Valleyfair

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Valleyfair

Aerial view of Valleyfair
Location	One Valleyfair Drive Shakopee, Minnesota, U.S.
Coordinates	44°47′55.47″N 93°27′12.13″W / 44.7987417°N 93.4533694°W / 44.7987417; -93.4533694Coordinates: 44°47′55.47″N 93°27′12.13″W / 44.7987417°N 93.4533694°W / 44.7987417; -93.4533694
Slogan	Where Awesome Happens
Owner	Cedar Fair
General manager	Raul Rehnborg
Opened	May 25, 1976 (1976-05-25)
Operating season	early/mid-May through October
Area	125 acres (0.51 km2) (0.5 km²)
Attractions
Total	75+
Roller coasters	8
Water rides	2
Website	www.valleyfair.com

Valleyfair is a 125-acre (51 ha) amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, United States. Owned by Cedar Fair, the park opened in 1976 and now features over 75 rides and attractions including eight roller coasters. Valleyfair also has a water park called Soak City which is included with the price of admission. Cedar Point and Valleyfair were the first two parks in the Cedar Fair chain (although Cedar Point Amusement Park originally opened in 1870) and a combination of the park names – "cedar" and "fair" – were used to name the company.

History[]

Valleyfair opened in 1976 featuring 20 rides and attractions^[1] on 26 acres (110,000 m²), with the roller coaster High Roller being the main attraction. The carousel in the park came from Excelsior Amusement Park which was closed in 1973. It is the oldest ride in the park. In 1978 in an effort to increase investment capital for continued park expansion, Valleyfair was acquired by Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio and placed under the management of Cedar Fair Limited Partnership. The park continues to grow every year with new rides and attractions. Since 1976, Valleyfair has invested over $96 million into the park, and today the park has over 75 attractions on 125 acres (51 ha) of land.^[2]

A height restriction was imposed in 2000 with the building of Power Tower. After negotiations with the FAA and the nearby Flying Cloud Airport, the FAA restricted the building height of Power Tower at 275 feet (84 m) due to its proximity to the airport. Power Tower's original plan was to be a height of 300 feet (91 m) and to take riders to 275 feet (84 m).^[3]

Valleyfair did not open for the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, although it is reopened for the 2021 season.^[4][5]

As the park is located on the banks of the Minnesota River, flooding can become an issue during the springtime months before the park usually opens (or when the park is open for the season), notably in 1988, 1993, 1997, 2014, 2018, and 2019. Excalibur and Thunder Canyon are built outside of a pre-existing river dike, and were built with this flooding potential in mind.^[6]

Attraction timeline[]

Attractions[]

Roller coasters[]

Coaster	Picture	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill Rating[7]
Corkscrew		1980	Arrow Dynamics	A steel Looping roller coaster	5
Cosmic Coaster		2011	Zamperla	A kiddie roller coaster. Previously located at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom as Dragon Coaster	3
Excalibur		1989	Arrow Dynamics	A steel roller coaster with a wooden structure	4
High Roller		1976	Rauerhorst Corporation	A wooden roller coaster. It is currently the oldest coaster at Valleyfair.	4
Mad Mouse		1999	Arrow Dynamics	A steel wild mouse roller coaster	4
Renegade		2007	Great Coasters International	A Wooden roller coaster	4
Steel Venom		2003	Intamin	A steel Inverted Impulse roller coaster	5
Wild Thing		1996	D. H. Morgan Manufacturing	A steel hyper coaster. It is currently the tallest roller coaster at Valleyfair.	5

Thrill rides[]

Ride	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill Rating[7]
Delirious	2018	Larson International	A Larson 22M Giant Loop Ride opening in the 2018 season.	4
Northern Lights	2014	Zamperla	A Disk'O ride where a single car travels along a 302-foot (92 m) long, U-shaped track, reaching a height of 43 feet (13 m).	4
North Star	2017	Funtime	A Star Flyer, in which riders, seated in two-person chair-linked swings, will reach a height of 230 feet (70 m), reaching speeds of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h).	4
Power Tower	2000	S&S Worldwide	A 275 feet (84 m) combo Space Shot and Turbo Drop tower.	5
RipCord	1996	Sky Fun 1	An additional charge attraction known as a Skycoaster that drops riders in a swinging, pendulum-like motion sending them 18 stories into the air at speeds up to 65 mph (105 km/h)	5
Xtreme Swing	2006	S&S Worldwide	A Screamin' Swing ride. It is currently the second tallest of its kind.	4

Family rides[]

Ride	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill Rating[7]
Antique Autos	2014	Gould Manufacturing	Guests operated Antique Autos are powered by a gas-powered engine and travel around 1,500 feet of track with a center guide rail to keep the auto on track.	3
Bumper Cars	1976	Rauenhorst Corporation	A Bumper cars attraction	4
Carousel	1925 (at Excelsior Park) 1976 (at Valleyfair)	Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters	An antique 48-horse Carousel. This ride previously was installed at Excelsior Park until its closing in 1973. An Artizan Band Organ provides the carousel's music, but the rolls have been converted to Wurlitzer 150 rolls. The carousel model number is PTC #76.[8]	1
Ferris Wheel	1975[9]	Chance Rides	A classic Ferris wheel ride reaching 85 feet in the air	2
Flying Eagles	2016	Larson International	A flying eagles ride with eight carriages that each have a paddle, enabling guests to change the movement of their carriage.	3
	1990	Crown Metal Products	A 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge[10] train ride around the park.	1
Monster	1977	Eyerly Aircraft Company	A classic Monster ride	3
Scrambler	1976	Eli Bridge Company	A classic Scrambler ride	3
SuperCat	1976	Ramagosa		2
Tilter	1976	Sellner Manufacturing	A classic Tilt-A-Whirl ride	3
Wheel of Fortune	1976	Chance Rides	A circular ride that holds 40 riders and raises to a tilted position while rotating backwards.	3

Water rides[]

These are the water rides besides those in the Soak City.

Ride	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Description	Thrill Rating[7]
The Wave	1992	Hopkins Rides	A Shoot-the-Chutes water ride. There is a bridge at the bottom where visitors can get soaked.	4
Thunder Canyon	1987	Barr Engineering	A six-person River rafting ride	4

Planet Snoopy[]

Planet Snoopy is a kids area within the park created for the 2011 season as part of a $9 million expansion.

Ride	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Model/Type	Description	Thrill Rating[7]
Charlie Brown's Wind Up	1976	Chance Rides	Yo-Yo	The ride consists of 32 swings lift off the ground while travel in a circular motion and tilting at the top. It was originally called the Flying Trapeze, but received a facelift and renamed for Planet Snoopy.	3
Flying Ace Balloon Ride	1988	Zamperla	Samba Balloon	Eight balloons that can accommodate up to 4 riders. It was originally called Hot Air Balloons.	3
Kite Eating Tree	2000	S&S Worldwide	Frog Hopper	A kiddie version of Power Tower. It was originally called the Frog Hopper.	2
Linus' Beetle Bugs	1976	Ramagosa		A little spinning ride. It was originally called Bumble Bees.	1
Linus Launcher	2011	Zamperla	Kite Flyer		3
Lucy's Tugboat	2004	Zamperla	Rockin' Tug		2
PEANUTS 500	2011	Zamperla	Speedway	A kiddie Whip ride	2
PEANUTS Road Rally	2000	Zamperla	Convoy		1
Sally's Swing Set	2011	Zamperla	Happy Swing	A kiddie swing.	2
Snoopy vs. Red Baron	1988	Chance Rides		It was originally named Sea Planes.	2
Snoopy's Deep Sea Divers		Zamperla	Crazy Bus		3
Snoopy's Junction		D&P		A mini train	1
Snoopy's Rocket Express	2011	Zamperla	Aerial Ride	A kiddie monorail around Planet Snoopy	2
Woodstock Whirlybirds	2011	Zamperla	Mini Tea Cup	A kiddie spinning ride	2

Route 76[]

"The Route 76 area takes guests back into amusement park Americana" with the reopening of three classic rides that made their debut in the opening of Valleyfair in 1976. These rides include the Antique Autos, which was formerly deconstructed to make room for the construction of Dinosaurs Alive!, the Tilt-a-Whirl, and the Scrambler. A new ride titled 'Northern Lights' will be the main attraction of the area, featuring a ride track over 300 feet in length and 42 feet in height. This family-oriented ride reaches speeds upwards of 43 miles per hour and resembles the Aurora Borealis at night with colored lights in shades of greens, blues, and purples. The Route 76 area features a full service catering and picnic area, titled Picnic Point. Route 76 is located in the front of the park near Steel Venom, and opened on May 16, 2014.^[11]

Soak City[]

Soak City is a water park included with the price of admission to Valleyfair. Rides include a lazy river, a wave pool, and water slides. Newly added slides such as "Breakers Plunge" were added as part of the 2015 Waterpark expansion.

Fast Lane[]

Fast Lane is Valleyfair's virtual queue system. For an additional charge, visitors get a wrist band that enables them to get to the front of the line on the most popular attractions without queuing including attractions like Wild Thing, Renegade, Steel Venom and Xtreme Swing.

Shows[]

Valleyfair hosts several performance venues with a wide variety of live entertainment at no additional charge.

• The Amphitheater is a large outdoor venue that has hosted country music tribute shows, battle of the bands competitions, acrobats, and even a dog show. In 2016, the Amphitheater was remodeled and began hosting a new show, All Wheel's Extreme.
• The Galaxy Theater is an indoor theater. Originally, it was used to stage musical revues, but in recent years, The Galaxy has played host to various comedy and magic acts, such as Ed Alonzo, Chipper Lowell, and All-Star Stunt Dogs.
• The Gazebo Stage is an outdoor stage with a covered bandstand which presents a musical revue of classic and contemporary hits. The Gazebo features a 7-piece live band (keyboard, bass, guitar, drums, and vocals).
• Benchwarmers is a roaming brass band that strolls throughout the park and plays many classic songs as well as some more contemporary music. Some songs from previous years have been, "Thriller" and "Sweet Caroline".^[12]
• PEANUTS Showplace is an outdoor venue that is next to the PEANUTS Playhouse in Planet Snoopy. It features stadium bench seating.
• The Vocal Coasters are a 6 piece vocal group that performs mainly acapella with a beat-boxing background.

At the Halloween Haunt, there are special themed shows at PEANUTS Showplace, performing Halloween and spooky-themed songs for the trick-or-treaters on the nearby Trick-or-Treat Trail. Recent past years on the Gazebo there has been a show called Haunted Homecoming. On the walkways, there has been a roaming a cappella group (much like The Acafellas), called The Skele-Tones. At night, there is also Haunt Entertainment. Gazebo Stage and PEANUTS Showplace change every season or two, but as of 2018, Sinister Circus, an acrobat circus show, has been located in the Galaxy Theater.

Former rides and attractions[]

• Berenstain Bear Country (1994-2003) - a variety of indoor and outdoor attractions covering one acre and designed especially for younger children. According to a press release from Valleyfair, it "features several different theme areas, each from the storybooks. Included is a 32-foot-tall walk-in treehouse with three levels...there also will be the Spooky Old Tree.”
• Northern Lights (19XX-2005) – Chance Falling Star with a space theme, removed in 2006 to make room for Xtreme Swing.
• Bayern Curve (1985-1997) – Schwarzkopf Bayern Curve, located next to Northwoods Grill, replaced with numerous attractions over the years, with the Wheel of Fortune currently residing on its former site.
• Wild Rails (1979-1998) – Schwarzkopf WildCat coaster, replaced in 1999 with "Mad Mouse". Moved to Jolly Roger Amusement Park in Maryland under the name Wildcat.^[13][14]
• Skyscraper (2005-2007) – 160 ft tall rotating arm ride located near the front of the park within Wild Thing's figure-eight turnaround (originally operated at Dorney Park from 2000–2004, and eventually relocated to Cedar Point where it operated from 2008–2015).
• Tot Town (1981-2000) – In the space now occupied by the Power Tower was once a small area of rides, a jungle gym and ball pool designed for small children.
• The Flume (1979–2008) – Known as Ye Olde Log Flume until the early 1990s, the Flume was a log flume ride. The Flume was permanently closed and dismantled at the end of the 2008 season.^[15] Soak City waterpark (previously Whitewater Country waterpark) was extended in place of the Flume to accommodate the installation of Breakers Bay,^[16] a wave pool attraction.
• Bumper Boats (1993 - closed 2009, demolished in 2010) – motorized bumper boats in a pool of water, a part of the Challenge Park located near the front of Valleyfair. This ride was relocated to Michigan's Adventure.
• Mild Thing (1976 - 2009) – A children's roller coaster, originally called Mine Train and Kiddie Coaster prior to the park's addition of Wild Thing, closed in 2010 as part of Valleyfair's revamping of the children's area, and was replaced by Cosmic Coaster.
• Chaos (1999–2011) is a spinning ride which starts spinning in a horizontal position and gradually lifts into a vertical position. Each individual ride unit flips 360 degrees on its own axis. Chaos was removed prior to the 2011 season.
• Skipper and Dolly Dolphin Show (1977? – late 1980s) was a dolphin show featuring two Bottlenose dolphins named Skipper and Dolly. Given that the dolphins could not be properly housed there during the frigid Minnesota winter months and that various other amusement parks had their own "Skipper and Dolly" dolphin shows (such as Pontchartrain Beach and Six Flags AstroWorld, it can be assumed the two animals were transferred from location to location, depending on whichever parks wanted to incorporate the dolphins into their summertime show schedules.
• Adventure Golf (1992–2012) was two 18-hole golf courses, a part of the Challenge Park located near the front of Valleyfair. Its last operating season was 2011, and it was closed to the public during the 2012 season. It was removed and replaced with Valleyfair's catered event area, named Picnic Point.
• Antique Autos (1976-2012) was a 1148 ft track featuring self-controlled, gas-powered replicas of 1910 Cadillac Touring Cars. It was removed to build Dinosaurs Alive! It has returned in a different format in the new Route 76 area.
• Go-Karts (1991-2013) was a quarter mile race track located in the Challenge Park. It was removed to make way for Route 76.
• Pepsi IMAX theater (1982-2013) was demolished to make way for Barefoot Beach in 2015.
• Hydroblaster (1995-2013) Two dark slides near Planet Snoopy. The area was replaced with the addition of Breakers Plunge and Breakers Pipeline in 2015.
• Enterprise (1979-2016) A HUSS Enterprise type ride. Closed in 2016 to make room for North Star.
• RipTide (2005-2017) A ride where Riders get sprayed by a fountain during the ride. Closed prior to the 2018 season.
• Dinosaurs Alive! (2013-2019) A animatronic walk through where you could see dinosaurs from a trail. Closed at end of 2019 season.
• Looping Starship (1985-2019) A Looping Starship ride where riders would gain momentum and spin upside down in a pirate themed ship. Ride closed at end of 2019 season.

Halloween Haunt at ValleySCARE[]

Halloween Haunt is a Halloween event at Valleyfair that was originally known as HalloWeekends, which operated from 1998 to 2000 on weekends in September. The name was changed to Halloween Haunt when the event was brought back six years later in 2006. The Great Pumpkin Fest is a family-friendly Halloween event open during the day, while the park is under normal operation. After the sun sets, Halloween Haunt takes over and features haunted houses, outdoor mazes, scare zones, and live entertainment. Many rides remain in operation during the event, though some are closed to accommodate the transition.^[17]

Haunted attractions[]

Attraction	Type	Opened	Location
Berserkers Unleashed	Maze	2017	Near Dinosaurs Alive!
Blood on the Boundary Waters	Scare Zone	2019	Walkway between Midway Games and Bumper Cars
CarnEvil: Ringmaster's Revenge (Maze until replaced by Zombie High in 2013)	Scare Zone	2013	Planet Snoopy
The Chateau (Formerly Chateau du Damné)	Maze	2006	Behind Mad Mouse
Dark Harvest (Formerly Hellside Farm)	Maze	2007	Site formerly known as Picnic Cove
Darkness Awaits	Scare Zone	2019	Near Renegade
MaSCAREade	Scare Zone	2018	Walkway between The Wave & Monster
Mr. Cleavers Bloodshed	Maze	2008	Near Mad Mouse in games warehouse
Undertakers	Maze	2018	Site formerly known as Picnic Cove
Zombie High (Zombie High: In The Dark in 2018)	Maze	2013	Near Depot Refreshments

Former haunted attractions[]

Attraction	Type	Opened	Location
Abnormal Alley	Scare Zone	2012-2016	Corkscrew alley
Blood Creek Cemetery (Re-themed to Undertakers Maze in 2018)	Scare Zone	2006-2017	Walkway between The Wave & Monster
Camp Wekilou	Maze	2011-2014	Site formerly known as Picnic Cove
Carnage at Crimson Isle	Maze (Scare Zone in 2006)	2006-2012	Plaza Patio near Pepsi IMAX Theatre
CarnEvil in 3D (Re-themed to CarnEvil: Ringmaster's Revenge Scare Zone in 2013)	Maze	2006-2012	Midway Games
Dinoslaughter	Scare Zone	2015-2015	Dinosaurs Alive!
Festival of Freaks (Re-themed to Abnormal Alley in 2012)	Scare Zone	2011-2011	Planet Snoopy
Human(e) Habitat	Maze	2015-2017	Site formerly known as Picnic Cove
London Terror	Maze	2013-2015	Soak City Waterpark
Mangler Asylum	Maze	2006-2015	Bumper Cars
Trails End	Scare Zone	2015-2018	Near Renegade

The Great Pumpkin Fest[]

Planet Spooky was added to the ValleySCARE lineup in 2011 with the parks addition of Planet Snoopy. However daytime family-friendly activities were present prior to the Planet Spooky name. In 2015 it was renamed to The Great Pumpkin Fest. It includes trick-or-treating, storytelling, live entertainment, petting zoo, corn maze, and a preview of Halloween Haunt.

Incidents[]

• On the evening of September 22, 2018 Police were forced to close the “ValleySCARE” event early after a large number of fights broke out. At least three people were cited for offences.^[18] Multiple police departments along with a police helicopter assisted with evacuating the park along with Valleyfair security personnel.^[19]
• On May 25, 2017 Numerous fights broke out during Valleyfair’s first ever “Adult Night,” a kid-free event for adults. Fights took place mostly in the parking lot but some fights did occur in the park. Nobody was injured. One person was cited for disorderly conduct.
• On November 21, 2015, a fire was started at a storage building (haunt attraction London Terror). 25% of the structure was damaged, the cause of the fire is unknown. Fabric Ceiling needed replacing. No injuries reported.
• On September 20, 2012, an employee became trapped under a carriage from Power Tower after it fell while he was performing maintenance on the ride. The 41-year-old operator sued the manufacturer, S&S - Sansei Technologies.^[20]
• On June 16, 2011, the ride Minnesota River Valley Railroad derailed near the amphitheater at the front of the park and careened into the south train station platform. Two passenger cars left the tracks and were later placed back on the tracks by park maintenance. No injuries were reported.^{[citation needed]}
• On August 5, 2010, a chlorine leak from the Soak City Waterpark sent 26 people to the hospital.^[21]
• On September 3, 2007, the ride Xtreme Swing experienced a fire in an electrical junction box. There were no injuries, and the ride reopened several days later after the problem was fixed and the ride successfully tested.^[22]
• On May 21, 2006, the rear car of a roller coaster train on Wild Thing detached from the middle car during the final brake run. 18 people were injured and 14 were taken to a local hospital, though most injuries were considered minor.^[23] An investigation later determined that a mounting bracket in the brake system failed, and the ride resumed operation on June 1, 2006.^[24]

Popular culture[]

• Valleyfair appeared in a scene in the baseball film Little Big League, with rides such as Corkscrew, Enterprise, High Roller, and The Wave being visible in the scene.
• Yam Haus, a Minneapolis Pop band, made a song called “The Thrill” in May of 2019. The music video was filmed at Valleyfair. In the video, there are rides and attractions such as Wild Thing, Power Tower, Antique Autos, Corkscrew, North Star, High Roller, Extreme Extreme Swing, Route 76 area at night, the Midway Games area, the Cotton Candy stand, & the 3pt basketball challenge.

See also[]

• Excelsior Amusement Park – a park that operated in the region from 1925 to 1973. The carousel that stands inside the entrance came from Excelsior Amusement Park.
• Minnesota River

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valleyfair.

• Valleyfair Official Website
• Valleyfair at the Roller Coaster DataBase