Published: August 11, 2008 12:11 pm            

Holiday World and Six Flags offer family entertainment in theme park setting

By KANDACE MCCOY

kandace.mccoy@register-news.com

Theme parks are popular as summer vacation trips, but as gas prices continue to remain unsteady, some families may seek a closer venue to keep costs down and maintain household budgets.

Holiday World, in Santa Claus, Ind., and approximately two hours east of Mt. Vernon, offers a wide variety of rides, slides and water park activities with families in mind.

“We decided many years ago to be all about family,” says Paula Werne, director of public relations for the park. “Our mission is families —that is our focus and how we look at everything.”

Celebrating its 62nd year, Holiday World first opened Aug. 3, 1946, as Santa Claus Land when Evansville, Ind., native and industrialist Louis J. Koch created the theme park. His concern at the time was that many children were visiting the tiny town of Santa Claus, Ind., and disappointed to discover the jolly man wasn’t there.

Having nine children of his own who enjoyed holidays and celebrations, Koch created a theme park which not only included Santa Claus, but also a toy shop, toy displays, themed children’s rides and a restaurant.

Koch’s son Bill returned from World War II and married “Santa’s daughter,” Patricia Yellig. The couple remained active in the family business, with their eldest son Will, now the president and general manager.

“It’s kinda neat because we are owned and operated by the same family who started [Santa Claus Land],” Werne added. “Will Koch is a third generation owner.”

Through the years, Santa Claus Land “flourished,” information states, with children coming from across the country to visit Santa and express their Christmas wishes. Some guests even included Ronald Reagan, who visited the park in 1955.

As the park expanded, the Koch family recognized other themed possibilities for Santa Claus Land. In 1984, the park then added Halloween and Fourth of July sections, changing the park’s name to Holiday World.

With the addition of larger rides and Splashin’ Safari Water Park, Holiday World features 100 acres of rides, shows, games and attractions, with Splashin’ Safari Water Park offering 23 acres, featuring two wave pools and other numerous water rides and interactive family-waterplay complexes.

In 2000, Holiday World became the first theme park “in the world” to provide free, unlimited soft drinks. Now they also offer free sunscreen and free use of inner tubes.

The park, which opens to the public in May, runs its season through October. More information on Holiday World, its policies, hours of operation, ticket prices and amenities in the surrounding area can be found at its Web site at www.holidayworld.com or by calling 877-463-2645.

West of Mt. Vernon, just over a two hours’ drive, is Six Flags St. Louis, which is located 30 miles west of downtown St. Louis. Six Flags offers a variety of ticket combinations, information from its Web site states, as well as special events throughout the season.

Park maps are available at the theme park, as well as online. As with Holiday World, Six Flags also has a limited number of strollers, wheelchairs and electronic convenience vehicles available to rent.

The park offers various activities — a total of 33 rides in the theme park, eight water rides in Hurricane Harbor Water Park and four attractions, including Dragon's Wing, Sling Shot, Turbo Bungy and Speed-O-Drome Thrill Carts. In 2008, a new wooden roller coaster was added, the Evel Knievel. This is the third wooden roller coaster for Six Flags St. Louis, and is a 2,700-foot ride, with an 80-foot first drop. Evel Knievel stands 82-foot tall and travels 50 mph, information from the park states, and boasts of two 24-passenger trains.

The ride is modeled after Evel Knievel, who began his daredevil career in 1965 and earned the name of “America’s Legendary Daredevil” over the next 12 years for his heroic and death-defying feats.

The Evel Knievel ride was scheduled to open mid-summer and will be located in the front of the park near the Log Flume and the Moon Antique Cars. Other additional rides and attractions added in recent years include, Tony Hawk's Big Spin in 2007; the introduction of Bugs Bunny National Park and Superman Tower Of Power in 2006; and in 2005, Tornado, in the Hurricane Harbor.

For more information on Six Flags and tickets you may call the park at (636) 938-4800 or by visiting the park’s Web site at www.sixflags.com. A flash player is required to view the site.

        

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