News: Holiday World celebrates 60 years of family fun

Posted at 11:44 AM EDT (1544 GMT)

Aug. 2nd, 2006 -- On August 3 Holiday World will celebrate their 60th birthday.  In this press release the park gives us an inside look into the past and present of this much beloved park.

Via Press Release:

The history of the nation's first theme park is the story of a family which has, for three generations, dedicated itself to providing millions of guests with good, old-fashioned family fun.

Evansville, Indiana, industrialist Louis J. Koch created the nation's first theme park as a retirement project. He was troubled that the tiny hamlet of Santa Claus, Ind., was visited by children who were ultimately disappointed when they found out Santa was not there. With nine children of his own, Koch loved children, holidays and celebrations.

Koch originally planned to open his park earlier in the 1940s, but World War II forced him to wait until 1946. Santa Claus Land originally contained a toy shop, toy displays, themed children's rides, a restaurant, and, of course, Santa.

When Koch's son Bill returned from the war, he was curious to see what his father was up to. After overcoming doubts about the park's viability, Bill soon became the head of Santa Claus Land. In 1960, Bill married "Santa's daughter," Patricia Yellig; he remained active in the family business until his death in 2001. Bill and Pat had five children; the eldest, Will, is the president and general manager of Holiday World & Splashin' Safari.

Over the decades, Santa Claus Land grew and flourished. Children from throughout the country came to sit on the real Santa's knee and talk glowingly about their Christmas wishes. Guests included Ronald Reagan, who stopped by in 1955.

As the park expanded, the Koch family knew that Christmas was not the only theming possibility for the park. In 1984, Santa Claus Land grew to include Halloween and 4th of July sections, and the park's name was changed to Holiday World. Larger rides were added; in all, Holiday World features 100 acres of rides, shows, games, and attractions.

In 1993, Splashin' Safari Water Park was added; it now includes 22 acres and features two wave pools, two action rivers, family raft rides, numerous water slides, plus several interactive family-waterplay complexes. The park also offers free sunscreen and free use of inner tubes.

Holiday World introduced The Raven wooden roller coaster in 1995. Located in the Halloween section, The Raven doesn't break any height or speed records, yet has been voted one of the world's top wooden coasters each year since it opened. The Legend wooden roller coaster, added in 2000, has been voted a top-ten wooden coaster ever since. The same year, Holiday World became the first park in the world to provide free, unlimited soft drinks.

In 2004, Holiday World joined Splashin' Safari in becoming a non-smoking venue. That year, the readers of Amusement Today voted the parks the World's Friendliest Park for the seventh year in a row and the World's Cleanest Park for the fifth consecutive year. In addition, the highly-coveted international Applause Award was presented to Holiday World & Splashin' Safari, the smallest park to ever receive the award, which honors "foresight, originality and creativity, plus sound business development and profitability."

For 2005, Bahari (Swahili for "immense sea") wave pool is the first phase of a water-park expansion project that will eventually double the size of Splashin' Safari. The readers of Amusement Today voted the parks the World's Friendliest Park for the eighth year in a row and the World's Cleanest Park for the sixth consecutive year in '05.

In 2006, the park celebrates its 60th Anniversary Season with the addition of a new holiday. The Thanksgiving section includes a recording-breaking new wooden coaster, The Voyage; plus Gobbler Getaway, an interactive turkey-themed dark ride; the new Bahari River in Splashin' Safari, and more.

Throughout its existence, Holiday World has set high standards for the theme park industry, with a steadfast adherence to the values established in the company's cornerstones: safety, service, cleanliness and friendliness.

For more information please visit Holiday World.