P.O. Box 209 Santa Claus, IN 47579 (812) 937-5000 Fax (812) 937-5500

From Santa Claus Land
to Holiday World

SANTA CLAUS, IN-----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 always troubled by the fact that the tiny hamlet of Santa Claus, Indiana, was visited by children from throughout the country who were ultimately disappointed when they found out Santa was not there to visit with them. With nine children of his own, Koch loved children, holidays and celebrations.

Koch was actually planning to open his park earlier in the 1940s, but World War Two 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 Claus.

When Louis J. Koch’s son Bill returned from the war, Bill was curious to see what his father was up to. At first, he admits, he thought his father had created a great folly. But he worked with his father and before long became the head of Santa Claus Land.  In 1960, Bill married "Santa’s daughter," Patricia Yellig. The couple had five children; the eldest, Will, is now 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 just one of the theming possibilities for the park. In 1984, Santa Claus Land grew to include Halloween and Fourth of July sections, and the park’s name was changed to Holiday World. Larger rides were added, including the very popular Raging Rapids white water raft ride. In all, Holiday World features 100 acres of rides, shows, games, and attractions.

In 1993, a whole new park was added. Splashin’ Safari Water Park features The Wave pool, The Congo River action river, the AmaZOOM and the Bamboo Chute water slides, plus Crocodile Isle children’s activity area with two pools and five water slides. In 1996, the Watubee family water adventure was added; 1997’s addition was the Otorongo, an in-the-dark triple water-slide complex. And in 1998, Monsoon Lagoon, an interactive, multi-leveled family waterplay complex opened.

To celebrate its 50th season in 1995, Holiday World introduced The Raven, a $2 million wooden roller coaster, the largest in Indiana and Kentucky. The Raven, located in the Halloween section, features 86-foot and 61-foot drops, a low, banked curve over Lake Rudolph, and a 120-foot tunnel, plus a few other surprises. The readers of Inside Track magazine voted The Raven the world’s #3 roller coaster in 1995 and ’96; in 1998 and ’99, the readers of Amusement Today voted The Raven the nation’s #2 Wooden Roller Coaster; in the same survey, readers named Holiday World the #1 Friendliest Park.

In 1999, a new area opened in the 4^th of July section. Holidog’s FunTown includes Holidog’s Treehouse, America’s biggest family-play super-structure; The Howler family roller coaster, Doggone Trail jeep rides, Magic Waters, and more.

For the park’s 55^th season in 2000, Holiday World unveiled The Legend wooden roller coaster. Themed after The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the new coaster creates a wild ride through the woods of the Halloween section and through part of Splashin’ Safari. Amusement Today readers in 2000 voted Holiday World the #1 Friendliest Park and the #1 Cleanest Park. The legend was voted the #7 best wooden coaster in the world and The Raven was voted the #1 wooden coaster in the world.

In 2001, Amusement Today readers again voted Holiday World the #1 Friendliest Park and the #1 Cleanest Park. The Raven was again voted the #1 wooden coaster in the world and The Legend moved up the list to the #5 best wooden coaster in the world. Readers also voted Splashin’ Safari the #3 water park in the world. Holiday World is the only park featuring two roller coasters ranked in the top-five.

In 2002, a new ride was added to Splashin' Safari.  It's the largest enclosed water slide in the world...The ZOOMbabwe!  

Throughout its half-century of existence, Holiday World has set high standards for the theme park industry, with beautiful grounds and landscaping, plus a steadfast adherence to the values established in the company’s cornerstones: safety, service, cleanliness and friendliness.

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HO HO HOldings History | Lake Rudolph & RV Resort History
Kringle Place Shopping Center History | Koch Development Corporation History
Koch Enterprises History | Santa Claus, Indiana History