How old is valleyfair

Most of the opening day attractions were variations upon standard carnival rides. Classic amusement park offerings are also represented, such as this version of the Shoot the Chute model called The Wave. Other such rides at Cedar Point or at the Six Flags parks often have their own unique theming Cedar Point goes for the Old West and do not directly reference the historical form of the ride. Yet there are still bits of Disneyland scattered about. But haphazard in presentation.

It was literally sprouting from the sidewalk next to a bench and a trash can. No park built in the s would be complete without an Arrow Corkscrew model. Like High Roller , its ride appeal has faded in the decades since. It looks like a Five Guys burger joint. As such, just like the lone post clock, they stand out. Maybe because the outlet is selling French fries, a designer thought this was an appropriate motif? The fake brick chimneys are a nice touch.

But once larger chains like Six Flags and Cedar Fair began gobbling up such parks in the s and 90s, national food franchises were introduced as a cost cutting measure. Today these franchises are the rule rather than the exception at many parks across the country. So you get rather stark design incongruencies—Chinese fast food being served in a country home like this.

There are also couple of midway games areas in opposite corners of Valleyfair. The design at this one is unremarkable. But at the other end of the park, the midway presentation is more detailed. And flags! There were more flags at Valleyfair than at perhaps any other theme park I can think of. Like so much else at Valleyfair, these structures are at opposite ends of the park, with no thematic areas to anchor or further define them.

More than once I was reminded of a model railroad set, with a kit of parts. I imagined the design team which developed Valleyfair simply reaching into this metaphorical box and placing all the expected trappings and Disneyesque touches willy-nilly on the tabletop. Great design, but no comment on its inclusion. Sort of a Versailles-type building with obvious false fronts you can see the flat mansard roof clearly has nothing behind it.

It looked to be a private meeting space of some kind. With more flags! Promotions Promotion. Preferred Hotels. Why not stay more than a day? Discover the best rates on accommodations close to the fun along with special discount ticket packages that make your entire trip even more affordable. Soak City. Soak City is the perfect, splashtacular complement to Valleyfair with towering slides and relaxing pools. Calendar and Hours. Don't miss a minute of the fun!

You'll find all of the calendars and hours for Valleyfair and Soak City right here. Kelsey Megard. Take a trip with us through Valleyfair's history! The park continues to grow every year with new rides and attractions. By Kelsey Megard. Related Posts. Going by the name Valleyfair, the park welcomed visitors in the first year to midways lined with flat rides, a carousel, a miniature railway, car ride, and the main attraction: High Roller, a classic out and back wooden coaster created by International Amusement Devices.

Just two years after opening, Valleyfair was purchased by Sandusky, Ohio's Cedar Point as its sister park, thus forming the Cedar Fair amusement park chain which would eventually expand to include a number of parks around the country. The year after the change of ownership, the Minnesota park's first steel coaster arrived, relocated from Cedar Point, named Wild Rails later shortened to Rails , with a compact, twisting maze of track designed by Anton Schwarzkopf.

In , Valleyfair gave thrill-seekers Corkscrew, which followed in the footsteps of a similar coaster at Cedar Point as a triple-inversion steel ride from Arrow Dyanamics containing a vertical loop and double corkscrew element. At the end of the '80s, the park introduced a fourth coaster track when Excalibur debuted as a second Arrow ride, this time one of the larger mine trains to be built in the United States, with a foot drop.

With the s came the addition of an adjoining waterpark to Valleyfair, Whitewater Country, containing dozens of water rides, slides, and attractions. Continued in , the park will be offering free Pre-K Passes for children ages 3 to 5. Obviously, the child must be accompanied by an adult who is not free.

Parking is not included with the Pre-K Pass. However, it is included with other season passes and your Pre-K can't go alone. Note that season passes will auto renew unless you remember to cancel. Find more information here. Dinosaurs Alive!