Fall is still a great time to check out the area’s amusement and thrill parks; check out Holiday World, Kentucky Kingdom, and King’s Island on weekends throughout September and October. There are lots of fall festivals and the weekends in autumn are generally packed with all kinds of entertainment for the season, as well as events centered around Halloween. Head to the parks for some thrills and spills while they are more than likely a whole lot less crowded.
Holiday World
Holiday World’s theme for this autumn is “not so scary” as they introduce their Happy Halloween Weekends to the public. The park is located in Santa Claus, Indiana and has a holiday/Christmas-y feel to it all season long, but in autumn, the four holiday-themed sections of the park will transform into a Halloween lovers delight. The Happy Halloween theme will run on Saturdays and Sundays starting this weekend, September 20 and 21 and running through October 26. According to the park’s president, Matt Eckert, “Holiday World is all about family fun and making memories – even during the Halloween season. We’re not about horror – the only screams will be on our roller coasters! Starting this weekend, we’ll have hay rides, corn mazes, Halloween-themed shows, special activities for children and more.” The rides will all be open (with the exception of Splashin’ Safari which has closed for the season) and the park will also offer the following:
- · New: Carnival Chaos walk-through maze with mirrors, clowns, and side-show startles
- · Graveyard Smash – today’s hits, spookified by zombie singers and dancers; zombies gather from ‘ghost to ghost’ to perform in ‘graveyard smash’-it’s sure to be a hit with everyone. It premiers this weekend.
- · Holidog’s 3D Halloween Adventure – a non-haunted house with colorful 3D features
- · 12-acre corn maze – hayrides to a huge corn maze (plus a junior maze for smaller children)
- · Halloween Magic Show with Don Baggett
- · Kitty Claws’ Dance Party
- · Mummy’s Treasure Maze
- · Gourdon the talking pumpkin
- · Halloween Laser Light Show on Saturdays
- · Children’s Halloween activities, including a pumpkin patch and trick or treating
Visitors to the park are welcome to wear their family-friendly Halloween costumes (no masks, please). For more information about Happy Halloween Weekends and to purchase discounted tickets for $24.95 each, visit HolidayWorld.com or call 1-877-463-2645. Remember that Holiday World is on Central Time.
Kentucky Kingdom
At Kentucky Kingdom, park goers can still enter the park during the weekends in September. They are open on the following days: September 20, 21, 27, and 28 from 11am-7pm. Hurricane Bay is still open on the same days, from 11am-6pm. Get over there soon if you want to take advantage of their fall hours as they only run for two more weekends.
King’s Island
King’s Island is now open for the remainder of the fall season on the following weekends:
September 19-21
September 26-28
October 3-5
October 10-12
October 17-19
October 24-26
October 31-Nov 2
Click here for exact hours as they change each day of the weekend. During the fall, the park hosts a Halloween Haunt, which looks screamingly terrifying. If you love horror, this is for you. The ticket price is $29.99. See more information here. Putting the “Wee” in family fun, King’s Island hosts Snoopy’s Halloween Party during the daytime hours on weekends, from September 20 to October 26. They fill the park with rides, a petting zoo, trick-or-treating along the way, and present a costume contest. See more here; the ticket price is $37.99 online.
You can also check out these area family parks and other attractions for more fun this autumn:
Big Splash Adventure Indoor Waterpark & Resort
Coney Island Park’s Fall-o-Ween Festival
Photos courtesy of the websites of Holiday World, King’s Island, and Coney Island Park
