Valleyfair

Valleyfair

Aerial view of Valleyfair
Location	One Valleyfair Drive Shakopee, Minnesota, U.S.
Coordinates	44°47′55.47″N93°27′12.13″W / 44.7987417°N 93.4533694°W / 44.7987417; -93.4533694 Coordinates: 44°47′55.47″N93°27′12.13″W / 44.7987417°N 93.4533694°W / 44.7987417; -93.4533694
Opened	May 25, 1976 (1976-05-25)
Owner	Cedar Fair
General manager	Raul Rehnborg
Slogan	Where Awesome Happens
Operating season	May through October
Area	125 acres (0.51 km2) (0.5 km²)
Attractions
Total	42
Roller coasters	8
Water rides	2
Website	www.valleyfair.com

Valleyfair is an amusement park located in Shakopee, Minnesota. The park covers an area of approximately 125 acres and features a wide variety of rides and attractions suitable for people of all ages. Valleyfair first opened in 1976 and is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company. The park is open seasonally from May through October and attracts visitors from all over the Midwest region.

Valleyfair features over 75 rides and attractions, including roller coasters, water rides, family rides, and children's rides. Some of the park's most popular rides include the Steel Venom roller coaster, the Wild Thing roller coaster, and the Renegade wooden roller coaster. In addition to rides, Valleyfair also features several live entertainment shows, including musical performances and stage shows featuring popular characters such as Snoopy and the Peanuts gang. The park also offers a variety of dining options, ranging from quick-service restaurants to sit-down restaurants serving a variety of cuisines.

History

Former logo used until 2007

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. 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 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

1970s ^[1]

• 1976: Valleyfair opens with Antique Cars, Bumper Cars, Carousel, Ferris Wheel, Flying Scooters, High Roller, 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

1980s ^[1]

• 1980: Corkscrew opens
• 1981: Tot Town opens
• 1982: Pepsi IMAX 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 opens
• 1988: Two water slides (now known as Panic Falls Speed Slides) and Half Pint Park open
• 1989: Excalibur opens

1990s ^[1]

• 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

2000s ^[1]

• 2000: Power Tower 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 opens and Halloween Haunt occurs for the first time.
• 2007: Renegade opens
• 2008: Halloween Haunt is renamed Halloween Haunt at ValleyScare
• 2009: Re-theme of the water park to Soak City

2010s ^[1]

• 2011: Planet Snoopy 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 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 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.

2020s

• 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

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	Rauenhorst 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.	5

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
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
Ferris Wheel	1975 [9]	Chance Rides	A classic Ferris wheel ride reaching 85 feet in the air	2
Flying Ace Balloon Ride	1988	Zamperla Samba Balloon	Eight balloons that can accommodate up to 4 riders. It was originally called Hot Air Balloons.	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
Minnesota River Valley Railroad	1990	Crown Metal Products	A 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge [10] train ride around the park.	2
Monster	1977	Eyerly Aircraft Company	A classic Monster ride	3
Scrambler	1976	Eli Bridge Company	A classic Scrambler ride	3
SuperCat	1976	Ramagosa	A Caterpillar/Music Express style ride	2
Tilter	1976	Sellner Manufacturing	A classic Tilt-A-Whirl ride	3
Wheel of Fortune	1976	Chance Rides	A Trabant 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

Kids Rides

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]
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 Playhouse				Play Place	1
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		2
Snoopy's Junction		Dotto Trains		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

Main article: Soak City (Valleyfair)

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

Further information: List of Fast Lane attractions § Valleyfair

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

Power Tower, Xtreme Swing, and Corkscrew from Wild Thing

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. Galaxy Theater has remained closed to the public since 2020, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• 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, 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. ^[13]
• 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. ^[14] It also featured the addition of a small hedge maze and a Koi pond. ^[15] 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. ^[13] The area was also home to an upcharge bungee trampoline attraction called Xtreme Trampoline in 2005. ^[15] 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. ^[13] The Corkscrew TotSpot was removed in 2010 as a part of the Planet Snoopy expansion in 2011.
• Northern Lights (1986-2005) – A Chance Rides Falling Star ride with a space theme, removed in 2005 to make room for Xtreme Swing.
• Bayern Curve (1985–1997) – A Schwarzkopf Bayern Kurve 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 in Maryland under the name Wildcat. ^{[16] [17]}
• 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 from 2000–2004, and was eventually relocated to Cedar Point where it operated from 2008–2015. ^[18] 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 ride. The Flume was permanently closed and dismantled at the end of the 2008 season. ^[19] Soak City waterpark (previously Whitewater Country waterpark) was extended in place of the Flume to accommodate the installation of Breakers Bay, ^[20] a wave pool attraction.
• Bumper Boats (1993–2010) – An upcharge Bumper boats 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.
• Mild Thing (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 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) – 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. ^[21]
• 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 type ride. Closed in 2016 to make room for North Star. ^[22]
• RipTide (2005–2017) – A HUSS Top Spin ride where riders get sprayed by a fountain during the ride. Closed prior to the 2018 season. ^[23]
• Snoopy's Moon Bounce (2011–2017) – A bounce house attraction located in Planet Snoopy which featured a large inflatable Snoopy dressed as an astronaut. It was removed prior to the 2018 season. ^[23]
• Dinosaurs Alive! (2013-2019) – An upcharge walkthrough attraction where you could see dinosaur animatronics along a trail. It closed at end of 2019 season. ^[24]
• Looping Starship (1985–2019) – An Intamin Looping Starship ride where riders would gain momentum and spin upside down in a pirate themed ship. The ride closed at end of 2019 season. ^[25]

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. ^[26] Valleyfair announced that the Halloween Haunt would not return for the 2022 operating season on February 25, 2022. ^[27]

Former haunted attractions

Attraction	Type	Opened	Location
Abnormal Alley	Scare Zone	2012-2016	Corkscrew alley
Beserkers Unleashed	Maze	2017-2021	Near High Roller
Blood Creek Cemetery (Re-themed to Undertakers Maze in 2018)	Scare Zone	2006-2017	Walkway between The Wave & Monster
Blood on the Boundary Waters	Scare Zone	2019-2021	Walkway between Midway Games and Bumper Cars
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
CarnEvil: Ringmaster's Revenge (Maze until replaced by Zombie High in 2013)	Scare Zone	2013-2021	Planet Snoopy
The Chateau (Formerly Chateau du Damné)	Maze	2006-2021	Behind Mad Mouse
Dark Harvest (Formerly Hellside Farm)	Maze	2007-2019	Site formerly known as Picnic Cove
Darkness Awaits	Scare Zone	2019-2019	Near Renegade
Demon Corps Sliders	Scare Zone and Roaming	2017-2021	Park Wide and The Wave
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
MaSCAREade	Scare Zone	2018-2021	Walkway between The Wave & Monster
Mr. Cleavers Bloodshed	Maze	2008-2021	Near Mad Mouse in games warehouse
Trails End	Scare Zone	2015-2018	Near Renegade
Undertakers	Maze	2018-2021	Site formerly known as Picnic Cove
Zombie High (Zombie High: In The Dark in 2018)	Maze	2013-2021	Near Depot Refreshments

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. ^[28] Multiple police departments along with a police helicopter assisted with evacuating the park along with Valleyfair security personnel. ^[29]
• 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. ^[30]
• 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. ^[31]
• 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. ^[32]
• 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. ^[33] An investigation later determined that a mounting bracket in the brake system failed, and the ride resumed operation on June 1, 2006. ^[34]

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

• United States portal

• 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

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2. "Valleyfair park history" . Retrieved May 9, 2013.
3. "ValleyFair Park Information". Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
4. "Cedar Fair Updates Its Calendar for 2020 Park Operations". www.businesswire.com. 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
5. "California's Great America, Carowinds, and other Cedar Fair parks to remain closed for 2020; Others closing early". Attractions Magazine. August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
6. "Valleyfair!". CoasterGallery.com. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
7. Ratings assigned per Valleyfair's own system, where "1" is the least intense and "5" is the most. See their "Guest Assistance Guide" (PDF). Valleyfair. for more specific details.
8. "Valleyfair Family Amusement Park, Shakopee, MN". National Carousel Association. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
9. Chance, Harold (2004). The Book of Chance. Wichita, Kansas: Wichita Press. p. 56. ISBN   0-9649065-0-3.
10. Crown Metal Products Locomotive Roster
11. Valleyfair. "Route 76 – New area to include classic rides & all-new family coaster". Valleyfair. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
12. "Live Entertainment at Valleyfair". Valleyfair. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
13. "Valleyfair Park Map - 2000" . Retrieved 18 September 2022.
14. "Valleyfair Introducing New KidWorks Area in 2004". ultimaterollercoaster.com. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
15. "Valleyfair Park Map - 2005". Theme Park Review. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
16. "Rails - Valleyfair! (Shakopee, Minnesota, USA)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
17. "Wildcat - Jolly Roger Amusement Park (Ocean City, Maryland, USA)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
18. "SkyScraper (Cedar Point)". coasterpedia.net. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
19. Eric. "Valleyfair Flume Headed Out". Theme Park Village. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
20. Valleyfair. "New Wave Pool to Debut at Valleyfair in 2009". Valleyfair. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
21. "Valleyfair Removing IMAX Theater for Expansion". Coaster101. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
22. "Valleyfair To Retire 'Enterprise' After 38 Years". CBS News. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
23. @Valleyfair (May 16, 2018). "To make room for future improvements and enhancements to Valleyfair, Riptide, Snoopy's Moon Bounce, and Giggle Run were removed in the off season" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
24. @Valleyfair (May 8, 2019). "Dinosaurs Alive! Date of Extinction: October 2019" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
25. @Valleyfair (October 14, 2019). "It's almost time to say goodbye! Only two weekends left to get a ride in on Looping Starship before the sun sets on this classic ride" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
26. "Halloween Haunt at Valleyfair". Cedar Fair. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
27. "Things to Do in Minneapolis | Minneapolis Events | Valleyfair". www.valleyfair.com. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
28. "Valleyfair closes early; Shakopee police respond to park after large number of fights". Star Tribune. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
29. Winter, Deena; Schuster, Christine. "ValleySCARE evacuated after fights break out". Shakopee Valley News. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
30. "Valleyfair Ride Operator Sues Manufacturer of Power Tower after Injuries". ABC News. July 21, 2017.
31. "Amusement Park Goers Exposed to Chemicals in Minnesota". Fox News. August 6, 2010.
32. "wcco.com - Ride At Valleyfair Closed After Fire". Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2015-06-15.
33. Xiong, Chan (May 22, 2006). "Valleyfair's Wild Thing car derails, injures riders". Star Tribune. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
34. Louwagie, Pam (June 1, 2006). "Hoots, hollers make untamed return on Wild Thing". Star Tribune. Retrieved April 9, 2013.

External links

• Valleyfair Official Website
• Valleyfair at the Roller Coaster DataBase