Located along the banks of the Minnesota River in Shakopee, Minnesota, Valleyfair is a 90-acre amusement park that first opened its gates on May 25, 1976. The park was originally established on 26 acres with just 20 rides, headlined by the High Roller wooden roller coaster. Over the decades, the destination has expanded significantly, receiving over $96 million in park investments. Today, the park is owned by EPR Properties and operated by Enchanted Parks, hosting visitors seeking classic midwestern amusement park fun.
The park features over 75 total attractions, including eight roller coasters and an array of thrill, family, and water rides. Its layout encompasses distinct themed sections, such as Planet Snoopy for younger children and Route 76, which celebrates the park's opening year with classic flat rides and modern additions. Admission also includes full access to Superior Shores, a dedicated water park offering slide towers, a wave pool, and a lazy river, making the destination suitable for full-day family outings and adrenaline seekers alike.
Famous for its lineup of coasters and thrill rides like Wild Thing, Steel Venom, and the 275-foot Power Tower, Valleyfair also hosts live entertainment across multiple performance venues. Guests can enjoy musical revues, roaming brass bands, acrobatic performances, and Peanuts character shows. Seasonally, the park presents autumn festivities, including the family-friendly Tricks and Treats daytime event and ValleySCARE, a separate-ticket evening Halloween experience featuring haunted mazes and scare zones.
01 Signature rides & attractions
The park’s headline rides across its themed areas. Confirm heights and any single-rider lines on the day.
Compiled from Wikipedia · a full ride-by-ride list per themed area is on the way.
Park map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the park and its surroundings — entrances, themed areas, car parks and access roads. Zoom in for detail; the official ride-by-ride park plan is linked below.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official park maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
02 Tickets & prices
Ticket prices for Valleyfair change by date and season, and the park sells single-day, multi-day and annual passes — buying online in advance is almost always cheaper than at the gate, and popular dates can sell out. Check the official site for live pricing before you travel.
We deliberately don’t list prices that change daily — the ticket button leads to live, up-to-date pricing.
03 Getting there & parking
| Option | Detail |
|---|---|
| Air | Flying Cloud Airport is located nearby, imposing building height restrictions on park rides. |
Getting there & parking · Last updated: 2026-09-12 · prices may change
04 Best time to visit & opening times
| Season | When | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Summer | Spring through Summer | Main operating season; note that spring river flooding can occasionally affect lower park areas. |
| ValleySCARE | Select weekends in September and October | A separate-ticket evening Halloween event featuring haunted houses and scare zones. |
| Tricks and Treats | Fall daytime | A family-oriented Halloween event featuring trick-or-treating, live shows, and four themed areas. |
Opening times vary by day · Last updated: 2026-09-12 · check before you travel
05 Themed areas
Each area has its own theming — architecture, food and rides. Half the fun is simply walking through.
Good to know
- Superior Shores water park access is included with general park admission.
- Fast Lane wristbands allow guests to bypass standard lines on twenty popular rides.
- Power Tower was capped at 275 feet following FAA negotiations due to nearby Flying Cloud Airport.
- Rides like Excalibur and Thunder Canyon are constructed outside the river dike due to spring flood risks.
- Evening admission to autumn ValleySCARE events requires a separate event ticket.
