s worth. I’m kind of obsessed. :) Here’s an excerpt from my Stefcations travel blog: If you’re a Connecticut native like me, you’d likely never imagine that a cool place like Brownstone Discovery Park would be hiding anywhere near this neck of the woods.
If you have kids and are looking for an all-​family activity — and even if you don’t have kids (because I don’t), you would be amazed by the fun you’ll have here.
The cost of a pass? $ 28. The hilarity? Priceless.
A daily pass that will gain you admittance to all of the «adventure» sports (cliff jumping, swimming, ziplining, waterslide, wakeboarding, scuba diving, and large inflatable toys — the fun of which should NOT be underestimated) will cost you $ 28. (The park happened to offer a special this Labor Day weekend for $ 20. Yay, us!) Call me crazy, but the admission price for places like Six Flags or Lake Compounce is considerably higher than that ($ 35.99 a person at «the Lake» last time I checked); plus, at those other places you’d have to pay extra for parking. Here at Brownstone, not only is parking free, they’ve got a shuttle to bring you down the road and drop you off at the gates.
The other option at Brownstone is the general swimming pass, which includes swimming, kayaking, hiking, and biking, and costs $ 18. But come on, face it, you’d really just be wussing out.