Cliff Hammond and his wife Zella opened a small kiddie park located at 7600 Lomas Blvd in 1959 and named it Uncle Cliff’s Kiddieland. The park had seven rides, including a kiddie coaster, simply called "Coaster".

Uncle Cliff's Kiddieland was renamed Uncle Cliff's Familyland, reflecting the company's aspirations to grow and values of providing amusement to the whole family. The Mad Mouse roller coaster was the highlight roller coaster, continuing operation until 1981.

By the 80s, the park installed several new rides which included the Kiddy Bumper Cars, the Train, the classic Tilt-A-Whirl, a log flume named Rocky Mountain Rapids, and a new coaster, the Galaxi. Again, the property was renamed, from Uncle Cliff's Familyland to Uncle Cliff's Amusement Park, further expressing it's growth. All of these rides remain in operation today, thanks to diligent maintenance efforts.

The construction and opening of the New Mexico Rattler was filled with as many twists and turns as the ride itself. In January, Custom Coasters International (CCI) was contracted to design and manufacture the ambitious wooden roller coaster. In February, Gary and Linda Hays as well as the mayor of Albuquerque, announced the construction of the coaster. The new ride had a projected opening date of June 21. The first problem, there wasn't a name for the new ride yet, so a contest was announced for the public to submit names for the attraction. The contest ended in April with the name "New Mexico Rattler" chosen from a 4-year-olds submission. The name was selected because the coaster's unique design of quick turns, switchbacks, and helix was like the movement of the dangerous state predator, the rattlesnake. In early May, the steel supports began to be built. In June, the anticipated opening date was setback to mid-July due to construction delays, and delayed again in July due to pending delivery of construction materials. In late July, the manufacturer CCI filed for bankruptcy, making the New Mexico Rattler the last ride to ever be designed and manufactured by the company. However, the company never finished the construction, so Cliff's put the former CCI workers on payroll, ordered the remaining material, and finished construction, not wanting to delay the rides opening any further. The coaster finally opened in late September, after tenacious efforts by the construction crew, the park's owners, and with much anticipation from locals, including the mayor, who took the debut ride.

Five new rides were opened. The Baja Buggy was added in Kiddyland. The Falling Star and the Musik Express were added, with the Musik Express quickly becoming one of the most popular rides in the park. The Sidewinder replaced the Yo-Yo. Lastly, the aptly named Cliff Hanger was added, an eye-catching 120 foot tall drop tower that could be seen by passersby from the freeway and enjoyed by thrill seeking visitors.

In January of 2013, the community lost Clifford Hammond, the man known as "Uncle Cliff." He was a man with a sunny demeanor who loved the outdoors. Those traits led him to open this amusement park, growing it into a cherished local landmark. His legacy of fun lives on through Cliff's Amusement Park, which continues on the very same principles Cliff established at the beginning – safety, cleanliness and courteousness.

Summer 2025 welcomes the addition of the new thrill ride, Air Race, and a new airplane themed kiddie ride. Improvements for the 2025 season also include a rebuilt and relocated Demolition Disco, and a brand new Kiddyland Cafe.