Valleyfair facts for kids
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Aerial view of Valleyfair
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| Location | One Valleyfair Drive Shakopee, Minnesota, United States |
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| Coordinates | 44°47′55.47″N 93°27′12.13″W / 44.7987417°N 93.4533694°W |
| Opened | May 25, 1976 |
| Owner | EPR Properties |
| Operated by | Enchanted Parks |
| General manager | Stephen Summers |
| Slogan | Fun for the Whole Family |
| Operating season | May through October |
| Area | 90 acres (0.36 km2) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 41 |
| Roller coasters | 8 |
| Water rides | 2 |
Valleyfair is a super fun amusement park located in Shakopee, Minnesota, USA! It covers 90 acres, which is like 68 football fields. The park first opened its gates in 1976. Today, it has over 40 exciting rides, including eight awesome roller coasters! Valleyfair also includes a cool water park called Superior Shores.
Valleyfair was one of the first parks in the Cedar Fair family. The name "Cedar Fair" even came from combining "Cedar Point" and "Valleyfair"! In 2024, Cedar Fair joined with Six Flags. Then, in 2026, Valleyfair became part of EPR Properties and is now operated by Enchanted Parks.
Contents
Park History and Growth
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Valleyfair first opened on May 25, 1976. It started with 20 rides and attractions on 26 acres of land. The exciting High Roller roller coaster was the biggest draw. The beautiful carousel you see in the park today came from Excelsior Amusement Park, which closed in 1973. It's the oldest ride at Valleyfair!
In 1978, Cedar Point bought Valleyfair to help the park grow. Five years later, Cedar Fair Limited Partnership was created. This company owned both Cedar Point and Valleyfair. Since 1976, Valleyfair has invested a lot of money to add new fun things. Today, the park has over 75 attractions on 90 acres!
When the Power Tower was built in 2000, there was a special rule about its height. Because of the nearby Flying Cloud Airport, the tower could only be 275 feet tall. This was decided after talking with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).
Valleyfair did not open for the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. However, it happily reopened for the 2021 season.
On July 1, 2024, Cedar Fair and Six Flags joined together to form a new company. This meant the Cedar Fair name, which included Valleyfair, was retired. Then, on March 5, 2026, Six Flags announced that Valleyfair would be sold. The sale was completed on April 6, 2026. Now, Enchanted Parks operates Valleyfair. The park is keeping its familiar name and look for the rest of 2026.
Sometimes, the Minnesota River nearby can flood in the spring. This has happened in years like 1988, 1993, 1997, 2014, 2018, 2019, and 2024. Rides like Excalibur and Thunder Canyon were built to handle this, as they are outside the river's protective wall.
Exciting Attractions at Valleyfair
Roller Coasters
Valleyfair has eight amazing roller coasters for you to enjoy!
| Coaster | Picture | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description | Thrill Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corkscrew | .jpg) |
1980 | Arrow Dynamics | A Looping Corkscrew roller coaster that twists and turns. | 5 |
| Cosmic Coaster | _1.jpg) |
2011 | Zamperla | A fun powered roller coaster. | 3 |
| Excalibur |  |
1989 | Arrow Dynamics | A mine train coaster with a wooden structure. | 4 |
| High Roller |  |
1976 | Opus Group | A classic wooden roller coaster. It's the oldest coaster at Valleyfair! | 4 |
| Mad Mouse |  |
1999 | Arrow Dynamics | A thrilling Mad Mouse coaster model. | 4 |
| Renegade |  |
2007 | Great Coasters International | A fast Wooden roller coaster. | 4 |
| Steel Venom |  |
2003 | Intamin | An Impulse roller coaster that launches you forward and backward. | 5 |
| Wild Thing |  |
1996 | D. H. Morgan Manufacturing | A tall steel hyper coaster. It's the tallest roller coaster at Valleyfair! | 5 |
Thrill Rides
Get ready for some serious excitement with these thrill rides!
| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description | Thrill Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delirious | 2018 | Larson International | A giant loop ride that spins you upside down. | 4 |
| Northern Lights | 2014 | Zamperla | A Disk'O Coaster flat ride that glides along a U-shaped track, reaching 43 feet high. | 4 |
| North Star | 2017 | Funtime | A super tall Star Flyer that lifts you 230 feet in the air at 40 mph! | 4 |
| Power Tower | 2000 | S&S Worldwide | A 275-foot tower that shoots you up and drops you down! | 5 |
| Xtreme Swing | 2006 | S&S Worldwide | A giant Screamin' Swing that swings you high into the sky. | 5 |
Family Rides
Fun for everyone in the family!
| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description | Thrill Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antique Autos | 2014 | Gould Manufacturing | Drive your own gas-powered antique car on a guided track. | 3 |
| Bumper Cars | 1976 | Rauenhorst Corporation | Bump and bash your friends in these classic Bumper cars. | 4 |
| Carousel | 1925 (at Excelsior Park) 1976 (at Valleyfair) |
Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters | A beautiful antique Carousel with 48 horses. A special old-fashioned organ plays music for the carousel. | 1 |
| Charlie Brown's Wind Up | 1976 | Chance Rides Yo-Yo | Swings lift off the ground, spin in a circle, and tilt. | 3 |
| Ferris Wheel | 1975 | Chance Rides | A classic Ferris wheel that takes you 85 feet high. | 2 |
| Flying Ace Balloon Ride | 1988 | Zamperla Samba Balloon | Eight colorful balloons that spin and lift into the air. | 2 |
| Flying Eagles | 2016 | Larson International | A flying eagles ride where you can control how your carriage moves with a paddle. | 3 |
| Minnesota River Valley Railroad | 1990 | Crown Metal Products | A fun narrow gauge train ride around the park. | 2 |
| Monster | 1977 | Eyerly Aircraft Company | A classic Monster ride with spinning arms. | 3 |
| Scrambler | 1976 | Eli Bridge Company | A classic Scrambler ride that spins you in different directions. | 3 |
| SuperCat | 1976 | Ramagosa | A fast-spinning ride that feels like a Music Express. | 2 |
| Tilter | 1976 | Sellner Manufacturing | A classic Tilt-A-Whirl ride that spins and tilts in unexpected ways. | 3 |
| Wheel of Fortune | 1976 | Chance Rides | A Trabant ride that spins and tilts while going backward. | 3 |
Water Rides
These are the water rides outside of the Superior Shores water park.
| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Description | Thrill Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Wave | 1992 | Hopkins Rides | A Shoot-the-Chutes water ride with a big splash! | 4 |
| Thunder Canyon | 1987 | Barr Engineering | A wild River rafting ride for six people. | 4 |
Planet Snoopy: Fun for Little Ones
Planet Snoopy is a special area just for kids! It opened in 2011 with lots of new attractions.
| Ride | Year opened | Manufacturer | Model/Type | Description | Thrill Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kite Eating Tree | 2000 | S&S Worldwide | Frog Hopper | A smaller version of Power Tower, perfect for kids. | 2 |
| Linus' Beetle Bugs | 1976 | Ramagosa | A cute little spinning ride. | 1 | |
| Linus Launcher | 2011 | Zamperla | Kite Flyer | Fly high like a kite on this fun ride. | 3 |
| Lucy's Tugboat | 2004 | Zamperla | Rockin' Tug | A rocking and spinning tugboat adventure. | 2 |
| PEANUTS 500 | 2011 | Zamperla | Speedway | A kiddie race car ride. | 2 |
| PEANUTS Playhouse | A fun play area for kids. | 1 | |||
| PEANUTS Road Rally | 2000 | Zamperla | Convoy | Drive your own vehicle on a mini road trip. | 1 |
| Sally's Swing Set | 2011 | Zamperla | Happy Swing | A gentle swing ride for younger guests. | 2 |
| Snoopy vs. Red Baron | 1988 | Chance Rides | Fly your own plane in a circle. | 2 | |
| Snoopy's Deep Sea Divers | 2011 | Zamperla | Crazy Bus | A bus ride that lifts and tilts. | 2 |
| Snoopy's Rocket Express | 2011 | Zamperla | Aerial Ride | A kiddie monorail that goes around Planet Snoopy. | 2 |
| Woodstock Whirlybirds | 2011 | Zamperla | Mini Tea Cup | A kiddie spinning ride, like a mini tea cup. | 2 |
Route 76: A Blast from the Past
The "Route 76" area makes you feel like you've stepped back in time to classic amusement park days! It brought back three favorite rides that first opened with Valleyfair in 1976. These include the Antique Autos, the Tilt-a-Whirl, and the Scrambler.
A big attraction in this area is Northern Lights, which opened in 2014. This family ride travels along a 302-foot track and reaches 43 feet high. It goes up to 43 miles per hour and looks like the beautiful Aurora Borealis at night with its green, blue, and purple lights! Route 76 also has a picnic area called Picnic Point.
In 2017, the tall North Star swing ride, which is 230 feet high, opened nearby. Then, in 2018, Delirious, a 70-foot-tall looping ride, became the newest addition to Route 76.
Superior Shores Water Park
Superior Shores is an awesome water park that's included with your ticket to Valleyfair! It has a relaxing lazy river, a fun wave pool, and lots of exciting water slides. In 2015, new slides like "Breakers Plunge" were added.
In 2026, the original Panic Falls body slides, which opened in 1983, were replaced. A brand new water slide tower opened with four cool slides: Coho Curl, Surgin' Sturgeon, Wild Walleye, and Pike Plunge. Also in 2026, the water park added a special kiddie section and changed its name from Soak City to Superior Shores.
Fast Lane: Skip the Lines!
Fast Lane is a special system at Valleyfair. For an extra fee, you get a wristband that lets you go to the front of the line on twenty of the most popular rides! This includes rides like Wild Thing, Renegade, Steel Venom, Xtreme Swing, and some attractions in the Superior Shores water park.
Live Shows and Entertainment
Valleyfair offers many live shows and performances that are included with your admission!
- The Amphitheater is a large outdoor stage. It has hosted country music shows, acrobats, and even dog shows. In 2016, it was updated and started hosting the "All Wheel's Extreme" show.
- The Galaxy Theater is an indoor theater. It used to have musical shows, but in recent years, it has featured comedy and magic acts. The Galaxy Theater has been closed since 2020.
- The Gazebo Stage is an outdoor stage with a covered bandstand. It presents musical shows with a live 7-piece band playing classic and new hits.
- Benchwarmers is a roaming brass band that plays many classic and modern songs as they walk around the park.
- PEANUTS Showplace is an outdoor stage next to the PEANUTS Playhouse in Planet Snoopy. It has stadium seating for guests.
- Superior Stage is an outdoor stage near the Ferris Wheel and Corkscrew rides. This stage opened in 2019 and has cool lighting and screens. It features Snoopy shows like Peanuts Block Party and other entertainment during the summer.
- The Vocal Coasters are a six-person singing group that performs mostly a cappella music.
Valleyfair also hosts "Performance in the Park." This program allows high school groups to perform inside the park. Marching bands parade through the park, and other groups perform on the Midway and Superior Stages. This lets students enjoy the park after their performances.
Halloween Fun: ValleySCARE and Tricks and Treats
Valleyfair has special Halloween events! The Halloween Haunt was a spooky event that ran on weekends in September and October. It featured haunted houses, outdoor mazes, and scare zones. Many rides stayed open during this event. Valleyfair announced that the Halloween Haunt would not return after the 2021 season.
However, on April 2, 2024, Valleyfair announced the return of ValleySCARE for the 2024 season! It is now a separate ticketed event in the evenings, running on select weekends in September and October.
Tricks and Treats
For families, there's the "Tricks and Treats" event. This family-friendly Halloween event was first called Planet Spooky in 2011, then The Great Pumpkin Fest in 2015. In 2022, it was renamed "Tricks and Treats." This event offers shows, trick-or-treating, themed areas, and activities for younger kids. Tricks and Treats returned for the 2024 season.
See also
- Excelsior Amusement Park operated in the region from 1925 to 1973. The carousel from Excelsior now stands inside the Valleyfair entrance.
- Minnesota River
