WHAT TO DO BEFOREHAND

Purchase your tickets in advance. This will save you time and money. Valleyfair offers discounted tickets online throughout the season. Visit their website for the best deals.  

Valleyfair utilizes cashless payments throughout the park. Guests can use credit or debit cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Cash-to-card kiosks that convert cash into prepaid debit cards are available without fees throughout the park. 

Visit Valleyfair’s website to plan your day. View the park’s map to locate the attractions you want to do, view live entertainment showtimes, find food and drink options, check height restrictions and other safety information and more.    

To avoid long lines, consider their Fast Lane ticket to bypass the regular lines on select rides and attractions. This pass is offered at a daily rate or season pass level. Photo Pass packages provide unlimited electronic photos for front gate and ride photos. You can rent a private cabana, purchase a dining plan or rent a locker, wheelchair, or stroller in advance. 

Pack weather-appropriate clothing, a water bottle, sunscreen, and other necessary items. If you plan on doing any water rides, bring a change of clothes and a plastic Ziploc bag for your smartphone. Valleyfair offers a limited number of lockers to rent throughout the park. Wagons and strollers are allowed, and they offer a limited number of wheelchairs, electronic wheelchairs, and strollers to rent.  

Download the free Valleyfair app to help you navigate your day. You can store passes and tickets or load your credit card for in-park purchases. You can also view showtimes and attraction wait times, get directions, and mark your parking spot. 

Pro Tip: Research attractions on Valleyfair’s website to view height requirements and thrill levels or watch ride experience videos. This is especially helpful for first-time visits, parkgoers who get motion sickness and young children.   

GETTING THERE

You must pay to park at Valleyfair. However, there is no charge to drop someone off or pick them up from the park. Reentry is permitted into the parking lot by presenting your original parking ticket or Season Pass. There are many nearby hotels in Shakopee and the surrounding area for guests who may want to stay close to the action. 

Pro Tip: Preferred Parking is available near the admission gate. Only 100 spots are available daily, and they are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. 

MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS

Thrill-seekers shouldn't miss Wild Thing; Valleyfair’s most iconic lime green coaster reaches up to 74 miles per hour. Take a ride on a classic wooden rollercoaster, such as the High Roller, an opening-day attraction or Renegade, which uses modern coaster technology. For a real adrenaline rush, ride on the Power Tower, where you can shoot up to 240 feet in the air or drop 250 feet at speeds faster than a free fall. Steel Venom brings riders to 68 miles per hour in less than four seconds with spiral and vertical-shaped tracks.  

Rise to new heights on the North Star, which spins riders more than 20 stories above the ground or try the Xtreme Swing, which rocks riders forward and backward up to 125 feet in the air.  You can also find amusement park classics like the Tilter, Scrambler, bumper cars, carousel, and a Ferris Wheel.  

Cool off at The Wave, where you will plunge 50 feet at 40 miles an hour, or Thunder Canyon, where you will ride through rapids on a family-size raft, encountering rocks, rapids, and waterfalls.  

Children and families will enjoy Peanuts-themed attractions at Planet Snoopy, including the Kite Eating Tree, Linus’ Beetle Bugs, Lucy’s Tugboat, Sally’s Swing Set, Snoopy vs. Red Baron, Woodstock Whirlybirds, and more. 

Pack your swimsuit for Soak City Waterpark, where you can float along Ripple Rapids, the 1,280-foot lazy river that meanders through the park, the Barefoot Beach splash pad, the Breakers Bay wave pool, or take a ride on the many waterslides.  

Pro Tip: Hit the most popular rides early or late in the day to avoid the crowds. When you arrive, head to the back of the park and experience those attractions before making your way to the front of the park.  

EATING & DRINKING

Spending a day at Valleyfair or Soak City Waterpark can work up an appetite. Find fair favorites like cotton candy, ice cream, fresh French fries, funnel cakes, and more. You can also find beloved chains like Auntie Anne’s, Caribou Coffee, Cinnabon, Dippin’ Dots, and Panda Express scattered throughout the park. 

Heartier fare can be found at the Lucky Loon Kitchen, Beach Bites, Señor Vargas, Coasters, Renegade Smokehouse, and more. Daily or seasonal dining plans may be purchased online in advance or in-park. Souvenir bottles, drink wristbands, or drink plans are also available. 

Pro Tip: Outside food and drinks are not allowed. Valleyfair allows guests to bring in one factory-sealed bottle of water or an empty water bottle per person. Refilling stations are located throughout the park.   

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Valleyfair offers more than just rides, it offers live entertainment for every age group. Find kid-friendly shows at the PEANUTS Showplace, live music in the water park, a Loon Landing stage, and more. 

Valleyfair hosts various special events throughout the year, including ValleySCARE, Tricks and Treats, Latin Days, Corn Fest, and more.  

Pro Tip: Download the free Valleyfair app to see the full entertainment schedule and what’s playing near you in the park. 

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