Valleyfair!
Encyclopedia
Valleyfair, sometimes stylized Valleyfair! is a 125 acre (0.5 km²) amusement park
located in Shakopee, Minnesota
, USA and is currently the largest amusement park in the Upper Midwest
United States
. The park has over 50 rides and water attractions and currently operates 8 roller coasters, one of the most popular being Wild Thing
. Valleyfair also has a water park, Soak City (Formerly Whitewater Country - Changed with Addition of Breaker Bay in 2009), located completely within it.
Valleyfair opened in 1976 and was originally themed as a Coney Island
-styled turn-of-the-century amusement park, which leads to some jarring contrasts with modern-style rides like the steel roller coaster
s Corkscrew and Wild Thing
.
The park is owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Valleyfair and Cedar Point
are the two original Cedar Fair parks and the Fair in the Cedar Fair name comes from Valleyfair.
Valleyfair’s normal operating season runs daily from Memorial Day
through Labor Day
and some weekends in May and September. There is also a "ValleySCARE" event near Halloween
.
Valleyfair! opened in 1976 featuring 20 rides and attractions on 26 acres (105,218.4 m²), with the roller coaster High Roller being the main attraction. The carousel in the park came from Excelsior Amusement Park
which was closed many years earlier. 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 50 rides on 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) of land. A height restriction was imposed in the year 2001 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 (83.8 m) due to its proximity to the airport. Power Tower's original plan was to be a height of 300 feet (91.4 m) and to take riders to 275 feet (83.8 m).
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, notably in 1988, 1993, and 1997. Excalibur and Thunder Canyon are built outside of a pre-existing river dike, and were built with this flooding potential in mind.
, Valleyfair does have many popular coasters and is known widely for them.
Challenge Park is located on the southeast corner of the amusement park. Challenge Park is a separate charge attraction and requires an additional fee to participate in activities. Challenge Park features three different attractions: RipCord, Adventure Golf, and Go-Karts. Bumper Boats were removed at the end of the 2009 season. RipCord is a Skycoaster where 1-3 individuals are harnessed, raised to a height of 161 feet (49.1 m), and one of the riders must pull his or her own cord to release them to a swinging freefall. The Adventure Golf is semi-mountain themed with a waterfall and ponds, making a rather picturesque entrance to the park. The Go-Karts travel beneath the figure-eight of the park's hyper-coaster, Wild Thing.
located within Valleyfair. It is a no-additional-charge attraction open to all Valleyfair visitors. It includes five high speed, single-person water slides, a lazy river, a fast single person rapids ride, a large family raft ride, and a children's area. In 2009, Breakers Bay, a large 350,000 gallon wave pool was added in addition to a new bathhouse, restaurant, and cabanas.
At the Halloween Haunt, The Boogie Monsters take over the PEANUTS Showplace, performing Halloween and spooky-themed songs for the trick-or-treaters on the nearby Trick-or-Treat Trail
2007 - The Haunt expanded with one more scare zone named Hellside Farm.
2008 - The Halloween Haunt at Valleyscare expanded once again with the addition of the indoor maze Mr. Cleaver's Bloodshed, a slaughterhouse themed attraction located in the 2nd games warehouse behind Cool & Creamy. Along with Mr. Cleaver's Bloodshed, Hellside Farm received a major upgrade, and Chateau Du Damne received a new ending.
2009 - Hellside Farm was moved to the Amphitheater Backlot, CarnEvil received a slight upgrade which consisted of 3 new rooms, Chateau Du Damné added a new torture room scene, Mr. Cleaver's Bloodshed added a number of new rooms and hallways, and Carnage at Crimson Isle received a whole new layout and maze design. In addition to the various maze modifications, Fangs and the Mick Mangler's Madness and Mayhem Show were added to the Live Entertainment lineup.
2010 - All mazes received upgrades. CarnEvil's ending was rethemed, Chateau Du Damné received many new rooms and changes, Hellside's layout was redesigned lengthened a bit for a more claustrophobic feeling, and Mr. Cleaver's Bloodshed layout was switched up and included a brand new scare never before seen at ValleySCARE.
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
located in Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee is a city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Scott County. Located on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the thirteenth largest...
, USA and is currently the largest amusement park in the Upper Midwest
Upper Midwest
The Upper Midwest is a region in the northern portion of the U.S. Census Bureau's Midwestern United States. It is largely a sub-region of the midwest. Although there are no uniformly agreed-upon boundaries, the region is most commonly used to refer to the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and...
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The park has over 50 rides and water attractions and currently operates 8 roller coasters, one of the most popular being Wild Thing
Wild Thing (roller coaster)
Wild Thing, located at the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, is a steel out-and-back roller coaster with more than one mile of track. Its first hill is with a 60 degree drop, and reaches speeds of up to...
. Valleyfair also has a water park, Soak City (Formerly Whitewater Country - Changed with Addition of Breaker Bay in 2009), located completely within it.
Valleyfair opened in 1976 and was originally themed as a Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
-styled turn-of-the-century amusement park, which leads to some jarring contrasts with modern-style rides like the steel roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s Corkscrew and Wild Thing
Wild Thing (roller coaster)
Wild Thing, located at the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, is a steel out-and-back roller coaster with more than one mile of track. Its first hill is with a 60 degree drop, and reaches speeds of up to...
.
The park is owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. Valleyfair and Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
are the two original Cedar Fair parks and the Fair in the Cedar Fair name comes from Valleyfair.
Valleyfair’s normal operating season runs daily from Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
through Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
and some weekends in May and September. There is also a "ValleySCARE" event near Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
.
History
Excelsior Amusement Park
Excelsior Amusement Park was located on Lake Minnetonka in the town of Excelsior, Minnesota. The park, which operated from 1925 to 1973, was a popular destination for company picnics and day trips from the Twin Cities.-Attractions:...
which was closed many years earlier. 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
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
in Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
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 50 rides on 125 acre (0.5058575 km²) of land. A height restriction was imposed in the year 2001 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 (83.8 m) due to its proximity to the airport. Power Tower's original plan was to be a height of 300 feet (91.4 m) and to take riders to 275 feet (83.8 m).
As the park is located on the banks of the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
, flooding can become an issue during the springtime months before the park usually opens, notably in 1988, 1993, and 1997. Excalibur and Thunder Canyon are built outside of a pre-existing river dike, and were built with this flooding potential in mind.
Roller coasters
Although not as well-known a "coaster park" as some other parks like Cedar PointCedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
, Valleyfair does have many popular coasters and is known widely for them.
| # | Coaster | Year Opened | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High Roller High Roller (Valleyfair) High Roller is a wooden roller coaster located at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota. High Roller is Valleyfair's oldest roller coaster, being built in 1976 when the park opened... |
1976 | Rauerhorst Corporation | Wooden out and back coaster. Oldest Roller Coaster at Valleyfair. |
| 2 | Corkscrew | 1980 | Arrow Dynamics Arrow Dynamics Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of... |
Steel Looping |
| 3 | Excalibur Excalibur (roller coaster) Excalibur is a hybrid wood and steel roller coaster located at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota. It was built in 1989 by Arrow Dynamics, for the cost of $3,000,000. The ride is 105 feet tall with a top speed of 54.5 mph , and has a minimum height requirement of 48 inches... |
1989 | Arrow Dynamics Arrow Dynamics Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of... |
Wood Structure and Steel Track Hybrid Coaster |
| 4 | Wild Thing Wild Thing (roller coaster) Wild Thing, located at the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, is a steel out-and-back roller coaster with more than one mile of track. Its first hill is with a 60 degree drop, and reaches speeds of up to... |
1996 | Chance Morgan | Steel out and back Coaster. Tallest Roller Coaster at Valleyfair. |
| 5 | Mad Mouse | 1999 | Arrow Dynamics Arrow Dynamics Arrow Dynamics was a roller coaster and amusement ride design company based in Clearfield, Utah, United States. In 2002, the company went bankrupt but was quickly bought by fellow amusement ride manufacturer S&S Power to form S&S Arrow. During its peak, Arrow Dynamics was responsible for some of... |
Steel Wild Mouse |
| 6 | Steel Venom | 2003 | Intamin AG Intamin AG Intamin Worldwide is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau, Switzerland. It is best known for creating thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, Maryland, and is headed by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an... |
Impulse Coaster |
| 7 | Renegade | 2007 | Great Coasters International | Wooden Coaster |
Challenge Park is located on the southeast corner of the amusement park. Challenge Park is a separate charge attraction and requires an additional fee to participate in activities. Challenge Park features three different attractions: RipCord, Adventure Golf, and Go-Karts. Bumper Boats were removed at the end of the 2009 season. RipCord is a Skycoaster where 1-3 individuals are harnessed, raised to a height of 161 feet (49.1 m), and one of the riders must pull his or her own cord to release them to a swinging freefall. The Adventure Golf is semi-mountain themed with a waterfall and ponds, making a rather picturesque entrance to the park. The Go-Karts travel beneath the figure-eight of the park's hyper-coaster, Wild Thing.
Soak City Waterpark
Soak City is a water parkWater park
A waterpark is an amusement park that features waterplay areas, such as water slides, splash pads, spraygrounds , lazy rivers, or other recreational bathing, swimming, and barefooting environments...
located within Valleyfair. It is a no-additional-charge attraction open to all Valleyfair visitors. It includes five high speed, single-person water slides, a lazy river, a fast single person rapids ride, a large family raft ride, and a children's area. In 2009, Breakers Bay, a large 350,000 gallon wave pool was added in addition to a new bathhouse, restaurant, and cabanas.
Planet Snoopy
On August 6, 2010, it was announced that the entire children's section of the park would be transformed into Planet Snoopy for the 2011 season as part of a $9 million expansion. Planet Snoopy is an attraction at other Cedar Fair parks.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. The venue is not currently being used.
- The Galaxy Theater is an indoor, air-conditioned theater, fully equipped with professional lighting and sound. 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 and Chipper Lowell. This year's performance is a musical show called "Rockin' the Galaxy". During the Halloween Haunt at Valleyscare, The Galaxy usually presents a kid's magic show Frogwarts: Wizard's Academy. This year Eternal Jamnation is also showing.
- The Gazebo Stage is an outdoor stage with a covered bandstand which presents a musical revue of classic and contemporary hits. The Gazebo always features a 7-piece live band (keyboard, bass, guitar, drums, trombone, sax, and trumpet), setting it apart for most other "tracked" theme park shows. The venue features numerous covered picnic tables and is close to many food service locations, so park guests can enjoy their lunch or dinner while catching the show. This year's production, entitled "Shout!", features sequences paying tribute to contemporary, reggae, and Motown styles, with a special tribute to the music of Stevie Wonder.
- Benchwarmerz is a roaming 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", "Sexyback", and "Sweet Caroline".
- PEANUTS Showplace is an outdoor venue that is next to the PEANUTS Playhouse in Planet Snoopy. It features stadium bench seating, with awnings to provide shade, and a lot of room for the interactive entertainment. The PEANUTS Showplace is the current home of Charlie Brown’s HOEDOWN, where the PEANUTS characters dance, sing, and interact with the audience.
At the Halloween Haunt, The Boogie Monsters take over the PEANUTS Showplace, performing Halloween and spooky-themed songs for the trick-or-treaters on the nearby Trick-or-Treat Trail
Halloween Haunt at ValleySCARE
History of ValleySCARE - Valleyscare is a Halloween event put on by Valleyfair that started in 2006. Originally, Valleyfair operated Halloweekends until 2000 and changed the name after it reinstated the event with more theming and haunted areas. The first event featured 3 indoor haunted houses, one indoor/outdoor haunted house, and one scare zone.2007 - The Haunt expanded with one more scare zone named Hellside Farm.
2008 - The Halloween Haunt at Valleyscare expanded once again with the addition of the indoor maze Mr. Cleaver's Bloodshed, a slaughterhouse themed attraction located in the 2nd games warehouse behind Cool & Creamy. Along with Mr. Cleaver's Bloodshed, Hellside Farm received a major upgrade, and Chateau Du Damne received a new ending.
2009 - Hellside Farm was moved to the Amphitheater Backlot, CarnEvil received a slight upgrade which consisted of 3 new rooms, Chateau Du Damné added a new torture room scene, Mr. Cleaver's Bloodshed added a number of new rooms and hallways, and Carnage at Crimson Isle received a whole new layout and maze design. In addition to the various maze modifications, Fangs and the Mick Mangler's Madness and Mayhem Show were added to the Live Entertainment lineup.
2010 - All mazes received upgrades. CarnEvil's ending was rethemed, Chateau Du Damné received many new rooms and changes, Hellside's layout was redesigned lengthened a bit for a more claustrophobic feeling, and Mr. Cleaver's Bloodshed layout was switched up and included a brand new scare never before seen at ValleySCARE.
Haunted Attractions
Here is a list of the Haunted Attractions found at the Halloween Haunt at Valleyscare.- Chateau Du Damné - You are cordially invited to dine (or be dined upon) at the Chateau du Damné. The Baron and Baroness look forward to…meating you. Come experience first-hand the many rooms of this nightmarish renaissance castle including the Baron’s throne room, the Baroness’ reception area and finally her “bedroom”. If you survive the visit, you’ll make your way outside to the fabled gardens. The Baron hopes you partake in the delights of his fauna. From there the gardens exit to the entrance of the Chateau’s graveyard and mausoleum where you can meet other visitors who never left. If you’re lucky, perhaps you may leave to live another day. If not, the Chateau always has room for more.
- CarnEvil in 3D - The clowns are no longer funny or happy but psycho, demented and over the top. Plenty of shrilling laughter will be heard as they entice you to be part of their world under the Big Top Tent, but beware, you may never exit the world of the killer clowns! CarnEvil is a 3D attraction.
- Mangler Asylum - Over a century of torture and pain live within the walls of this defunct facility that housed one of America’s most notorious sanatoriums, the Mangler Asylum. At the turn of the century, Dr. Frederick Mangler conducted numerous dreadful experiments on the local unfortunates. Within these halls, his hideous endeavors opened the door to the evil nature of man and his most disturbing nightmares. Some say the wicked doctor unlocked the barrier between reality and nightmare. With lack of funds and Dr. Mangler’s mysterious passing in the 1970s, the asylum staff abandoned the facility, leaving the building and grounds unsupervised. Most patients died of a slow miserable death, but some still linger living off the decaying corpses of the dead. The doors of this evil place will now unseal. Guests will be invited within the bloody asylum walls, which house a collection of living fears and phobias waiting to wreak havoc on innocent souls. They could venture, if they dare, into the unholy depths of the building where Dr. Mangler conducted his most bizarre experiments...that is, IF THEY MAKE IT.
- Mr. Cleaver's Bloodshed - Within the depths of the slaughterhouse, innocent mortals will witness a gruesome massacre as murderous butchers and maniacal plant workers lacerate the tender flesh of their human victims. “Slice and dice” will take on a whole new meaning inside this brutal meatpacking plant.
- Carnage at Crimson Isle - The pirates of Crimson Isle, though long dead have sworn to protect its precious treasure. Now that the infamous pirate Captain Tack Gallows has gone after the treasure for himself, the isle has become a black and bloody battleground of shock and horror. Rare be the ones who make it through the Carnage at Crimson Isle.
- Blood Creek Cemetery - Blood Creek Cemetery was closed at the 20th century after reports that the local undertaker, Damien Tedrow was cutting up cadavers before burying the bodies, preventing the dead from entering the afterlife. Valleyfair unknowingly constructed on the abandoned cemetery and has operated ever since. One night as the fog thickens, the dead rise looking for souls to take in order to enter the great beyond.
- Hellside Farm - From the outside, Hillside Farm appears to be a simple abandoned farm with equipment and fields left long forgotten. However, when the sun sets, it quickly becomes apparent that this farm is not entirely abandoned as Hillside turns into Hellside and the demented residents of the farm begin looking to harvest their next victim. Will you be next?
- Camp Wekilou - After being temporarily closed due to the mysterious disappearance of campers, many wondered what would come of Camp Wekilou. Now, despite the many unanswered questions about whatever happened to the lost campers, Camp Wekilou is ready to reopen its doors and welcome new campers. The only question now is will everyone make it out alive?
Accidents
- 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.
- On August 5, 2010, a chlorine leak from the Soak City Waterpark sent 26 people to the hospital.
- 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.
- 18 people were on the Wild ThingWild Thing (roller coaster)Wild Thing, located at the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, is a steel out-and-back roller coaster with more than one mile of track. Its first hill is with a 60 degree drop, and reaches speeds of up to...
on May 21, 2006 when several cars tipped in the final curve before the ride comes to a complete stop. All those who went to the local hospital were declared unharmed and released.
See also
- Excelsior Amusement ParkExcelsior Amusement ParkExcelsior Amusement Park was located on Lake Minnetonka in the town of Excelsior, Minnesota. The park, which operated from 1925 to 1973, was a popular destination for company picnics and day trips from the Twin Cities.-Attractions:...
– a park that operated in the region from 1925 to 1973. The carousel that stands inside the entrance came from Excelsior Amusement Park.