Valleyfair is a
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
in
Shakopee, Minnesota
Shakopee ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Minnesota, United States. It is located southwest of Minneapolis. Sited on the south bank bend of the Minnesota River, Shakopee and nearby suburbs comprise the southwest portion of ...
, United States. Owned by
Cedar Fair
Cedar Fair, L.P., formally Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The company owns and operates eleven amusement parks, nine included-w ...
, 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
Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and op ...
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 (logo - 1976-2007)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/ValleyFair_%28logo_-_1976-2007%29.png)
Valleyfair opened in 1976 featuring 20 rides and attractions
on , with the roller coaster High Roller being the main attraction. The carousel in the park came from
Excelsior Amusement Park
Excelsior Amusement Park was an amusement park on Lake Minnetonka in the town of Excelsior, Minnesota, United States. The park, which operated from 1925 to 1973, was a popular destination for company picnics and day trips from the Twin Cities.
Att ...
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
Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and op ...
in
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Erie County, Ohio, Erie County, Ohio, United States. Situated along the shores of Lake Erie in the northern part of the state, Sandusky is located roughly midway between Toledo, Ohio, Toledo ( wes ...
. Five years later, Cedar Fair Limited Partnership was formed as the parent company for Cedar Point and Valleyfair (the name being derived from the names of both flagship properties). 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 of land.
A height restriction was imposed in 2000 with the building of
Power Tower
Power Tower is a amusement ride, thrill ride located at two Cedar Fair parks in the US, Cedar Point and Valleyfair. The attractions are powered by air in large cylinders in which an aircraft steel cable, connected to the internal piston, travels ...
. After negotiations with the FAA and the nearby Flying Cloud Airport, the FAA restricted the building height of Power Tower at due to its proximity to the airport. Power Tower's original plan was to be a height of and to take riders to .
Valleyfair did not open for the 2020 season because of the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the Uni ...
, although it is reopened for the 2021 season.
As the park is located on the banks of the
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River ( dak, Mnísota Wakpá) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa.
It ris ...
, 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.
Attraction timeline
* 1976: Valleyfair opens with Antique Cars, Bumper Cars, Carousel, Ferris Wheel, Flying Scooters,
High Roller
A high roller, also referred to as a whale or cheetah, is a gambler who consistently wagers large amounts of money. High rollers often receive lavish " comps" from casinos to lure them onto the gambling floors, such as free private jet transfers ...
, Scrambler, SuperCat, and Wheel of Fortune
* 1977: Monster, Tilt-A-Whirl and Giant Tilt Ride (The only Super Tilt Model 14-car Tilt-A-Whirl ever built by Sellner Manufacturing) open
* 1978: Ye Olde Log Flume opens
* 1979: Enterprise, Kiddie Ferris Wheel and Wild Rails open
* 1980:
Corkscrew
A corkscrew is a tool for drawing corks from wine bottles and other household bottles that may be sealed with corks. In its traditional form, a corkscrew simply consists of a pointed metallic helix (often called the "worm") attached to a hand ...
opens
* 1981: Tot Town opens
* 1982: Pepsi
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
theater opens, New entrance marquee
* 1983: Three water slides (now known as Panic Falls Body Slides) open
* 1985: The Looping Starship and Bayern Curve open
* 1987:
Thunder Canyon
Thunder Canyon is a river rapids ride located at two Cedar Fair amusement parks. It has been installed at three parks, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota ...
opens
* 1988: Two water slides (now known as Panic Falls Speed Slides) and Half Pint Park open
* 1989:
Excalibur
Excalibur () is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes also attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Britain. It was associated with the Arthurian legend very early on. Excalibur and the Sword in th ...
opens
* 1990: Minnesota River Valley Railroad opens
* 1991: Phase one of
Challenge Park opens
* 1992: The Wave opens and two 18-hole golf courses added to Challenge Park
* 1993: Whitewater Country water park expansion; Bumper Boats added to Challenge Park
* 1994: Berenstain Bear Country opens
* 1995: Hydroblaster opens
* 1996:
Wild Thing opens; RipCord added to Challenge Park
* 1997: Chaos opens
* 1998: Galaxy Theater opens
* 1999:
Mad Mouse opens
* 2000:
Power Tower
Power Tower is a amusement ride, thrill ride located at two Cedar Fair parks in the US, Cedar Point and Valleyfair. The attractions are powered by air in large cylinders in which an aircraft steel cable, connected to the internal piston, travels ...
and Frog Hopper open
* 2003:
Steel Venom opens
* 2004: Foam Ball Factory and The Rockin' Tug added to KidWorks
* 2005: RipTide and Skyscraper open
* 2006:
Xtreme Swing
Xtreme Swing is a Amusement ride, thrill ride located at Valleyfair in Shakopee, Minnesota.
Specifications
Xtreme Swing is a Screamin' Swing type ride built by S&S Worldwide. The structure itself is tall at its highest point, the equivalent he ...
opens and Halloween Haunt occurs for the first time.
* 2007:
Renegade
Renegade or The Renegade may refer to:
Aircraft
*Lake Renegade, an American amphibious aircraft design
*Murphy Renegade, a Canadian ultralight biplane design
*Southern Aeronautical Renegade, an American racing aircraft design
Games
*'' Comman ...
opens
* 2008: Halloween Haunt is renamed Halloween Haunt at
ValleyScare
* 2009: Re-theme of the water park to
Soak City
* 2011:
Planet Snoopy
Planet Snoopy is a ''Peanuts'' themed area for children at several Cedar Fair amusement parks.
Locations Current
Planet Snoopy at Kings Island was awarded the "Best Kids Area" Golden Ticket Awards from 2001–2018 by ''Amusement Today''. It was ...
opens
* 2012:
Fast Lane; Antique Cars closes
* 2013:
Dinosaurs Alive!
* 2014: Route 76: Northern Lights opens, Scrambler and Tilt-A-Whirl relocated and Antique Cars to be re-added as Antique Autos; Pepsi
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
theater and hydroblaster closes
* 2015: Soak City: New Slide Tower, New Children's Splash Pad; Subway relocated, Airbrush Tattoo stand closed
*2016: Flying Eagles, All Wheels Extreme (Upgraded Amphitheater), New High Roller Trains, Subway Takes Place of Ben and Jerrys, 40th Anniversary Events, Enterprise closes
*2017: North Star, a
Funtime Starflyer Funtime or Fun Time may refer to:
* "Funtime" (Iggy Pop song), 1977, covered by Boy George
* "Funtime" (The Spitfire Boys song), 1979
* Funtime Comics, a Christchurch, New Zealand based collective of comic artists and writers
* ''Fun Time'' (TV ...
swing ride, opens for 2017, New Caribou plaza
*2018: Delirious, Larson International super loop, RipTide closes, New light package for Route 76, Snoopy’s bounce house is removed, Free WiFi throughout the park.
*2019: Superior Stage opens to host Peanuts Celebration, Updated Bathrooms, Variety of new food options,
Dinosaurs Alive! and Looping Starship close.
* 2021: Grand Carnivale, a new event, launches in the park. ValleyScare occurs for the last time.
* 2022: TRICKS AND TREATS, a new event, launches in the park.
Attractions
Roller coasters
Thrill rides
Family rides
Water rides
These are the water rides besides those in the
Soak City.
Kids Rides
Planet Snoopy
Planet Snoopy is a ''Peanuts'' themed area for children at several Cedar Fair amusement parks.
Locations Current
Planet Snoopy at Kings Island was awarded the "Best Kids Area" Golden Ticket Awards from 2001–2018 by ''Amusement Today''. It was ...
is a kids area within the park created for the 2011 season as part of a $9 million expansion.
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.
Soak City
Soak City is a
water park
A water park (or waterpark, water world) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming, and other baref ...
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
Virtual queue is a concept used in inbound call centers. Call centers use an Automatic Call Distributor (ACD) to distribute incoming calls to specific resources (agents) in the center. ACDs hold queued calls in First In, First Out order until agen ...
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
![Power Tower and Xtreme Swing](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Power_Tower_and_Xtreme_Swing.jpg)
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 Rudy Coby, 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".
*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, most notably world record holding escape artist, Jonathon Bryce performed his Buried Alive in Full View nightly. 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 themed children's area with a variety of indoor and outdoor attractions covering one acre. 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.” Berenstain Bear Country also featured a miniature railroad, playground structures, and a large sandbox.
* KidWorks (2004–2010) – A re-themed children's area located on the same site as Berenstain Bear Country. It added the Foam Ball Factory and Rockin' Tug to the area, both of which still remain in the park today. It also featured the addition of a small hedge maze and a
Koi pond
Koi ponds are ponds used for holding koi carp, usually as part of a garden. Koi ponds can be designed specifically to promote health and growth of the Nishikigoi or Japanese Ornamental Carp. Koi ponds or lakes are a traditional feature of Japa ...
.
The park's former mascot, Colonel Ohoompapa, would make regular appearances in the area. KidWorks was revamped as a part of the Planet Snoopy expansion in 2011, which saw the removal of the hedge maze, Kidworks Railway, and other remnants of Berenstain Bear Country that still remained.
* Half Pint Park (1988–2010) – A children's area located near the entrance of High Roller. The area featured several attractions that have been removed, including the Lil' Guppy, Rub-a-Dub Tubs, Busy Boats, a climbing area, and the Kiddie Train.
The area was also home to an upcharge
bungee trampoline
A bungee trampoline (also known as a bungy trampoline or just trampoline) is an attraction at many fairs, vacation resorts and several summer camps. There are many different designs of bungee trampolines, but most operate in the same fashion. The ...
attraction called Xtreme Trampoline in 2005.
Half Pint Park was revamped as a part of the Planet Snoopy expansion in 2011.
* Corkscrew TotSpot (–2010) – A set of three rides for small children located between The Wave and the entrance to Corkscrew, including Kiddie U-Turn, Kiddie Carousel, and Moon Buggies.
The Corkscrew TotSpot was removed in 2010 as a part of the Planet Snoopy expansion in 2011.
* Northern Lights (1986-2005) – A
Chance Rides
Chance Rides Manufacturing is a roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. The company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufacturing facility are located in Wic ...
Falling Star ride with a space theme, removed in 2005 to make room for Xtreme Swing.
* Bayern Curve (1985–1997) – A
Schwarzkopf Bayern Kurve
The Bayern Kurve is roller coaster like amusement ride that moves a train around a banked circular track, gaining speed as the ride progresses. It is made in both a portable and park model and originally debuted in 1965. It was invented by German ...
ride, located next to Northwoods Grill, replaced with numerous attractions over the years, with 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
Jolly Roger Amusement Park is an amusement park located in Ocean City, Maryland. The park features two locations in Ocean City: one at the pier on the Ocean City boardwalk and one further uptown at 30th Street. Both locations feature numerous thri ...
in Maryland under the name Wildcat.
* SkyScraper (2005–2007) – A Gravity Works SkyScraper ride located near the front of the park within Wild Thing's figure-eight turnaround. It originally operated at
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom
Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom is an American amusement and water park located between Allentown and Emmaus, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The park features 64 rides, including six roller coasters, other adul ...
from 2000–2004, and was eventually relocated to Cedar Point where it operated from 2008–2015.
SkyScraper was an upcharge attraction.
* Tot Town (1981–1999) – A themed area featuring rides, a jungle gym and ball pit designed for small children. It was accessed via a suspension bridge that crossed over the park's central lagoon. Tot Town was removed in 1999 to make room for Power Tower, which reuses the suspension bridge for its ride entrance.
* The Flume (1979–2008) – Known as ''Ye Olde Log Flume'' until the early 1990s, the Flume was a
log flume
A log flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations pre ...
ride. The Flume was permanently closed and dismantled at the end of the 2008 season.
Soak City waterpark (previously Whitewater Country waterpark) was extended in place of the Flume to accommodate the installation of Breakers Bay,
a
wave pool
A wave pool is a swimming pool in which there are artificially generated, large waves, similar to those of the ocean. Wave pools are often a major feature of water parks, both indoors and outdoors, as well as some leisure centres.
History
T ...
attraction.
* Bumper Boats (1993–2010) – An upcharge
Bumper boats
Bumper boats are an amusement park ride that uses inner tube shaped watercraft that can be steered by the rider. Some are driven by electric motors, some by gasoline engines, and some require the rider to propel the craft by pedaling. Most are ...
ride, a part of the Challenge Park located near the front of Valleyfair. The Bumper Boats closed in 2009 and were removed in 2010. This ride was relocated to
Michigan's Adventure
Michigan's Adventure is a amusement park in Muskegon County, Michigan, about halfway between Muskegon and Whitehall. It is the largest amusement park in the state and has been owned and operated by Cedar Fair since 2001. As of 2022, Michigan' ...
.
*
Mild Thing
Mild Thing was a junior roller coaster at the Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota.
Mild Thing opened in 1976 as Mine Train. At some later point, the ride's name was changed to Kiddie Coaster, under which the ride was operated under u ...
(1976–2010) – A children's roller coaster, originally called Mine Train and Kiddie Coaster prior to the park's addition of Wild Thing, located in Half Pint Park. Mild Thing closed in 2010 as part of Valleyfair's revamping of the children's area into Planet Snoopy, and was replaced by Cosmic Coaster.
* Chaos (1997–2010) – A Chance Rides Chaos 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) – A dolphin show featuring two
Bottlenose dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins are aquatic mammals in the genus ''Tursiops.'' They are common, cosmopolitan members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Molecular studies show the genus definitively contains two species: the common ...
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
Pontchartrain Beach was an amusement park located in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. It was founded by Harry J. Batt Sr. (grandfather of American actor Bryan Batt) and later managed and owned by his sons, Harry J ...
and
Six Flags AstroWorld
Six Flags AstroWorld, also known simply as AstroWorld, was a seasonally operated amusement park in Houston, Texas. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park was situated between Kirby Drive and Fannin Street, directly south of I-610. The park o ...
), 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) – Two upcharge 18-hole mini-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. The area was replaced with Valleyfair's catered event area, named Picnic Point.
* Antique Cars (1976–2012) – 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) – A quarter mile go-kart race track located in the Challenge Park. The Go-Karts were an upcharge attraction. The area was replaced with the Antique Autos ride as a part of the Route 76 expansion in 2014.
* Pepsi IMAX Theater (1982-2013) – An indoor theater building located near Mad Mouse which featured several daily showings of IMAX films. The film being shown in the theater changed from season to season. The theater was demolished to make way for Barefoot Beach in 2015.
* Hydroblaster (1995–2013) – Two dark dinghy slides near Planet Snoopy. The area was replaced with the addition of Breakers Plunge and Breakers Pipeline to Soak City in 2015.
* Enterprise (1979–2016) – A
HUSS Enterprise
Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to:
Business and economics
Brands and enterprises
* Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company
* Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company
* Enterprise ...
type ride. Closed in 2016 to make room for North Star.
* RipTide (2005–2017) – A HUSS
Top Spin ride where riders get sprayed by a fountain during the ride. Closed prior to the 2018 season.
* Snoopy's Moon Bounce (2011–2017) – A
bounce house
FBC Mortgage Stadium (formerly known as Bright House Networks Stadium and Spectrum Stadium, also known as the Bounce House) is an American football stadium located in Orlando, Florida, United States, on the main campus of the University of Central ...
attraction located in Planet Snoopy which featured a large inflatable Snoopy dressed as an astronaut. It was removed prior to the 2018 season.
*
Dinosaurs Alive! (2013-2019) – An upcharge walkthrough attraction where you could see dinosaur animatronics along a trail. It closed at end of 2019 season.
* Looping Starship (1985–2019) – An Intamin
Looping Starship
The Looping Starship is an amusement ride manufactured by Intamin of Switzerland. The ride is a Pirate ship (ride), swinging ship that can spin a complete 360-degree revolution.
The ride has been modified with custom theming to resemble a number ...
ride where riders would gain momentum and spin upside down in a pirate themed ship. The ride closed at end of 2019 season.
Former Halloween Haunt at ValleySCARE
The Halloween Haunt was a former 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. At night, the Halloween Haunt would take over and featured haunted houses, outdoor mazes, scare zones, and live entertainment. Many rides remained in operation during the event, though some were closed to accommodate the transition. Valleyfair announced that the Halloween Haunt would not return for the 2022 operating season on February 25th 2022.
Former haunted attractions
Tricks and Treats
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. In 2022, the family-friendly Halloween event was renamed again to "Tricks and Treats".
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. Multiple police departments along with a police helicopter assisted with evacuating the park along with Valleyfair security personnel.
* 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
Power Tower is a amusement ride, thrill ride located at two Cedar Fair parks in the US, Cedar Point and Valleyfair. The attractions are powered by air in large cylinders in which an aircraft steel cable, connected to the internal piston, travels ...
after it fell while he was performing maintenance on the ride. The 41-year-old operator sued the manufacturer,
S&S - Sansei Technologies S&S may refer to:
*''Sense and Sensibility'', a novel by Jane Austen
*''Salt and Sanctuary'', a video game
*Sword and sorcery, a subgenre of fantasy and historical fantasy
*Simon & Schuster, a publisher
*S&S Cycle, a manufacturer of aftermarket engi ...
.
* 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.
* 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.
An investigation later determined that a mounting bracket in the brake system failed, and the ride resumed operation on June 1, 2006.
Popular culture
* Valleyfair appeared in a scene in the baseball film
Little Big League
''Little Big League'' is a 1994 American family sports film about a 12-year-old who suddenly becomes the owner and then manager of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. It stars Luke Edwards, Timothy Busfield, and Dennis Farina. The film is directo ...
, with rides such as
Corkscrew
A corkscrew is a tool for drawing corks from wine bottles and other household bottles that may be sealed with corks. In its traditional form, a corkscrew simply consists of a pointed metallic helix (often called the "worm") attached to a hand ...
,
Enterprise
Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to:
Business and economics
Brands and enterprises
* Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company
* Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company
* Enterprise ...
,
High Roller
A high roller, also referred to as a whale or cheetah, is a gambler who consistently wagers large amounts of money. High rollers often receive lavish " comps" from casinos to lure them onto the gambling floors, such as free private jet transfers ...
, 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
Excelsior Amusement Park was an amusement park on Lake Minnetonka in the town of Excelsior, Minnesota, United States. The park, which operated from 1925 to 1973, was a popular destination for company picnics and day trips from the Twin Cities.
Att ...
– 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
The Minnesota River ( dak, Mnísota Wakpá) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles (534 km) long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa.
It ris ...
References
External links
Valleyfair Official Website*
{{Valleyfair
Amusement parks in Minnesota
Cedar Fair amusement parks
1976 establishments in Minnesota
Buildings and structures in Scott County, Minnesota
Tourist attractions in Scott County, Minnesota
Amusement parks opened in 1976