Adventureland (Iowa) - Themed Areas and Attractions

Themed Areas and Attractions

The park contains many design nods inspired by Disneyland: The entrance has a train station with two tunnels (on the left- and right-hand side) leading in to the Main Street area, just like at Disneyland or Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom (and also similar to many other parks built since Disneyland opened in 1955); over in Outlaw Gulch, there are several tombstones that have virtually the same wording as tombstones outside of Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion attraction; the rocking pirate ship (Galleon) has even played a soundtrack that included splashing water and an excerpt from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme song, "Yo Ho." "Adventureland" is a theme area of its own at Disneyland. The different themed areas in Adventureland are:

• Adventure Bay (opened June 22, 2008) is a new location behind Outlaw Gulch that is home to the Kokomo Kove water play area.

• Bavaria is a German-themed area. "Sky Ride" is the major attraction in this area of the park, along with the Rathskellar concession stand and Alpine arcade area. In early years, an accordion player was found in this area of the park to add to the German feel.

• The Boulevard has several major rides, but the biggest is "Giant Skywheel," the largest open-gondola Ferris wheel built in the United States since the 1800s.

• County Fair is a rural-themed area whose principal attraction is "Tornado," a large wooden roller coaster, as well as many fair-themed games of skill.

• Dragon Island, near the rear of the park, was originally known as Riverview. Constructed in 1979, the area contained a number of attractions from the Riverview Park amusement center that had recently closed in nearby Des Moines. In 1991, the area was renamed Dragon Island when the Dragon roller coaster was opened.

• Iowa Farm follows a similar theme. Look for the big pig in the "Iowa Farm" section of the park; it's actually a small concession stand.

• Main Street, which resembles a stereotypical turn-of-the-20th-century town square, is the first area that visitors encounter upon entering the park. The principal attractions of this area are the A-Train (a small-scale locomotive which winds around one side of the park) and an antique-style carousel in the middle of the Town Square. Main Street also contains several gift shops, restaurants, an arcade, and other service-type establishments.

Professor Bellows Photographics has been a prominent shop on Main Street since soon after the park opened in the 1970s. Customers can dress up like Victorian affluent, cowboys in a saloon, pirate comrades, and 1920s-style gangsters, and other styles. Professor Bellows also has photography stations at the entrance to the park, on the Log Flume, the Tornado roller coaster, as well as an antique photography studio in the Mall of America. Bellows, like several other main street shops -- such as the caricature and wood-making shops -- are not Adventureland employees. They lease the location and operate their business during the season. (This is similar to many of the crafter shops at Knott's Berry Farm in California.)

Also on Main Street, there is a theater (currently used for corporate events) with a ticket taker window. Inside that window is an animatronic figure that is reprogrammed each year to repeat spiels about new attractions in the park.

• Outlaw Gulch, constructed in 1993, has an Old West theme, complete with a "ghost town." The attractions in this part of the park are "The Outlaw" (a large wooden roller coaster), "Chuckwagon" (a small western-themed Ferris wheel), "Sidewinder" (a swinging pendulum ride whose gondola swings riders over 180 degrees while spinning), and "Saw Mill Splash," a water ride. The Royal Hanneford Circus is also presented. During the 1993 season, there was a western-themed band that played a banjo and bottles on the mock stage that still remains next to the kettle corn stand. Also in the first few years of operation, a cowboy-themed comedy show was held in front of the ghost town facade, but it was later removed and the shooting gallery was installed there. The food location also changed from a walk-in drink and snack bar to a front counter serving hamburgers and other fast food. Other food vendors in the section include a kettle corn stand and an ice cream cart. The Shooting Gallery in Outlaw Gulch is a replacement of a former shooting gallery located near Sheriff Sam's Saloon. The gallery operates on light-sensitive photo sensors, which means a camera flash will set off every element. Gallery workers also note that, during rainy days, lightning will also have the same effect.

• River City is built around the "Raging River" ride and was inspired by New Orleans. That's why there is usually jazz or zydeco music in the background. The founder of Adventureland was a fan of New Orleans-style jazz.
  River City may have been influenced by the fictional "River City" in the Meredith Willson musical The Music Man. Several food stands are located in this section of the park as well.

• Space Shot Midway is built around the "Space Shot" ride. Another attraction is "The Underground," a ride that incorporates elements of both a dark ride and a roller coaster. The "Dodge-Em Cars" and numerous kids' rides are also nearby.