Located in Santa Claus, Indiana, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is easily accessible via State Road 245. Originally opened as Santa Claus Land on August 3, 1946, the park was conceived by Louis J. Koch and eventually expanded under the Koch family. Today, primary ownership belongs to Lori Koch and her children, with non-family member Matt Eckert serving as park president.
The park spans four distinct holiday-themed sections—Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving—along with the adjacent African safari-themed water park, Splashin' Safari. Guests start in the original Christmas section, which dates back to 1946, before exploring expanded lands offering rides, live entertainment, dining, and children's play areas like Rudolph's Reindeer Ranch and Holidog's FunTown.
Famous for world-class wooden coasters like The Voyage and Raven, the park also launched the nation's first Bolliger & Mabillard Wing Coaster, Thunderbird. Splashin' Safari features record-breaking water coasters including Wildebeest, Mammoth, and Cheetah Chase. Offering family friendly entertainment, thrilling rides, and free unlimited soft drinks, the destination perfectly suits thrill-seekers, families, and multi-day holiday trips.
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 Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari 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 |
|---|---|
| Road | State Road 245 |
| Road | State Road 162 |
Getting there & parking · Last updated: 2026-09-12 · prices may change
04 Themed areas
Each area has its own theming — architecture, food and rides. Half the fun is simply walking through.
Good to know
- Free unlimited soft drinks are provided to all park guests.
- A Santa Claus actor is available daily to interact with children in the Christmas section.
- Fireworks are featured on Friday nights during peak summer months.
- Splashin' Safari offers rentable shaded lounge chairs and cabanas.