I love this park my memories here are priceless really clean nice staff perfect they are also very helpful and very good at there job thank you adventure land best amusement park in iowa read more

Everything, this was and will be the best amusement park in the entire world. Everyone was so nice, fast and clean. I would recommend to anyone read more

The rides are fun but the food is terrible. The food is falsely advertised, and really is just terrible. WAY too expensive and honestly a total rip off. Do not recommend. read more

Adventureland Park - False advertising - Amusement Parks Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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Spent the entire day at Adventureland just outside Des Moines -- and it totally delivered that classic, all-American amusement park experience we love. It reminded us so much of Kennywood (turns out they share the same ownership), and had that same mix of charm, rides, and family-friendly fun. Our kids were obsessed. The arcade was a huge hit, and they couldn't get enough of the Train, the carousel, the parachutes, and the hilariously named Shakin' Bacon ride -- which had them cracking up every time. It's the kind of park that feels timeless in the best way -- big enough to spend a full day, but easy to navigate with young kids. Clean, well-run, and packed with sweet nostalgia. If you're road-tripping through Iowa, this is a must-stop for families. Classic rides, big laughs, and pure summer magic. read more

Great little park with some fun ride options. The Monster was definitely the best roller coaster there by far. The wooden coasters were also a lot of fun! Food options were just ok and nothing great. Lines were very reasonable- I think the longest we had to wait at any point was 30 mins. Some of the ride lines could use some shade though esp the Phoenix, it was rough standing in the direct sun. read more

Adventureland Park - The Monster - Amusement Parks Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

I had been going here for years and years growing up, but recently came back for the first time in a while. We had so much fun checking out the new rides and seeing what had been updated over the years. I loved the new phoenix, dragon slayer, and monster. I could tell they tuned up the tornado and outlaw- smoother than they were at one point. It seems the new owners have really put forth effort into cleaning up the place, painting, adding landscape, and a focus on safety. Our lunch stop was the Iowa BBQ spot and we got a tonnn of food from it, even though one gal was running it solo. Overall, a great day spent reminiscing the old and enjoying the new! read more

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I believe I was last at Adventureland in 2008. If you ever remember going into a Kmart in the 2010s, you might have noticed some of the signage was replaced, but other parts of the store came straight out of the 1980s. That is the story with Adventureland today. I do appreciate the homage they gave to the past with old parts of rides hanging around the park and signage showing what rides were formerly in certain spots. That's pretty cool. However, the park seems very dated in other aspects--you can tell things such as the ladybugs simply received a fresh coat of paint. Service was friendly, most of the ride attendants seemed to take their jobs very seriously. They would also say hi to the kiddos riding the ride. The assistant to the magician was very friendly and said hi to the two toddlers with us. She nicely offered to take a picture as well, but the kiddos ran off. I don't remember any negative interactions with vendors, etc. either, all seemed polite as well. So whatever customer service training is going on down there is quite effective. The posted timers outside rides showing the current queue time are not accurate. The one outside the Underground said 25 minutes, so we elected to line up. We waited closer to 45 minutes. Considering the ride itself, this was not worth it and a waste of time. It seemed in the past there were entertainers that would stroll the park and more of a festive atmosphere. The park seems very quiet outside of the River City area. The game stands were pared down to only a few. It seems there are many spaces in the park where things have been taken out and replaced with nothing. The pricing on things is annoying--most places like this, bars, etc. have services, food, games, etc. be tax inclusive. Adventureland doesn't bake tax into the price of things. $21 for parking is ridiculous. With that in mind, closing the park down at 7PM on a summer weeknight is pathetic. IIRC, not so long ago, the park would be open until 9PM on weeknights and 10PM on weekends once summer hit. The park looked very nice with all the rides lit up. I do not recommend the "Wok'n and Roll'n" food stand. Took forever and it is basically Sam's Club level frozen food heated up. My friend did not like her meal either. I ate mine, but the orange sauce saturated the rice. read more

We got a pass and went every Friday all summer this year. Our four year old had an amazing time riding every ride he could at 42 inches tall (which was a lot of them!) Although he was bummed he could not ride the big water slides. Food wise the best deal in the park is thr ice cream when you first walk in. The scoops are MASSIVE. The popcorn tastes like garbage super stale. The donuts and cookies are OK but not worth paying for a bucket. The chicken stand is the best we had overall. The fries were chewy and stale from the fry booth. The turkey leg at thr BBQ place was terrible very stringy. The turkey corn dog bites by the swim area were very good and we ordered it a few times. The pizza boats are pretty serviceable also. My main pro tip is come in your swim wear because the swim area changing rooms are the most disgusting place I have ever been. read more

Adventureland Park - The ice cream spot is worth it! Giant scoops and great ice cream. - Amusement Parks Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

So much of this park is excellent, but they MAKE YOU REMOVE GLASSES FOR ALL RIDES. It's such a bad rule that it's almost comical, and it doesn't match the rule as written on their website. This new (and seemingly unwritten) rule is that you can only wear glasses with a strap, but the gift shops don't even have straps to sell? We were prepared to buy $100 worth of glasses straps so the family could enjoy rides, but there was nothing to buy. I would understand this rule for the thrill coasters, but it applies to the family-friendly rides as well. read more

There is so much nostalgia here for me as a 90's kid and I was so excited to be able to bring my daughter to Adventureland! I think small kids definitely have the upper hand here as they have a multitude of rides that start at 36" for their height requirement. My toddler had a blast going on her first rides here and talks about it frequently! The day we went was VERY hot but we still had a great time and there are lots of shaded areas to take advantage of throughout the park. I found the food to be just a hair pricey but everything we ate was served hot and had great flavor (chicken strips, fries, and cheese curds). My big bugaboo was that in addition to our admission, they charged $26 for parking. It seemed a little overkill but we were able to get some discounts because we purchased our tickets online so it evened out. Overall, this was a great first theme park for my toddler and I thought they had a great variety of rides for her! read more

Adventureland Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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This was the first time we've been to this theme park, and it did not disappoint. For us living near Omaha this theme park is very close and reasonably priced I think. We had a group of 15 so we took advantage of the discounted tickets. We visited on a Monday and there was hardly anyone there. We were able to walk around and minimally wait in line for rides and food. We enjoyed most of the rides, but I will admit food was very pricey. My son ordered a chicken strip basket with a bottled water that was nearly $30! Food prices aside the park appeared to be clean, but it could use a little TLC in some aspects. The last half of the day was spent at the waterpark which all the boys had a blast at. Overall, well worth the hundred bucks for a full day of rides and water. read more

This place was super fun for me and my kids. For starters, the end of summer sale is hard to beat ($40/person), especially since the water park is included. For another, there are a good number of rides. Saw Mill Splash was my personal favorite. Meanwhile, and not surprisingly, the water slides and lazy river were a major hit with my kids. The only disappointment was the Underground. I can't believe I waited in line 50 minutes for an "indoor rollercoaster" without a single drop. TBH, I prefer tame rides over thrills, but this one was so tame, I could've fallen asleep. Big miss. read more

Great old school charm and lots of modern rides for the youngsters. Seemed well maintained and clean. read more

I got the scare of my life today when I could not find my grandson in the wave pool. I called out to the lifeguards thinking they would help. Not true! I found out it isn't their job to watch our children, even if you suspect they maybe under water possibility drowning. They won't stop the waves or will they help. I was told I had to find a security person. If you think they are there to help think again. Your child would have to drown before they would get involved. I did find him after other parents helped outside the pool. read more

I think that all the one star reviews are lies because I went when I was 10 I went on my my 12 year old brother nobody said nothing.The Outlaw is the best ride in the park in my opinie read more

This establishment was an excellent source for me and my fellas. The rides were exhilarating and exciting, it was a thrill to be there and much worth my time. read more

Where do I begin!? This place was a favorite childhood experience for several years. My family and I went year after year from when I was around 9 to about age 17. So, now as an adult with a child of my own, I have maintained that tradition for around 4 or 5 years. But I won't anymore. Adventureland has really gone down hill. The prices are extremely expensive and it makes Universal and Disney seem cheap. Literally, the prices there are lower for every item. Adventureland is charging $14 for a hot dog... and they used to do a souvenir cup for an already outrageous $25, but included free refills. Now it's $35 and $4 refills. The games are also very expensive. And down right robbery. There are a few games I'm pretty sure you can't win. And I'd love to have them show you can to prove it. Might be a class action law suit no joke. Don't try the bucket ball game. The revamped mine ride is horrible. One of my favorites as a child. Now it's straight up boring. The season pass tickets state you get to try the new light up water ride. It's not a new ride. It's the same one they have had for years, but with freshly slapped LED strips. I also was rudely told to go back to my car to drop off my vape. I was vaping in the parking lot, not in the park. Then they thoroughly checked my bag for about 15 minutes after I went back to my car. They confiscated my bag of pretzels that was unopened. It's a snack but the staff member said it's too big to be considered that. Basically a way to ensure they make me buy food there. This park just feels not fun anymore. It's more about the $ and less about family fun. No one seemed happy to work there. Maybe the guy running the tornado that was screaming tornado over and over again. I just don't see it getting better or making sure it's fun and affordable. Goodbye Adventureland. Don't waste your money on season passes. I doubt you will want to go again. Oh and they won't give you your discounts either as promised. Wow. read more

So, I haven't been to Adventureland since I was a kid. We are talking like over... 20 years... ago. Eek, does that age me. That being said, the park itself has really aged well. Main Street was cute and obviously recently repainted. While the Silly Silo is no more (RIP) there are some other really great additions. A handful of kiddie rides were added in 2022-- additionally, the Dragon Slayer (added in 2021) truly did not disappoint. Adventureland is the largest amusement park in Iowa with 50 rides including 24 water rides and five roller coasters. It also includes dozens of shows, games, and other attractions. The Magic Show is worth stopping in for -- it's a great excuse to get out of the sun and rest kiddos' legs. The parking situation is a hot mess. The park opens at 10 a.m. It is good to get there right when it opens since it gets busier later in the day. We got there shortly after 10 and it literally took almost 45 minutes just to get to the gate and show our pre-payed parking. (We went to Disney World earlier this year-- and the parking situation was FAR less frustrating.) Pricing is a bit steep. We had a corporate discount so we got in for under $40 a ticket which seemed very reasonable but $60 a ticket? Not sure about that. Overall, Adventureland is worth the trip. They have something for everyone and the lines really aren't bad at all. And while we did not do Adventure Bay-- I will definitely try it next time! (I hear you should go get chairs there first as it fills up quickly.) read more

For the size of the Des Moines Metro area, the quality of the rides and attractions and having a waterpark to boot I feel as though we are fortunate to have an amusement park. Prices can be high for those patrons unfortunate enough to live not so close [to justify a season pass but for those that get the season passes (especially the food and parking upgrades) it makes it very worth the cost. My son is special needs and because of his condition he is able to go on most of the rides with the EZ Pass. Since we only live about 30 minutes from park; if he is having a bad day we can just pack up and go home and come back another day. He loves the park and going there with him, seeing his laugh, smile and saying again, daddy, makes it all the worth while The blessings it gives to him and the joy on his face is priceless. The park staff may not all know us by name but they know his face and they're always so helpful and accommodating of his special needs. This will be our third season with the passes and we will continue to enjoy our time over at Adventureland this year and many more. read more

Ok so there's the mouse your local county fair and the place with flags what do you get when you mix them all together? You get this park! This park was very strange but very cool kinda unique and kinda stolen kinda a county fair and yeah but it's all good as it makes for a really cool experience! Straight up the front entrance I grew up in Orange County California so I've been to the Mouse many times and this is basically an exact copy of it all the way down Main Street USA while it's not the Mouse quality it's definitely a good rip off of it! This park really hit it for me as I just loved my time here the park is a really good size with things to do all over as well as a water park in the back of it throw that in with a mix of some awesome and unique coasters you've got a hell of a good time! Of the coasters it was all about Monster their Gerstlauer Infinity Coaster this thing was truly a monster as it was by far one of the best Gerstlauer's I've ever ridden from the hang time to the inversions to the beyond vertical drop to the launch this coaster packed it all from start to finish so much so I was able to snag 6 rides on it making for just an amazing time! Not to let the Monster steal the show from their newest Dragon Slayer an S&S free spin which is the only one in the United States that is at an independent park as those are always fun to ride too! This park also has a few wooden coasters too of them my favorite being Tornado with it's great air time and the buzz bars make for an awesome ride from start to finish! Besides coasters this park has a ton of flat rides and games as well as just about something for anyone of all ages to enjoy! Overall this park was awesome I had a really good time here it is definitely a hidden gem amongst parks that most might overlook as there's a lot going on here it's with that I hope this park continues to grow and I know forshures that I will get back here again at some point as to when it's only a Monster of a guess! read more

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This is an oldie and a lot of people's favorites. So the parking is now at a whopping is expensive anymore. Then you add that to a ticket price and it's pretty pricey. Once your in its nice and not to packed due to the addition of the water park. It's a great mix of old and new rides. The food is pretty decently priced compared to other parks I've been to. I will say I've gotten food poisoning a few times so check your food/serving area before eating. I recommend getting a walking taco and some apple flavored ice cream. What I can't get past is the many deaths/injuries that have occurred here due to lack of maintenance and maintenance management. There's been an effort by the new owners to try and make it safe but I feel at this point I can't bring myself to return. I give it 3 stars only because of the fond memories of going here. read more

Needs more bathrooms and if you are vegan or dairy intolerant the options are few. I had done tons of research online and found in multiple places including the Adventureland site that the Cone Zone had dairy free soft serve. Got there, and found nope only vegan/ dairy free options are sno cone and pineapple dole whip. Which would have been fine had I not see it in so many places and gotten my hopes up. read more

The park is great! Good mix of new and old rides. Everything seemed pretty clean and amenities were readily available! Lines weren't too long and they seem to have newer rides that are thrilling! We always go to the water park in the afternoon. Avoid the food at all costs. Crazy expensive and something is really wrong with the French fries read more

Honestly, I like this park. It's pretty clean and the tornado is fun. HOWEVER, I don't like the food, and the food is way overpriced for a theme park. You're saying I have to pay 18 dollars for pizza! And, at adventure bay, you have to PAY for rafts, like really! That is greed! Why Adventureland, why?! read more

Cool park love the rides and the waterpark but parking and food can be a bit overpriced.

Unfortunately they do not have plus size seatings on the rides some rides are able to get on and they only have a few roller coasters which is sad but food's great the water park is fun the hotel and resort there is fantastic it's a really good mediocre type of amusement park if you're wanting your children to start liking rides and amusement parks I'd suggest it. read more

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The Phantom Fall fest is a nice addition for Halloween in the Des Moines area. We went to the haunted houses and it's not quite scary for me. I did get surprised once though! The lines can get long but it was pretty fast. A perk of going to the haunted houses at a theme park: the food! There's also alcohol available. Some rides are open. There's a variety of things to do! read more

Adventureland Park - Phantom Fall Fest - Amusement Parks Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

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I always love going here, but today started out really rough with a mixup with tickets that were pre-paid and left in the hands of a child by someone not myself, with myself not being told about it. So when we got to the park we had to buy more tickets which was upsetting to me as I am just finishing up grad school and not employed full time; however when I went in to talk to guest services they were amazing! They were compassionate, understanding and calmly listened to my rant and near meltdown before making sure that I got comped for the ticket fiasco. They were amazing and turned what started out as a terrible and expensive, experience into one that that was great. I was able to go into the park and enjoy my day without worrying about how I was going to pay for the tickets! Love the park, and love that their guest services is also super amazing!!! read more

Park is a sad state. It's under new management so you can tell it's getting better but it's in a bit of a sorry state. Place feels safe but worn. Went on a Saturday and it was not too busy. Wait time for most rides was less than fifteen minutes. Almost every ride was open the entire visit (there for eight hours). Food is very overpriced so eat beforehand so you pay less there. Portions are small too. Staff is a mix of friendly and just tired seeming. Can't blame them though it's brutally hot out. Overall a decent place but could be better. For the middle of Iowa, it's doing alright. read more

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This park has made some nice improvements. 2 new rides this year however both days that I attended the park draken falls was not operating. That was disappointing. Some of the food vendors were not open...but most rides were open and running. Food prices are outrageous!! I understand this is the norm nowadays at any amusement place. If you can, pack a picnic or run across the street to a McD or something more affordable. Water park is great, plenty of seating! We had a great time riding slides and enjoying the water. We got free tickets to come back as some sort of special promotion so that was really nice! We will visit again, hope to catch the new rides! read more

Adventureland Park - Amusement Parks Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

Yeah the food here is very disappointing for the price. Fries at the potato patch were cold and soggy! The brisket Mac and cheese was over cooked and the pickle on a stick can we just say nothing like tasting tap water! The corn dog at the alpine was burnt and the oil needed changed desperately. They messed up our order about 3 times in one day!! They also took 20 minutes to make 1 thing of cheese curds! Let's get some adults in your food stands for some quality control around here! PLEASE read more

Every summer this is a must for locals. Small enough to get every ride in without huge lines. Great water park to cool off the steamy summer. Park has options for all ages and they keep updating rides new experiences. Park is always clean and well maintained. Food options are endless. Easy for strollers and wheel chairs. Great way to spend a day or a weekend in Central IOWA. read more

Adventureland Park - Carousel - Amusement Parks Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

ROSANN!! This worker rosann who worked at draken falls/flying viking flagged our photos 3 times and they weren't even bad at all!!! So unreasonable and disrespectful. This experience made me not want to come or bring my kids here ever again. She also gave my kids permission to take a photo and then proceeded to scream at them making them burst into tears. She needs to be fired immediately this is unacceptable. read more

Adventureland Park - ROSANNNNN!!! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Altoona, Iowa

SATURDAY IN THE PARK Iowa's largest/only major amusement park is a pretty nice place, all things considered. Looking at the upcoming calendar year, I knew my chances of logging new roller coaster credits would be far & few between, so I planned a trip to Des Moines on the weekend of 6/9/18 (much to the chagrin of my girlfriend, who's still sorta pissed at me). I knew to keep my expectations low, as a midsize park like Adventureland wouldn't measure up to giants like Kings Island. I purchased my ticket online for $45, which struck me as WAY too much for a place that only had 4 major coasters. Parking was a fair $10 (for comparison, it costs $26 to park your freakin' car at Six Flags Great America in northern Illinois). Arriving shortly after the gates opened, I made a beeline for their lowest capacity attractions. As with other parks I've reviewed, I dedicated separate entries for all the big ones, though I'll briefly summarize them here: + Stormchaser, the park's tallest ride is a tower swing that offers great views: yelp.com/biz/storm-chaser-altoona-2 + Dragon, a unique steel coaster with painful transitions and powerful G-forces: yelp.com/biz/dragon-altoona + Outlaw, a compact wooden twister with minimal airtime but lots of laterals: yelp.com/biz/outlaw-altoona + Underground, a mysterious dark "coaster" that turns out to be a giant disappointment: yelp.com/biz/the-underground-altoona-2 + Tornado, their wooden out-and-back design is rough but a classic: yelp.com/biz/tornado-altoona + Monster, a phenomenal looping coaster with a custom nighttime lighting package: yelp.com/biz/monster-altoona-2 Ride ops were about what I expected for a modest place like this. Station attendants on the coasters were fairly friendly, although one older lady barked at me to "stay behind the yellow line" (one of my toes had crossed it). Employees throughout the park treated guests with respect, even those who didn't deserve it -_- Adventureland has a decent layout, the only dead-end being in their Outlaw Gulch area at the far corner of the park. I LOVED that there were plenty of benches & areas for people to sit and take a chill break. Lots of trees meant lots of shade, and since central Iowa can get ridiculously hot, it's very much appreciated. Food was pretty 'meh'. I got a rather tainted pickle on a stick, a frozen lemonade, some pathetic chicken & waffle sliders ($5), and tasty sriracha chicken bites in a waffle cone ($7.50). Soft drinks are only $3, which felt like a steal in comparison to the $5 soda robbery at Six Flags. Bread = 3.5 Circuses = 4.5 Crowds felt light on a Saturday in early June......but I'm used to encountering the cast of Ben Hur at places like Cedar Point, so perhaps it's relative. There weren't as many juggalos or country bumpkins as I expected, and line jumping didn't appear to be a major issue. Nice people live in Iowa, it seems. * TL;DR * If you're a resident of Des Moines who fancies themselves an amusement park visit, Adventureland has got you covered. Then again, the closest major park is 200 miles away (Worlds of Fun, in Kansas City) so there's a whole captive market thing going on. Still though, there's enough flat rides and kiddie attractions to bring the entire family here and make a whole day out of it. I'm very glad I visited when I did and totally lucked out with weather. The food was weak, but the employees were kind for the most part, and the rides were fun. 'Monster' is a standout attraction and easily one of the most wickedly badass coasters I've ridden in some time. After having spent a full 12 hours here, I can safely say that the midwestern charm is not lost on these folks. I'd happily recommend this park! read more

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We bought tickets for September 13, drove there only to find out they were closed to prepare for "octoberfest." (because there's not enough places to get beer at around here, let's turn Iowa's only theme park into a bar crawl ) Yeah it sucked to spend four hours in the car on my five year old's bday for nothing but I thought since it's Iowa, they'd let us use them next season. NOPE. They're unapologetic and we're SOL. They must be hurting or they'd fork out a little more dough on a website that can adjust the ticket sales based on their schedule. The whole thing is really scammy and disappointing. I expected more from Adventureland. I'll continue to not recommend. read more

Came here July 5th, arrived at around 1pm and headed straight to the adventure bay! We swam until 6, and did rides from 6pm-8pm!! The park does not take cash anywhere, there is prepaid visa card boxes around the park! You can use these around and load money in. Make sure to get a cup or bucket of there cookies!! Cup was $5, bucket was $21. Don't forget the milk! Keep the cookie bucket for a $10 refill of cookies!! Valid for the 2022 season, so i will bring it with! In adventure bay, make sure to keep your cup because it's yours!! Loved the swim up bar!! read more

Visiting from MS---- Not sure why everyone else's review is so low, but I enjoyed myself. I stayed at the park with my family for about 7 hours!!! Yes, there were some rides that were not up and running, but overall I enjoyed the experience. Amusement and Water Park into 1...who wouldn't love it! We visited the water park side first to let the kiddos tire themselves out, and by the time we made it to amusement side... they were burnt out on energy. The funnel cake and dippin dots brought them back to life lol. read more

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They do not honor advertised Season Passholder discounts. When we spoke to an associate in Guest Services about the issue, they claimed exclusions that were not stated on the website. Another guest services associate was rude to us and mimicked us as we spoke to the other associate. Brought the issue to management's attention and they did nothing to remedy the issue. Poor customer service and not worth the price. read more

I had Ordered 4 tickets to the Fall Phantom fest for October 19 at 10:00 A.M. for my daughters 13th birthday. At 3:30 P.M. I paid $21.00 for parking only to find out that the tickets did NOT go through. There was some hold up with the 3rd party. The money was taken from my cash app account but says PENDING at Adventureland. I still have NOT gotten the funds back in my account in fact it STILL says PENDING so Cash app can NOT investigate it at this time and ADVENTURELAND claims they can NOT void or cancel it and refuse to give me the contact information for their "3rd party business" they are trying to blame. It's now October 24th and I have emailed twice called 4 times between their business of 4 to 8 p.m. and have gotten NO ANSWERS! read more

I went just a few days ago and it has become better and better. Since the last time I had been. That have so many kid friendly rides and games as well as many rides and fun for adults. I do recommend this fun park for anyone looking for a nice cost friendly outing or adventure. read more

Adventureland Park - The monster and shy hawk rides - Amusement Parks Near Me - Altoona, Iowa