Amusement Park

17 photos · 2009–2025

17 photographs tagged Amusement Park, 2009–2025.

Miracle Strip Amusement Park entrance sign stands abandoned at its former Panama City Beach, Florida site. — Miracle Strip Amusement Park operated on this Panama City Beach site from 1963 until it closed in 2004. The oval "Entrance" sign, mounted on tall blue poles, marked the park's original gateway and was left standing after the rides and buildings were cleared. Small pavilion structures near the site once served as ticket booths for guests entering the park.

Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, with roller coasters and a water park. — Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee, Minnesota, opened in 1976 and is owned by Cedar Fair. The park includes roller coasters, a water park, and family rides across its amusement complex. It is one of the major entertainment destinations in the Twin Cities area.

Illuminated vintage swing carousel with ornate red panels and golden lights at Minnesota State Fair. — The "Wellenflug" chair swing ride is a recurring attraction at the Minnesota State Fair, its name German for "wave flight." Rides of this type, known as chair swings or wave swings, first appeared at European fairs in the early 20th century and remain a staple of traveling carnivals across the United States. The canopy on this model is decorated with painted alpine s, a common design choice among German- and Dutch-built swing rides imported for the American fair circuit. The Minnesota State Fair, held annually in Falcon Heights, draws more than two million visitors each August and September and ranks among the largest state fairs in the country by daily attendance.

Bay Beach Amusement Park's illuminated main building and ferris wheel at dusk with frozen water in foreground, Green Bay — Bay Beach Amusement Park sits along the shoreline of Green Bay on Green Bay, Wisconsin's east side, at the mouth of the Fox River. The city has operated the park since 1892, and it remains one of the few municipally run amusement parks in the country, offering free admission with tickets sold per ride. The park's pavilion building, dating to the 1940s, hosts community gatherings and overlooks the water's edge. Its Ferris wheel is one of more than two dozen rides on the grounds, which draw upward of a million visitors each year.

Illuminated Ferris wheel at Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin, at night with fog nearby. — Bay Beach Amusement Park sits along the shore of Green Bay in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and has operated since 1892, making it one of the oldest amusement parks in the country. The City of Green Bay's Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department runs the park, which charges no general admission — visitors instead buy tickets for individual rides, a model the park has used for more than a century. Its ferris wheel is one of more than 30 rides on the grounds, most added during expansions in the 1990s and 2000s. The park sits adjacent to Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, a separate city-run nature preserve along the same shoreline.

Fireworks explode above The Rise of Icarus waterslide at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells. — The Rise of Icarus opened at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells in 2024, rising 145 feet and billed as the tallest waterslide in the United States. Riders climb the tower's stairs before dropping through its enclosed spiral chute to a splashdown pool below. Mt. Olympus marked the slide's debut with its annual Fourth of July fireworks show, a tradition the park has staged for decades over its skyline of mock Greek temples and roller coasters.

Fireworks burst above the Rise of Icarus waterslide tower at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells. — The Rise of Icarus opened in June 2024 at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells, billed as the tallest waterslide in the United States at 145 feet. Riders climb the tower's stairs before dropping through its enclosed slide, which winds around the structure's central frame. Mt. Olympus has staged Fourth of July fireworks over its riverside grounds for years, drawing crowds along the Wisconsin Dells strip. In 2024, the park kept its Independence Day show on schedule even as weather forced postponements at other area resorts.

Fireworks burst above the Rise of Icarus waterslide at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park during Fourth of July celebrations in — The Rise of Icarus is a 145-foot waterslide tower at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells. Mt. Olympus stages a Fourth of July fireworks display over the ride each year, timing the show to detonate directly above the slide's structure. The park, themed around Greek mythology, combines indoor and outdoor water attractions and counts among the larger water parks in an area that markets itself as the water park capital of the world.

Fireworks burst above the Rise of Icarus waterslide tower at Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park during Fourth of July celebrations — Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells launched its Fourth of July fireworks display in 2024, just weeks after opening The Rise of Icarus waterslide. The ride's tower stands 145 feet tall, making it the tallest water slide structure in North America. Mt. Olympus opened in 1998 and has grown into one of the largest combined indoor-outdoor waterpark and theme park complexes in the country.

Blue admission wristbands for Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells displaying park name and operational restrictions. — Noah's Ark Waterpark opened in 1979 and calls itself America's largest waterpark, spread across more than 70 acres in Wisconsin Dells. These paper wristbands the day's admission credential, printed with terms limiting entry to public operating hours and excluding parking, cabanas, food and beverage, and special events. The park is part of the Wilderness Territory resort complex, which also includes indoor and outdoor lodging tied to the same admission system.

Tadpole Bay children's water play area at Noah's Ark Waterpark features ark-themed structures with animal carvings and shallow — Tadpole Bay is the children's splash area at Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, a park that bills itself as America's largest waterpark. The zero-depth zone centers on an ark-themed structure topped with carved animal figures — elephants, giraffes, gorillas — nodding to the biblical Noah's Ark story behind the park's name. Noah's Ark opened in 1979 and has since expanded to more than 70 acres of slides and pools. Tadpole Bay keeps things scaled down for younger kids, with shallow water, small slides and spray features set apart from the park's bigger thrill rides.

Colorful waterslides at Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. — Noah's Ark Waterpark opened in 1979 and has expanded into the largest waterpark in the United States, spanning roughly 70 acres. The park's slide towers rise above multi-level wooden support structures, a common design for tube and body slides that need height to generate speed and drop. Wisconsin Dells promotes itself as the "Waterpark Capital of the World," a title tied directly to the concentration of large parks like this one along the Wisconsin Dells Parkway.

Red-and-white water slides at Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. — Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells opened in 1979 and has since expanded into the largest waterpark in the United States, spanning roughly 70 acres. Its slide collection includes dozens of rides built from fiberglass, ranging from steep speed slides to looping body slides like the ones splashing down into these plunge pools. The park anchors Wisconsin Dells' identity as the self-proclaimed "Waterpark Capital of the World," a title the city has held since waterparks began multiplying along its main strip in the late 20th century.

Time Warp enclosed tube waterslide at Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. — Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells opened in 1979 and calls itself the largest waterpark in the United States, covering roughly 70 acres with dozens of slides and attractions. The park sits along Wisconsin Dells Parkway in a region that markets itself as the "Waterpark Capital of the World." Time Warp is one of the park's enclosed tube slides, sending riders through a fully covered chute rather than an open flume, a design common among thrill slides built at the park through the 1990s and 2000s.

Paradise Lagoon pool complex at Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells with waterslides and yellow play structures. — Noah's Ark Waterpark opened in 1979 along Highway 12/23 in Wisconsin Dells and has grown into the largest waterpark in the United States, spanning roughly 70 acres. Paradise Lagoon is one of its pool complexes, combining artificial rock formations with multiple slide chutes that feed into a shared pool. The park operates seasonally from Memorial Day through Labor Day and includes dozens of slides, plus wave pools and lazy rivers elsewhere on the property. Wisconsin Dells promotes itself as the "Waterpark Capital of the World," a claim built in part on attractions like Noah's Ark.

Aerial view of Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park along Wisconsin Dells Parkway with parking lot and surrounding forest. — Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park sits along U.S. Highway 12, known locally as the Wisconsin Dells Parkway, in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The complex opened in the late 1990s as a Greek mythology-themed water park and has since grown to include an outdoor water park and a lineup of wooden and steel roller coasters, among them Cyclops and Hades 360. A large wooden horse modeled after the Trojan horse marks the park's entrance along the parkway. The same stretch of road carries the Wisconsin Ducks, amphibious tour vehicles that shuttle visitors between area attractions and the Wisconsin River.

Wooden horse sculpture at Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park in Wisconsin Dells with parking lot and roller coaster visible. — Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park built its Trojan horse structure as the centerpiece of a spiral roller coaster near the park's entrance in Wisconsin Dells. The horse anchors the track for the Cyclops-themed coaster, one of several rides at the park designed around Greek mythology, alongside attractions like Zeus and Hades. Mt. Olympus sits along the Wisconsin Dells Parkway, part of a stretch of the city known for its concentration of theme parks and waterparks.

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