Adventureland (Iowa) facts for kids

Adventureland is a super fun family amusement park located in Altoona, Iowa, which is just a short drive northeast of Des Moines. It's known for having over 100 exciting rides, cool shows, and awesome attractions for everyone to enjoy!

Park History: How Adventureland Began

Adventureland Park started being built in the spring of 1973. Did you know that the famous Disney company even helped with some of the early plans for the park? That's pretty cool!

A small delay happened because of a tornado's tail end, so the park officially opened on July 28, 1974. The very first rides started running on August 16. Adventureland's first full season was in 1975, with a big grand opening on May 31. A special ride called the Skyride was added that year, which came all the way from the World's Fair in Spokane, Washington.

In 1978, something big was built: the Tornado! This was Adventureland's largest wooden roller coaster, and it opened on July 4, 1978. The Tornado quickly became known as one of the top ten wooden roller coasters in the world!

The next year, in 1979, the County Fair area was added, where you can play fun skill games. Adventureland also bought the old Riverview Amusement Park in Des Moines. They moved some of its attractions to a new themed area in 1980.

In 1990, the Riverview area changed into Dragon Island. This became the home of Adventureland's awesome double-looping, upside-down steel roller coaster called the Dragon, which opened on May 12, 1990.

The park had its biggest expansion ever in 1993! A western-themed area called Outlaw Gulch was built. It cost about $5 million and added three new rides: Wrangler, Chuck Wagon, and The Outlaw roller coaster.

In 1999, Adventureland added the exciting Space Shot. This ride is a huge 200-foot (61 m) tower that shoots riders up really fast and then lets them free fall back down!

In 2002, Adventureland spent $8 million to make the hotel much bigger. They added new pools with cool water features. They also added a new water ride in the park called Saw Mill Splash. It's a spinning white water adventure that fits the western theme of Outlaw Gulch.

More rides came in 2006: The Splash Over and Frog Hopper. In 2008, Adventureland started its biggest addition yet – a brand new water area called Adventure Bay. The first water attraction there was Kokomo Kove.

In 2010 and 2011, there were a couple of fires on Main Street. But don't worry, nobody was hurt! The park quickly rebuilt Main Street, making it even better than before. They added a bigger arcade with an indoor ride.

On September 6, 2013, Adventureland announced a new attraction called Storm Chaser. This ride is a giant swing that takes you up a tall tower and spins you around. It replaced an older ride called Silly Silo.

A super exciting new roller coaster, The Monster, was announced on July 8, 2015. It's a unique Infinity coaster and the first of its kind in the United States! The Monster opened on June 4, 2016, and replaced the old River Rapids log ride. At night, The Monster lights up with amazing LED lights that move with the ride!

On September 20, 2017, Adventureland announced a new area just for kids called Bernie's Barnyard. It opened on July 20, 2018, and has two family rides, a playground, and kiddie arcade games.

In 2018, the Inverter ride was taken down. But Adventureland quickly announced a new, thrilling ride called Phoenix! This $6 million spinning coaster opened on July 4, 2019. It's the park's sixth roller coaster and one of its biggest investments ever!

In May 2020, Adventureland teased a new ride called "The Dragon Slayer." This new coaster is set to open in June 2021 and will replace the old Dragon roller coaster.

Park Location

Adventureland is easy to find! It's located right off exit 142A of I-80, along U.S. Highway 65, in Altoona. This is just east of Des Moines, Iowa.

Fun Themed Areas and Attractions

Adventureland has many cool areas that remind you of Disneyland! For example, the entrance has a train station with tunnels leading to Main Street, just like at Disney parks. The different themed areas in Adventureland are:

• Adventure Bay (opened June 22, 2008) is a water park area with the Kokomo Kove water play structure.
• Alpine Village/Bavaria is a German-themed area. The Sky Ride is a major attraction here. You can also find the Rathskeller food stand and Alpine Arcade.
• Bernie's Barnyard is a special area for younger kids. It opened on July 20, 2018, and has a playground, toddler play area, arcade games, and two fun kid rides: Shakin' Bacon and Junior Jockeys.
• The Boulevard has several big rides, including the Giant Sky Wheel. This is the largest open-gondola Ferris wheel built in the United States since 1893!
• County Fair is a farm-themed area with the famous Tornado wooden roller coaster. You'll also find many fair-style skill games here.
• Dragon Island, located at the back of the park, used to be called Riverview. In 1990, it was renamed Dragon Island when the Dragon roller coaster opened.
• Iowa Farm has a similar farm theme. Look for the big pig, which is actually a small snack stand!
• Last Frontier is a western-themed section. Here you can find the Golden Nugget shooting gallery and Sheriff Sam's Saloon.
• Main Street looks like a town from the early 1900s. It's the first area you see when you enter the park. You can ride the A-Train (a small train that goes around the park) or the antique-style carousel. Main Street also has gift shops, restaurants, and an arcade.
• Outlaw Gulch, built in 1993, has an Old West "ghost town" theme. Rides here include The Outlaw (a wooden roller coaster), Chuck Wagon (a small western Ferris wheel), Sidewinder (a swinging pendulum ride), and Saw Mill Splash (a water ride).
• River City is designed to look like towns along the Mississippi River. You'll often hear jazz music playing in the background here.

Exciting Rides

Adventureland has many different types of rides for all ages!

Roller Coasters

Ride Name	Picture	Year Opened	Manufacturer	Location	Other Notes
Dragon Slayer		2021	S&S - Sansei Technologies	Dragon Island	This new ride replaced the Dragon roller coaster.
The Monster	The Monster roller coaster	2016	Gerstlauer Infinity coaster	Last Frontier	Opened on June 4, 2016. It replaced the River Rapids log ride.
The Outlaw	The Outlaw roller coaster	1993	Custom Coasters International (CCI)	Outlaw Gulch	Opened on April 24, 1993, as part of the new Outlaw Gulch area.
Phoenix		2019	Maurer AG	Boulevard	Opened on July 4, 2019. Each car spins 360 degrees as it travels along the track.
Tornado	First drop of the Tornado	1978	Designed by William Cobb.	County Fair	Opened on July 4, 1978. It was once listed as one of the top ten wooden roller coasters in the world.
The Underground		1996	Custom Coasters International (CCI) Dark Ride	Space Shot Midway	This is an indoor ride that combines a dark ride with a roller coaster!

Other Fun Rides

Adventure Bay: The Water Park

Adventure Bay is Adventureland's very own water park! It's included with your park admission. It has lots of fun water features, changing areas, lockers, and places to relax.

Games Areas

Adventureland has three main areas where you can play fun games and win prizes!

• Alpine Games – Located near the front of the park, close to the Giant Sky Wheel.
• County Fair – Opened in 1980, this is Adventureland's most popular games area! It's a large area with many popular games like Speedball, Derby Downs, and Skee Ball.
• Dragon Island – Renamed in 1990, this area is also very popular. It has a more relaxed atmosphere compared to the other game areas.

Food and Drinks

The park has many places to grab a bite to eat! You can find places like Doc and Leone's Diner and Bar on Main Street, Chicken Shack, Rally Round, Taco Villa, River City Pizza, and more.

Special Events

Adventureland hosts some cool special events throughout the year:

• Every year on July 4th, Adventureland puts on a fantastic fireworks show just before the park closes.
• During the first few weekends of operation, different school bands are invited to play music in the park.
• There are also special substance-free days held with D.A.R.E.
• Over Memorial Day weekend, there's a special military promotion.
• The park has areas available for company picnics, reunions, or other big gatherings.
• Since 2015, Adventureland has hosted an annual Oktoberfest event in October. It includes special food, drinks, and access to some rides.

Park Mascots and Characters

The official mascot of Adventureland is Bernie Bernard, a friendly St. Bernard dog. You can see his cartoon drawing on park maps, and a walk-around character of Bernie often poses for photos in the park. In 2018, Bernie even got his own area of the park called Bernie's Barnyard!

Another character you might see walking around the park is Toby the tiger. He's been around almost as long as Bernie! There are also two other dog characters: Heather and Henry.

For a special event in 2001, Garfield the cat even made an appearance at the park!

You might also hear the voice of an old west miner in The Underground ride. And at the Palace Theater ticket window, an animatronic character named P.T. Barnaby tells you about park happenings.

Fun Shows

Adventureland offers a variety of live shows to entertain guests!

Current Shows

• Ben Ulin magic show: This amazing magic show has been running since 1988 and takes place in Sheriff Sam's Saloon.
• Comedy Juggler Brad Weston: You can catch this fun show at the Coca-Cola Cafe.
• Iowa Beer and Wine Shop stage: Added in 2016, this stage features live music from local bands.
• The Adventureland Circus: This circus, added in 2017, has a newly colored tent and exciting new acts.
• American Puppet Theater: Performed by Libby Weston, this puppet show appears at the Chapel stage.

Past Shows

• Dolphin Sea Lion Show: There were two different dolphin and sea lion shows over the years, the last one closing in 1995.
• Daniel and the Dixieland Diggers: An animatronic music show that used to be in the center of Main Street.
• Game Show: Double Dare: A fun game show where audience members could participate in stunts and games.
• Royal Hanneford Circus: This circus was a park favorite from 1997 to 2016 before being replaced by The Adventureland Circus.

Images for kids

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  South side view of the A-Train station

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  The top of the Space Shot

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  Giant Sky Wheel

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  A-train engine and car

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  Der Flinger

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  Tea Cups

See Also

• List of amusement parks in the United States
• List of water parks in the United States