Adventureland Celebrates 30 Years of Family Fun

Adventureland Celebrates 30 Years Of Family Fun!

Posting Date: 1/20/03

Adventureland Celebrates 30 Years Of Family Fun !

Adventureland Park in Des Moines, Iowa will be opening for its 30th season this spring. Over the years the park has grown dramatically from the original Main Street area that opened in 1974 with just a few rides. At that time Adventureland’s hotel and campgrounds had already opened, and the opening of the park made Adventureland a complete entertainment complex. Little did any one know back then, that Adventureland would soon become Iowa’s largest family resort. Year by year the park has continued to grow, and now encompasses well over 100 rides, shows, and attractions.

Since the very beginning, Adventureland has received considerable notoriety, and has also had its share of “firsts” along the way. In 1978 a Tornado blew into town , “the Tornado roller coaster that is”. Designed by the legendary roller coaster architect Bill Cobb, the Tornado soon attained the #1 position on the American Coaster Enthusiasts “Top 10 List”, and remained on the list for several years following its introduction. In 1983 Adventureland was among the first parks in the nation to build a river rapids raft ride called the Raging River. In 1993 a twelve-acre, five million dollar expansion to the park included the addition of the Outlaw Gulch theme area and the Outlaw roller coaster. Over the last 10 years Adventureland has added 10 new rides, and dozens of amenities that make the park even more enjoyable for visitors.

2002 marked Adventureland’s most ambitious expansion yet. An 8 million dollar project nearly doubled the size of the hotel, added a second courtyard, new pools with interactive water features and new pool-side rooms and suites. It also added a new “first of its kind” water ride in the park, a spinning white water adventure, called Saw Mill Splash.

In 2004 a ride called the "Sidewinder" was added to Adventureland. The "Sidewinder" is a giant pendulum that pivots back and forth 240 degrees, swinging riders over 6 stories into the sky on a rotating platform that revolves 360 degrees. The "Sidewinder" was engineered and designed by Mosier Rides of Italy especially for Adventureland Park.

Adventureland Park, Inn and Campgrounds are located on I-80 (Exit 142A) just east of Des Moines, IA. The newly expanded Inn and Campgrounds are open year round. Adventureland Park opens for weekends beginning April 26th, and will be open daily starting May 17th.