Holiday World & Splashin' Safari (known as Santa Claus Land prior to 1984) is a combination theme park and water park located near Interstate 64 and U.S. 231 in Santa Claus, Indiana, United States. The theme park is divided into four sections that celebrate Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July with rides, live entertainment, games, and attractions.
Holiday World contains three wooden roller coasters: The Raven, The Legend, and The Voyage, as well as Thunderbird (a Bolliger & Mabillard launched Wing Coaster) and The Howler. The safari-themed water park includes the world's two longest water coasters, Wildebeest and Guinness World Record Holder Mammoth; additionally, it contains a launched dueling water coaster named Cheetah Chase, numerous family raft rides and water slides, two wave pools, a junior-sized wave pool, two children's-sized water slide areas, a lazy river, and two family "tipping buckets".
History[]
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Themed Areas[]
Holiday World is divided into four holiday-themed sections: Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving. Each of the sections features rides, games, food and other attractions that follow the theme of that section's respective holiday. The music that plays over the loud speakers in each section is also themed to that section's respective holiday; guests will often notice the music change as they enter a different section. Splashin' Safari, which is connected to the theme park via entrances in the Halloween and Thanksgiving sections, takes the general theme of a safari.
Christmas[]
Upon entering Holiday World, guests immediately enter the Christmas section. The Christmas section is the oldest section of Holiday World, dating back to 1946. It was also the only themed area of the park until 1984. Although devoid of any major rides, there is a small sub-section called Rudolph's Reindeer Ranch which is home to several small children's rides. Notable landmarks in this section include a Santa Claus statue, a Christmas tree, a nativity scene and the Applause fountain, which was added after the park was awarded the IAAPA Applause Award in 2004. Prior to 2019, the Christmas section of the park included one of the park's two air-conditioned restaurants, Kringle's Kafé, which served standard theme park food items such as burgers, pizza, and ice cream. In 2019, it was replaced by the addition of Santa's Merry Marketplace, which expanded upon both the capacity, size, and available food of Kringle's Kafé. Since the park's opening in 1946, Santa Claus has been available daily throughout the season to chat with children.
| Ride | Added | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Comet's Rockets | 1970s | Children's rocket ride |
| Dasher's Seahorses | 1970s | Children's seahorse ride |
| Prancer's Merry-Go-Round | 1970s | Children's carousel |
| Reindeer Games | 2008 | Three-story family drop ride |
| Rudolph's Round-Up | 2011 | Children's sleigh ride |
| Dancer's Fish | 1970s | Fish-go-round (Bulgy the Whale) |
Halloween[]
The Halloween section was one of two new holidays added in 1984. Two of the three wooden roller coasters in the park are located here: The Raven and The Legend. The area also has a Goblin Burgers restaurant, which resembles a witch's house, the Frightful Falls log flume that intertwines with The Legend, and the main entrance to Splashin' Safari water park. Apart from the architecture, guests will hear the school bell from The Legend's station ringing ominously throughout the section. It introduced Kitty Claws as its mascot in 2012.
| Ride | Added | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarecrow Scrambler | 1976 | Eli Bridge Company | Classic scrambler ride |
| Frightful Falls | 1984 | Log flume | |
| The Raven | 1995 | Custom Coasters International | Wooden roller coaster themed after Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" |
| The Legend | 2000 | Custom Coasters International | Wooden roller coaster themed after Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" |
| HallowSwings | 2003 | Zamperla | Custom-made Zamperla flying carousel swing ride |
Fourth of July[]
The Fourth of July section was the second of the two holidays that were added in 1984. It introduced George the Eagle as its mascot. This area features more attractions than any of the four sections in the theme park. Landmarks in this section include the Hoosier Celebration Theater, where many live shows are performed; the Good Old Days Picnic Grove, where numerous shelter houses may be rented out for company picnics; and The Alamo restaurant, which serves traditional Mexican food. The Fourth of July section is also home to a sub-section called Holidog's FunTown, a children's play area which is completely encircled by Holidog Express. Keeping with the Fourth of July theme, there is also a monument with several American flags located right across from The Alamo restaurant in the center of the section.
| Ride | Added | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eagles Flight | 1976 | Flying Scooter |
| Rough Riders | 1976 | Bumper cars themed after former President Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders |
| Lewis & Clark Trail | 1978 | Gould Manufacturing Tin Lizzie antique car ride |
| Tippecanoes | 1988 | Children's canoe ride; originally called Indian River Canoes, but renamed to Tippecanoes in 2016 |
| Raging Rapids in Boulder Canyon | 1990 | River rapids ride |
| Liberty Launch | 2003 | Seven-story S&S Double Shot. Relocated from park in [Panama City, Florida. |
| Revolution | 2005 | Dartron Zero Gravity Round Up ride |
| Star Spangled Carousel | 2008 | Carousel |
| Holidog Express | 2013 | Ridable miniature train ride |
| Firecracker | 2017 | Restored Calypso ride; named after the park's now-defunct steel coaster that was replaced by Holidog's Funtown in 1997 |
Holidog's FunTown[]
| Ride | Added | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holidog's Treehouse | 1999 | Three-story play structure; the original was replaced with a new wheelchair accessible play structure in 2017 | |
| Just for Pups | 1999 | Smaller version of Holidog's Treehouse that is designed for small children | |
| The Howler | 1999 | Zamperla]] | Family steel roller coaster |
| Doggone Trail | 1999 | Children's jeep ride | |
| Magic Waters | 1999 | Spray park area | |
| Kitty's Tea Party | 2013 | Zamperla | Classic tea cup ride |
Thanksgiving[]
The Thanksgiving section is the newest section of the park, added in 2006 to commemorate Holiday World's 60th anniversary. The anchor attraction of this section is The Voyage which wraps around parts of the midway; guests walk under The Voyage's brake run upon entering the section through Fourth of July. In the back of the Thanksgiving section is Thunderbird, the wing coaster, and a secondary entrance to Splashin' Safari. In addition to The Voyage and Thunderbird, the Thanksgiving section includes the second of the park's two air-conditioned restaurants: Plymouth Rock Café, which serves typical Thanksgiving food such as turkey, prime rib, stuffing, green beans and bread rolls. Turkeys can often be heard "gobbling" throughout the section as sounds emanate from the Gobbler Getaway ride and Pilgrims' Challenge game.
| Ride | Added | Manufacturer | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Voyage | 2006 | The Gravity Group | Wooden roller coaster themed after the voyage the Pilgrims made to America in 1620 |
| Gobbler Getaway | 2006 | Sally Corporation | Interactive dark ride |
| Turkey Whirl | 2007 | Larson International | Turkey-themed Tilt-A-Whirl |
| Mayflower | 2014 | Chance Rides | Swinging ship themed after the Mayflower |
| Thunderbird | 2015 | Bolliger & Mabillard | A launched wing coaster themed around the legendary Thunderbird's flight |
| Crow's Nest | 2012 | Zamperla | A 65-foot (20 meter) tall vertical swing ride. Originally known as Sparkler when in the Fourth of July section. |
Splashin' Safari[]
Splashin' Safari, the water park Holiday World added in 1993, has consistently ranked among the best water parks in the United States, even being named as the #1 water park in the United States by TripAdvisor in 2011. The water park takes the general theme of a safari, with ride names featuring various animals, rivers and Swahili words. Holiday World has added onto its water park every year from 2002 to 2013. Among those additions are the world's two longest water coasters: Wildebeest and Mammoth, which are also, respectively, the fourth and second most expensive additions ever made to the park. Unlike a number of other theme parks that necessitate a separate admission fee for the water park, entry to Splashin' Safari is included with admission to Holiday World.
| Ride | Added | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wave | 1994 | Splashin' Safari | Zero-entry-depth wave pool [Maximum depth: 6ft (1.8m)] |
| Butterfly Bay | 1994 | Splashin' Safari | Smaller zero-entry-depth wave pool for children [Maximum depth: 18in (46cm)] |
| Watubee | 1996 | Splashin' Safari | Open family river rapids ride allowing up to five riders |
| Otorongo | 1997 | Splashin' Safari | Collection of three intertwining enclosed inline tube slides named "Otto", "Ron", and "Go" |
| ZOOMbabwe | 2002 | Splashin' Safari | Enclosed family river rapids ride allowing up to four riders |
| Zinga | 2003 | Splashin' Safari | Eight-story ProSlide Tornado allowing up to four riders |
| Jungle Racer | 2004 | Splashin' Safari | Five-story ProSlide ProRacer with ten lanes |
| Bahari Wave Pool | 2005 | Splashin' Safari | Zero-entry-depth wave pool [Maximum depth: 6ft (1.8m)] featuring geysers and water jets |
| Bahari River | 2006 | Splashin' Safari | Lazy river [Depth: 28in (71cm)] |
| Bakuli | 2007 | Splashin' Safari | ProSlide Behemoth Bowl allowing up to four riders |
| Kima Bay | 2008 | Splashin' Safari | WhiteWater West AquaPlay RainFortress [Average depth: 18in (46cm)] featuring seven body slides, 125 water jets and a tipping bucket containing 1,200 US gal (4,500 L) of water |
| Wildebeest | 2010 | Splashin' Safari | 1710ft long ProSlide HydroMagnetic Rocket water coaster allowing up to four riders |
| Safari Sam's SplashLand | 2011 | Splashin' Safari | Children's play area featuring an activity pool [Maximum depth: 18in (46cm)] with interactive water elements and eight open and enclosed body slides |
| Mammoth | 2012 | Splashin' Safari | 1763ft (520m) long ProSlide HydroMagnetic Mammoth water coaster allowing up to six riders |
| Tembo Falls | 2018 | Splashin' Safari | Set of eight smaller water slides designed for younger children |
| Tembo Tides | 2018 | Splashin' Safari | Small wave pool designed for younger children |
| Cheetah Chase | 2020 | Splashin’ Safari | Launched dueling water coaster |
Defunct Attractions[]
| Ride | Added | Removed | Location | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeep-Go-Round | 1947 | N/A Unknown | Christmas | Children's jeep ride; it was the first of its kind ever manufactured |
| Bungee Jump | 1992 | 1992 | Halloween | Crane-based bungee jump show; temporarily replaced the high dive show |
| Stormin' Norman's Tank Tag | 1992 | 1996 | Fourth of July | Series of miniature tanks that up to three guests could ride; replaced by The Alamo |
| Firecracker | 1981 | 1997 | Fourth of July | Pinfari Zyklon Z47 steel roller coaster; replaced by Holidog's FunTown |
| Frontier Farm | 1948 | 1999 | Fourth of July | Petting zoo with a collection of animals, including baby goats, lambs and 14 reindeer named after Santa Claus's reindeer |
| Banshee | 1986 | 2002 | Halloween | Chance Falling Star; replaced by Hallowswings |
| Hall of Famous Americans | 1950s | 2002 | Fourth of July | Wax museum with an emphasis on American Presidents and American History; replaced by Liberty Launch |
| Roundhouse | 1976 | 2004 | Fourth of July | Round Up; replaced by Revolution, a larger version of the same ride |
| Virginia Reel | 1976 | 2005 | Fourth of July | Tilt-A-Whirl; removed to make room for an additional path to the Thanksgiving section; replaced by Turkey Whirl, a new and relocated version of the same ride |
| Kids' Castle | 1992 | 2007 | Christmas | Children's soft play structure, including a slide, trampoline and ball pit; replaced by Reindeer Games |
| Deer Playground | 1992 | 2007 | Christmas | Smaller version of Kids' Castle, including a crawl-through train and small ball pit for younger children; replaced by Reindeer Games |
| Thunder Bumpers on Chesapeake Bay | 1980 | 2007 | Fourth of July | Bumper boats; replaced by Star Spangled Carousel |
| Jungle Jets | 2004 | 2010 | Splashin' Safari | Family spray area, featuring numerous water features; replaced by Safari Sam's SplashLand |
| Blitzen's Airplanes | 1970s | 2010 | Christmas | Children's airplane ride; replaced by Rudolph's Round-Up |
| Paul Revere's Midnight Ride | 1978 | 2011 | Fourth of July | Eyerly Spider; replaced by Sparkler, which switched locations with Star Spangled Carousel so that the carousel is now located in Paul Revere's Midnight Ride's old location |
| Betsy Ross Doll House | 1946 | 2011 | Fourth of July | Walk-through attraction featuring a collection of antique dolls; originally built in 1856 as the town of Santa Claus' first post office, it was converted into a doll house attraction when Santa Claus Land opened in 1946; the building was moved off-site to be a part of a local museum |
| AmaZOOM | 1993 | 2012 | Splashin' Safari | Enclosed inline tube slide allowing single riders only; removed to make room for a new Splashin' Safari entry plaza |
| Bamboo Chute | 1993 | 2012 | Splashin' Safari | Inline tube slide with both open and enclosed sections allowing both single and double riders; removed to make room for a new Splashin' Safari entry plaza |
| Congo River | 1993 | 2012 | Splashin' Safari | Lazy river; removed to make room for a new Splashin' Safari entry plaza |
| Crocodile Isle | 1993 | 2012 | Splashin' Safari | Children's play area featuring two pools connected by two body slides; removed to make room for a new Splashin' Safari entry plaza |
| The Freedom Train | 1946 | 2012 | Fourth of July | Ridable miniature train whose engine was a ¼ scale model of a Baltimore and Ohio locomotive; removed due to deterioration and replaced by Holidog Express; engine still preserved on display in the park |
| Giraffica | 2009 | 2013 | Splashin' Safari | Intamin shoot the chute ride featuring a 135ft tall open-air elevator; originally called Pilgrims Plunge (2009–2012); removed after the 2013 season due to downtime and reliability. |
| Dancer's Thunder Bumpers Junior | 1982 | 2013 | Christmas | Children's bumper boats; replaced by Salmon Run, that was originally in Fourth of July. |
| Monsoon Lagoon | 1998 | 2018 | Splashin' Safari | Interactive waterplay complex featuring four body slides and a tipping bucket containing 1,000 gal (3,800L}} of water. Removed following the 2019 season on account of its age. |
| Hyena Falls | 2013 | 2018/2019 | Splashin' Safari | Collection of four enclosed inline tube slides, the largest of which included a half-pipe element. Due to a needed safety recall and possible refurbishment, the half pipe was removed prior to the 2019 season. On behalf of its distance from the rest of Splashing Safari, the rest of the complex was quietly retired following the 2019 season. |
| Hyena Springs | 2013 | 2019 | Splashin' Safari | Children's spray pad play area, quietly removed alongside Hyena Falls. |
| Stars & Stripes Showdown | 2015 | 2015 | Fourth of July | Skyline Attractions Strike-U-Up. Operated as a four-person game or two-person ride. |
Mascots and Characters[]
Rather than sign licensed characters for the park, Holiday World has developed several mascots and characters including:
- Santa Claus– A jolly old man who is the mascot of the Christmas section.
- Holidog – A brown dog who is the mascot of Holiday World.
- Safari Sam – A green crocodile who is the mascot of Splashin' Safari.
- George the Eagle – A bald eagle wearing patriotic clothing who is the mascot of the Fourth of July section.
- Kitty Claws – A black cat wearing a Halloween-themed tutu, ballet shoes, a bow, and a mini masquerade mask who is the mascot of the Halloween section. Introduced in 2012.
Entertainment[]
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari offers a variety of live entertainment, including singing, dancing and diving. All shows are performed at least six days per week when the park is in daily operation.
- Santa's Storytime Theater – This is a theater where children are invited to sit with Santa Claus on stage as he reads a story and sings Christmas songs. During hot weather, Santa appears in the air-conditioned fudge and coffee shop Mrs. Klaus' Kitchen.
- Holiday Theater – This is an indoor theater that is no longer used for shows during the summer hours. During Happy Halloween Weekends, the theater hosts Holidog's 3D Adventure Maze.
- Dive! – Located at the High Dive Theater, "Dive!" is a daily show where divers perform numerous dives detailing the history of diving. Divers dive from various heights, including one from a perch 80 feet (24 m) high into 10 feet (3.0 m) of water. In another portion of the show, a diver nicknamed "Hot Stuff" lights themselves on fire before dancing to the song "Hot Stuff" and diving into the water.
- Hoosier Celebration Theater – This theater is an outdoor theater where a number of live shows are performed daily. Shows performed at this theater include Mysterio: Magic Rocks the Night.
- Holidog's All-Star Theater – This is a theater located inside of Holidog's FunTown where the show "Holidog's Crazy Science" is performed. The show is geared toward children and features Holidog, Safari Sam, and Kitty Claws (See: Mascots and Characters) singing and dancing to a variety of songs.
Special Events[]
- Weddings: – Through the years, Holiday World has been the host of several weddings. Couples have been married on the defunct Bungee Jump, in The Wave wave pool, and in a hot air balloon tethered at the park. In 1995, a dozen couples, who completely filled the ride, were simultaneously married on The Raven. A couple was also married atop the lift hill of The Voyage by an Elvis impersonator in 2008.
- Golden Ticket Awards: – Since 1998, Amusement Today magazine has brought dozens of amusement park industry leaders together to honor the best of the best at an annual event called the Golden Ticket Awards. Holiday World has hosted this event three times. Holiday World & Splashin' Safari was the first ever park to host the event in 2000. Holiday World also hosted the awards in 2006 and 2011. The awards ceremony has been hosted in Holiday Theater in the Christmas section.
- Play Day: – Every year since 1993, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari has hosted thousands of children with mental and physical disabilities for an event called "Play Day". Play Day is for invited guests of the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center of Southwestern Indiana. The admission price for Play Day is $9, with all proceeds being donated to the Easter Seals. As of 2011, Holiday World has raised over $257,000 for the Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center.
- Walk to Cure Diabetes: – Every year since 2006, Holiday World has hosted thousands of walkers for the "Holiday World Walk to Cure Diabetes", which is a walk to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). To raise money, Holiday World donates tickets to walkers who have raised money for JDRF. As of 2011, over $1.7 million has been raised for JDRF with the help of Holiday World.
- HoliWood Nights: – HoliWood Nights is an event held for card-carrying members of recognized amusement park-related clubs and their registered guests. The event features exclusive ride time (ERT) on the park's three wooden roller coasters, plus a select few other rides, both before park opening and after park closing. The event, which was first known as Stark Raven Mad, was temporarily discontinued in 2003 following a death during the event (See: Incidents). In 2006, the event returned after being renamed HoliWood Nights. The park embraces HoliWood's pun on Hollywood by naming each year's event as a play on the title of a movie. The theme of the 2013 event is "Dig", which is a play on the 1988 movie Big.
- Rock the World: – Since 2012, Holiday World has hosted a Christian music festival called Rock the World on a select Saturday in August. Throughout the day, regional contemporary Christian bands perform in the Hoosier Celebration Theater. Once the park closes for the day, a main stage area opens to those with concert tickets. The main stage features a number of nationally known Christian artists and bands who perform well past normal closing hours. (The main stage acts in 2012 were Jeremy Camp, Tenth Avenue North, BarlowGirl and Hearts of Saints).
- Happy Halloween Weekends: – Since 2012, Holiday World has remained open in October to hold an event called Happy Halloween Weekends. For the last two weekends in September plus the four weekends in October, the park holds family-friendly, Halloween-themed activities. Some of these seasonal attractions include two corn mazes, hayrides, a 3-D walk-through attraction similar to a family-friendly haunted house and a family activity area geared towards children located in the Good Ol' Days Picnic Grove. The park transforms itself into a solely Halloween-themed park, with Halloween decorations, Halloween-themed shows and special Halloween-themed food items. These attractions are hosted in addition to the park's normal offerings of rides, games and food.
Awards[]
In 2004, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari was presented the Applause Award. To receive this honor, a park must show "foresight, originality and creativity, plus sound business development and profitability." With an attendance of 883,000 that year, Holiday World was the smallest park to ever receive the award. The park celebrated by installing a large replica of the award's trophy as well as commemorative plaques naming other recipients of the award as part of a fountain in the Christmas section.
Holiday World & Splashin' Safari has also received numerous Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented by Amusement Today magazine to the best of the best in the amusement park industry. At 51, Holiday World has received more Golden Ticket Awards than any other amusement park in the world, as of 2016.
| Golden Ticket Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | Year | Recipient |
| Friendliest Park | 1998–2008, 2010–2011 | Entire Park |
| Cleanest Park | 2000–2018 | Entire Park |
| Best Wooden Roller Coaster | 2000–2003 | The Raven |
| Best Wooden Roller Coaster | 2007–2011 | The Voyage |
| Best New Ride | 2006 | The Voyage |
| Best New Waterpark Ride | 2006 | Bahari River |
| Best New Waterpark Ride | 2007 | Bakuli |
| Best New Waterpark Ride | 2010 | Wildebeest |
| Best New Waterpark Ride | 2012 | Mammoth |
| Best Waterpark Ride | 2003 | Zinga |
| Best Waterpark Ride | 2010–2019 | Wildebeest |
| Publisher's Pick: Park of the Year | 2004 | Entire Park |
| Publisher's Pick: Legends Series | 2010 | Will Koch |
Incidents[]
The Raven[]
- On May 31, 2003, a 32-year-old female from New York City, died after falling out of The Raven roller coaster. The victim was visiting the park to attend "Stark Raven Mad 2003", an event hosting roller coaster enthusiasts from around the country. At approximately 8:00 pm, the victim and her fiancé boarded The Raven in the last row of the train. Following a safety check of her lap bar and seat belt by a ride operator, the train left the station. Multiple witnesses reported that they saw her "virtually standing up" during the ride's initial and subsequent drops. During the ride's 69 feet (21 m) drop, also called the fifth drop, she was ejected from the car and onto the tracks. When the train returned to the station, the victim's fiancé, ride operators and a passenger who was a doctor ran back along the tracks, at which point they found her lying under the structure of the roller coaster at the fifth drop. The doctor, aided by park medical personnel, began CPR until an ambulance arrived. The victim was pronounced dead en route to the hospital.
An investigation following the accident showed that the safety restraints were working properly and that there were no mechanical deficiencies on the roller coaster. Additionally, the victim's seatbelt was found undone when the train returned to the station. A subsequent 2005 lawsuit filed by the family against Holiday World and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the manufacturer of the coaster train, was settled out of court in 2007. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Lawnmowing Accident[]
- On May 27, 2006, a 20-year-old male park employee from Birdseye, Indiana died after being pinned under the lawn mower he was using. The man was a supervisor for the park's grounds department. The employee was working alone, mowing an area with some inclines outside the east side of the park when the incident occurred, though the park refused to speculate on exactly what might have happened. The man was found by another employee, who was then able to help lift the lawn mower off the victim with the help of other employees. Park emergency medical technicians and Spencer County EMS summoned a medical helicopter from St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Center in Evansville, Indiana, but the employee was pronounced dead before it arrived.
The Wave[]
- On July 4, 2007, at 11:00 a.m., a 29-year-old female from Fort Wayne, Indiana died after collapsing near the edge of The Wave, falling face-down into two inches of water. Lifeguards immediately responded and pulled her out, then attempted to revive her with help from park medical personnel. Resuscitation attempts continued as the victim was transported by ambulance to Jasper Memorial Hospital, where she died. An autopsy determined the cause of death to be congestive heart failure.
Bahari River[]
- On June 20, 2009, a filter pump on Bahari River malfunctioned, sending twenty-four guests and employees to the hospital. At 6:25 pm, the pump, which was turned off at the time, was turned back on. The pump surged, forcing a stronger than usual concentration of liquid bleach and hydrochloric acid into the water. Twenty-four people, including park staff and medical personnel, complained of troubled breathing and nausea. They were given oxygen at the park before being transported to Jasper Memorial Hospital for treatment. All were treated and released that evening. It was later determined that an interlock system designed to prevent chemical feeders from pumping chemicals into the water when the pump was turned off had malfunctioned.
Bomb Scare[]
- On June 30, 2016, a suspicious unattended backpack was found, causing an evacuation of the entire park.