Wild Adventures facts for kids
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| Location | Valdosta, Georgia, United States |
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| Coordinates | 30°43′12″N 83°19′24″W / 30.72000°N 83.32333°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opened | 1996 |
| Owner | Herschend Family Entertainment |
| Slogan | At Wild Adventures, it's not just the animals that are wild |
| Operating season | Mid-March through December |
| Area | 166 acres (0.67 km2) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 34 |
| Roller coasters | 7 |
| Water rides | 2 |
Wild Adventures is a super fun theme park in Clyattville, Georgia. It's about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Valdosta, Georgia, in the United States. This awesome park is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment.
Wild Adventures has tons of cool rides and attractions. You can see exotic animals, enjoy exciting shows, splash around at Splash Island water park, and even catch concerts from famous music stars! The park is super easy to get to, right off Interstate 75.
Contents
Park History
Wild Adventures was started by Kent Buescher and his wife, Dawn, in 1996. They built it on some farm land near Valdosta, Georgia. It began as a small petting zoo called Liberty Farms.
The park quickly grew, adding its first rides in 1998. Since then, it has added many more, including eight roller coasters and lots of other fun rides.
In 2003, "Splash Island," the park's water park, opened. This was a huge addition, bringing many new water slides and attractions.
Later, in 2007, Wild Adventures was sold to Herschend Family Entertainment. This company also owns other famous parks like Dollywood. After Herschend took over, they added new rides like The Rattler in 2008. They also moved the Tiger Terror roller coaster to Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida.
In February 2009, something cool happened: scenes for the movie Zombieland were filmed at Wild Adventures!
For the 2010 season, the park added "Viking Voyage," "Whirling Wildcats," and "Falcon Flyers." These rides came from another park called Celebration City. In 2013, "Tail Spin" and "Wacky Wheels" were added, and in 2015, "Jungle Rumble" joined the fun.
Before the 2019 season, "Fiesta Express" became "Swampwater Snake" in a new kids' area called "Discovery Outpost." The "S&S Doubleshot" ride was also renamed "Blazer Blast off." In 2020, "Blackfoot Falls" was updated and renamed "Island Falls."
In 2021, the park announced that its big wooden roller coaster, Cheetah, would be removed.
Park Sections
In 2019, a new kids' area called Discovery Outpost was added. This is the only themed section right now. In the past, the park had other cool themed areas like Base Camp, Bugsville, Australian Outback, and African Pridelands.
Awesome Attractions
Roller Coasters
Here are some of the exciting roller coasters you can ride at Wild Adventures:
| Ride | Manufacturer | Year Opened | What it's like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outpost Express | Vekoma | 2000 | A fun steel coaster perfect for families! It used to be called Ant Farm Express. |
| Boomerang | Vekoma | 1998 | This coaster sends you forward and backward through a Cobra Roll and a Vertical Loop! |
| Go Bananas! | Maurer Söhne | 2000 | A wild wild mouse roller coaster that used to be called Bug Out. |
| Swamp Thing | Vekoma | 2003 | A cool suspended coaster that flies over the park's swamp and even past a 15-foot alligator named Twister! |
| Twisted Typhoon | Vekoma | 1999 | This looping coaster flips riders upside down five times! It was once known as The Hangman. |
| Swampwater Snake | Zamperla | 2019 | A smaller, fun wild mouse style coaster, perfect for younger adventurers. It used to be Fiesta Express. |
Thrill Rides
- Aviator: A ride that spins and swings you high in the air!
- Blazer Blast Off: A tower that shoots you straight up into the sky and then drops you down!
- Pharaoh's Fury: A giant swinging ship that feels like you're on a wild boat ride.
- Rattler: A big pendulum ride that swings you back and forth, almost upside down!
- Swingin' Safari: A fast-spinning ride that goes up and down like waves.
- Tailspin: A spinning coaster that slides back and forth on a U-shaped track.
- Jungle Rumble: This ride spins you around and around for a wild time!
Family Rides
- Century Wheel: A classic Ferris Wheel that gives you great views of the park.
- Falcon Flyer: You get to control how high your ride goes on this flying scooter!
- Kite Flyer: A unique ride where you lie down and feel like you're flying like a kite.
- Turtle Twist: A spinning ride that tilts and turns in all directions.
- Safari Train: A relaxing miniature train ride that takes you on a tour.
- Sidewinder: This ride spins and tilts, giving you a fun, wavy motion.
- Smash Attack: Get ready to bump and crash into your friends on these bumper cars!
- Whirling Wildcats: A classic scrambler ride that spins you in different directions.
- Yo-Yo: A swing ride that lifts you high into the air and tilts as it spins.
Splash Island Water Park
Splash Island is a super cool water park with a Polynesian theme, and it's included with your Wild Adventures ticket! It covers 27 acres (110,000 m2) of the park and has seven rides and five shops. It's often the most popular spot on hot days! Splash Island first opened in 2003.
In 2008, Splash Island got a big makeover, turning it into the Polynesian paradise you see today. They also added a new ride called the Wahee Cyclone.
Water Park Rides
- Bonzai Pipelines: Three tall, twisting slides that are some of the highest in Georgia! (Built in 2004)
- Catch-a-wave bay: A huge 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m2) wave pool where you can ride the waves! (Built in 2003)
- Hakini Rapids: A five-story "family-sized" water slide with exciting twists and drops. (Built in 2011)
- Kalani Blasters: Two medium-sized, intertwined slides for a fun splash. (Built in 2003)
- Kona Cliffs: A giant, "family-sized" speed slide with three thrilling drops. (Built in 2011)
- Paradise River: A relaxing "lazy river" where you can float gently through the water park. (Built in 2003)
- Polynesian Adventure: A four-story water fortress with lots of splashing fun. (Built in 2003)
- Wahee Cyclone: A five-story water tornado ride that spins you around! (Built in 2009)
- Sea Turtle Cove: A special water play area just for younger children. (Built in 2006)
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Banzi Pipelines
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Kalani Blasters
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Kona Cliffs and Hakini Rapids
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Paradise River
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Polynesian Adventure
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Wahee Cyclone
Former Rides
Some rides have left Wild Adventures over the years:
| Ride | Year opened | Year closed | What it was like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaos | 1998 | 2009 | A flat ride that spun and flipped riders in many directions. |
| Cheetah | 2001 | 2019 | A large wooden roller coaster that was the biggest at the park. It was retired in 2021. |
| Gauntlet | 2005 | 2007 | A giant swinging ride with two arms that swung riders high into the air. |
| Gold Rush | 1999 | 2009 | A smaller roller coaster perfect for kids. |
| Mystery Maze | 1999 | 2009 | A fun maze attraction that challenged visitors to find their way out. |
| The Inverter | 1999 | 2009 | A flat ride that spun and inverted riders upside down. |
| Tiger Terror | 1998 | 2008 | A small roller coaster for kids with a tiger-themed train. It was moved to ZooTampa at Lowry Park. |
| Viking Voyage | 2010 | 2018 | A steel family coaster that was moved to another park, Fun Spot America Kissimmee. |
Annual Events
Wild Adventures hosts several special events throughout the year:
- Boy Scouts Day
- Girl Scouts Day
- Terror In The Wild - A spooky Halloween themed event with special attractions.
- Wild Adventures Christmas - A festive Christmas themed event with lights and holiday cheer.
Images for kids
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Entrance
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Island Falls
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S&S Double Shot tower. Renamed to Blazer Blast Off (Formerly the Double Shot and Firecracker)
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Jungle Rumble
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View from observation deck of Mysery Maze. Removed before 2010 Season
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Safari Train
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Tail Spin
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The Rattler
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The Falcon Flyer
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The Whirling Wildcats
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The Yo-Yo
Wild Adventures at the Roller Coaster DataBase
