Medieval Times facts for kids
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The outside of the Medieval Times castle in Lyndhurst, New Jersey
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| Private | |
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | December 16, 1983 in Kissimmee, Florida, US |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Number of locations
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10 |
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Area served
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United States and Canada |
| Services | Dinner theater |
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a popular American dinner theater show. Families can eat a medieval-style dinner while watching knights in armor compete in exciting games. The show features sword fights and jousting, where knights on horseback try to knock each other off with long poles called lances.
The company that runs the shows, Medieval Times Entertainment, is based in Irving, Texas.
There are ten Medieval Times locations. Nine of them are in the United States and are built to look like real castles. The tenth location is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Contents
The Story of Medieval Times
How It All Began
The idea for Medieval Times started in Spain in the late 1960s. A man named Jose Montaner created two shows on the islands of Mallorca and Benidorm. He turned his family's farm and restaurant into a place for food and entertainment.
The shows told stories from the 11th century about brave knights. The stories were based on Montaner's own family history. He even claimed that his family was related to Charlemagne, a famous emperor from long ago.
To make the jousting look real, the company hired experts. One of them was Tino Braña, who had worked on the jousting scenes for the 1961 movie El Cid. It takes a lot of practice to become a knight at Medieval Times. Actors train for six to eight months to learn how to fight safely and act their parts.
Coming to America
On December 16, 1983, the first Medieval Times in the United States opened in Kissimmee, Florida, near Walt Disney World. It was a big hit! In 1986, a second location opened in California.
The company grew and opened more castles in cities like Atlanta, Georgia, Dallas, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois.
In the 1990s, the company had some money problems with the U.S. government over taxes. This was a difficult time, but the company worked through its issues and continued to grow.
New Shows and a Queen's Rule
The show at Medieval Times changes every six or seven years to keep things fresh and exciting. In 2017, a big change happened. For the first time, a Queen became the ruler of the kingdom in the show, instead of a King.
This change was made because many guests said they wanted to see women in more important roles. The company also shared that it took two months just to teach the actress playing the Queen how to ride the show's special Andalusian horses.
The newest show started in late 2024. In this story, a king and a queen from different kingdoms join forces.
Workers Ask for Better Conditions
In 2022, some workers at the New Jersey and California locations decided to form a union. A union is a group of workers who join together to ask for better pay, benefits, and safer working conditions. The workers' union is called the American Guild of Variety Artists.
In 2023, the workers at the California castle went on strike. A strike is when employees stop working to protest and push for changes. They were concerned about their pay and safety on the job. After nine months, the workers ended the strike and went back to work. Their union continues to work with the company to create a better workplace for everyone, including the animals in the show.
Where to Find the Castles
As of 2025, there are ten Medieval Times locations. Nine are in the United States, and one is in Canada.
United States
- Orlando Castle (opened 1983 in Kissimmee, Florida)
- Buena Park Castle (opened 1986 in Buena Park, California)
- Lyndhurst Castle (opened 1990 in Lyndhurst, New Jersey)
- Chicago Castle (opened 1991 in Schaumburg, Illinois)
- Dallas Castle (opened 1992 in Dallas, Texas)
- Myrtle Beach Castle (opened 1995 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)
- Baltimore Castle (opened 2003 in Hanover, Maryland)
- Atlanta Castle (opened 2006 in Lawrenceville, Georgia)
- Scottsdale Castle (opened 2019 in Scottsdale, Arizona)
Canada
See also
- List of dinner theaters
- Le Puy du Fou
