Go-Kart Racing Near Ocean City, MD
Viking Go-Karts is the only go-kart track in Fenwick Island, six miles north of Ocean City on Route 1. This is a straight guide to how it works: what it costs, who can drive, and what the track is actually like.
The price, and the part people miss
$10 per ride, per kart. Per kart. Not per person.
This matters more than anything else on this page. A double kart with a parent driving and a young kid riding along is $10 total, not $20. Families regularly assume it is per head and budget twice what they need to.
| What you want | What it costs |
|---|---|
| One adult, single kart | $10 |
| One adult driving a double kart with a kid riding | $10 |
| Two parents, two double karts, two kids riding | $20 |
| Two teenagers, two single karts | $20 |
Who can drive
The rules are about height and age, and they exist because the karts are built to certain dimensions. Nothing here is negotiable at the window, so it is worth knowing before you get in line.
| Kart | Driver | Passenger |
|---|---|---|
| Single kart | 56 inches or taller | n/a |
| Double kart | 16 years or older | must be under 56 inches |
Fifty six inches is roughly the height of an average eight to ten year old, though kids vary a lot. If your child is close to the line, measure before you promise them they can drive, because that is a hard conversation in the parking lot.
Safety
Every kart has a safety seatbelt and our staff checks it before you go. We do not provide helmets. The track is designed as a series of turns rather than anything more elaborate, and the karts are governed to a speed that works for a family attraction.
The track
It is a turning track. Not a straight line, not a figure eight with gimmicks, just a proper run of turns where taking a good line actually matters. Kids who have only driven karts at a fairground notice the difference.
The turns are where the racing happens. Anyone can hold the pedal down on a straight. Carrying speed through a corner without scrubbing it off is the skill, and it is why families end up doing three or four runs instead of one.
Hours, and why they matter
Daily 10am to 11:30pm. Two things follow from that.
First, night racing. Running the track under the lights after dark is a genuinely different experience from doing it at 2pm in the sun, and it is the reason a lot of families come back on the same trip. Second, we stay open into the fall season, well after the waterpark has closed for the year. If you are on the shore in September or October, the go-karts are usually still running. Call (302) 539-1644 for exact dates.
Getting here from Ocean City
| From | Distance | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean City, MD | 6 miles | about 15 minutes |
| Bethany Beach, DE | 5 miles | about 10 minutes |
| Rehoboth Beach, DE | 15 miles | about 25 minutes |
Route 1, Fenwick Island. Parking is free and on site.
Making it a whole evening
The go-karts sit in the same place as Viking Golf, which is open until 11:30pm too, and Hungry Viking, which does funnel cakes, fried Oreos, burgers, fries, pizza, hot dogs, chicken tenders and Coca-Cola products.
The standard evening here is go-karts, then mini golf, then food, and then ice cream from Hershey's Island Creamery next door. They are a separate business but they are about thirty steps away.
During the day, Thunder Lagoon Waterpark runs 10am to 6pm. Note that the waterpark multi-day discount is waterpark only. It does not apply to go-karts or golf.
Which kart do you actually want
This decides the day more than anything else, so work it out before you are at the front of the line:
| Your situation | What to get | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Two adults, no kids | Two single karts | $20 |
| Adult plus a child under 56 inches | One double kart | $10 |
| Two adults, two small kids | Two double karts | $20 |
| A teenager 56 inches or taller | Single kart | $10 |
| A child close to 56 inches | Measure first | depends |
That last row is the one to take seriously. A kid who is 55 inches cannot drive alone and can ride as a passenger. A kid who is 57 inches can drive alone and cannot ride as a passenger, because they will not fit. There is a narrow band where the answer flips, and it is worth measuring at the rental rather than finding out here.
Racing at night
We run until 11:30pm and the track after dark is a different thing entirely. The turns come at you differently under the lights, the air is finally cool, and it is why families who ride once at 2pm come back at 9pm and ride three more times.
In July, the evening is honestly the only sensible time to do anything outdoors here. That is not a sales line, it is just the weather.
Into the fall
The go-karts outlast everything else we run. The waterpark closes for the year at the end of the summer season, and the karts keep going into the fall. If you are on the Delaware shore in September or October, this is one of the few things still open.
Exact closing dates depend on the year and the weather. Call (302) 539-1644 and we will tell you.
First time in a kart?
- Lift before the turn, not in it. Braking mid-corner is how you end up facing the wrong way.
- Look where you want to go. It sounds like nonsense and it is the single thing that makes new drivers faster.
- The seatbelt gets checked. Our staff does it every run, on every kart.
- You will want to go again. Nearly everybody does. Budget $20, not $10.
Common Questions
$10 per kart, until 11:30pm
The only go-kart track in Fenwick Island, six miles from Ocean City. Free parking.
See Viking Go-Karts
