Are you in the mood to escape to a land of sights, sounds, fun, and amusement? Then you should head out to Valleyfair. This 125-acre amusement park is located in Shakopee, Minnesota and is owned by Cedar Fair. The park opened in 1976 and has over 75 rides and lots of other attractions, including 8 state of the art thrilling roller coasters. Cedar Fair owns two amusement parks in total: Valleyfair and Cedar Point Amusement Park. The combo of the two names were used to name the company.
History of ValleyFair
The park opened in 1976 and only featured around 20 rides and attractions. Initially, it only covered an expanse of 26 acres and the main attraction was a coaster named High Roller. Later on, Cedar Fair acquired Valleyfair to keep it going and then eventually expanded it. They invested almost $100 million into the park, meaning it kept growing and attracting more crowds.
However, since the park is located on the banks of the main Minnesota River, there’s a danger of floods. This is a particular issue during springtime when the park opens up since it’s closed in the winter-time. Cedar Fair countered this by building both Excalibur and Thunder Canyon right outside of a river dike. These keep the flood levels in check and ensure that the park is safe for everyone when they’re visiting.
The Rides
Considering there are over 75 rides and attractions at the amusement park, you should know all of them before you go. This is so you can truly have a fulfilling experience and don’t have to wait around in line all day. The rides are all labeled by their adrenaline/thrill level and the ones that are safe for kids are clearly marked. You can easily check out the guide at the park or even their website to find which rides you really want to take.
Soak City
This is the waterpark that will really make a splash! You can cool off in one of the tens of rides that traverse this park, complete with giant water slides and attractions. You can even float in the lazy river that runs through Ripple Rapids. There are rides that your kids will love and other ones that have been made specifically with adults in mind.
Local Experiences and Events
You can find a lot of local experiences at the amusement park too. Whether its Minnesota Eats booths serving up home-grown and cooked foods from around the state, or local craft beers from local breweries, you’ll love it all! Make sure you check out the Corn Feast, which is the longest-standing event at Valleyfair. If you visit, you can get around 30,000 lbs of complementary corn anytime through Labor Day weekend. No matter what time or season it is, you’ll have fun throughout it all!
The Stay
You won’t be able to experience all that Valleyfair has to offer if you only visit for one day. If you want a truly immersive time, you can make a reservation for a couple of days (or for however long you like) at one of the many hotels nearby. There are a ton of preferred hotels around the park and you can easily find this list on the website for Valleyfair.