VALLEYFAIR
Shakopee, Minnesota (Abbreviation: VF)
Six Flags Entertainment
Park News - (4/27/2025) According to a post on Twitter / X regarding pre-season work at Valleyfair, they report that the Ripcord (Skycoaster) has been removed (not a surprise, a lot have been removed from the chain over the off-season), and there is some reported “tree clearing” in the former Dinosaurs Alive area.
(4/25/2025) Valleyfair has confirmed that the park will open for the season on May 11th, with the Soak City waterpark opening on May 24th. The park will also launch a new fun food festival to the park this season called the Juicy Lucy Festival, taking place July 12-13 and July 19-20, which will feature a variety of local burgers, beers and bands. So what exactly is a Juicy Lucy? The way I understand it, a Juicy Lucy burger is a cheeseburger where the cheese has been stuffed inside the burger patty itself, rather than on top, as you would find on a traditional cheeseburger. The concept is that when you bite into the fresh off the grill burger, you will get a virtual explosion of warm gooey cheese in your mouth. The concept is said to be a popular creation from the Minneapolis, Minnesota region.
Also remember that ValleyScare will return this fall on select nights from Sept. 20 to Oct. 25th.
(8/11/2024) You may recall seeing the incredible footage from earlier this summer when Valleyfair had to close off sections of the park due to flooding in the area, that completely submerged the park’s Thunder Canyon river rapids ride as well as putting sections of two roller coasters under the water.
While they were able to reopen the coasters very quickly, the Thunder Canyon rapids attraction has remained closed all summer. A Screamscape reader reached out to the park to get an update and was told that the attraction ‘will remain down for the season due to the flooding damage.”
 2026 - Valleyfair’s 50th Anniversary / Waterpark Expansion - (8/6/2025) Valleyfair has confirmed our rumor that all “New waterpark adventures are coming to #Valleyfair in 2026”, just in time for the park’s 50th Anniversary. To begin construction, a large portion of Soak City will close after August 10, so they warn everyone to visit and “ride these favorites one last time: Hurricane Falls, Panic Falls Body & Speed Slides, Ripple Rapids, Splash Station”.
Oh… notice the hashtag… “#SomethingSuperior26”
Superior Shores Waterpark seems to be on the way.
(8/2/2025) The early indicators for Valleyfair in 2026 seem to indicate that the park may be preparing for a significant waterpark expansion. Four permits have been filed with the city so far that mention Slide Towers, Kids Slides, footings and foundation walls and so on. Six Flags has also apparently files to use the name “Superior Shores Waterpark” as a trademark going forward as well, which could serve as a new name for the waterpark.
Going back into Screamscape history of rumors for Valleyfair, more than once over the past decade Valleyfair was rumored to have drawn up plans for a major overhaul to the waterpark that at the time was said to be similar in concept to how Carowinds expanded their waterpark by adding a dedicated entrance from the outside. At the time, most of those rumors also centered about the idea of removing Excalibur to make that all happen, but we haven’t heard anything about that in quite some time. So the 2026 plans may simple be for a major expansion and new attractions only.
One other thing to keep in mind is that Six Flags will likely be able to salvage one or two of the newer slides added to the waterpark at Six Flags America when it closes this fall, especially the RipQurl Blaster slide that just opened in 2024. So don’t be surprised if it ends up on truck heading to Minnesota once the summer is over.
(11/24/2024) While Six Flags previewed a number of large capital projects in the works for 2026, it was pointed out that Valleyfair will be turning 50 in 2026, having first opened way back in 1976. Given the importance of Valleyfair to the formation of the original Cedar Fair chain of theme parks, it would only be appropriate for the newly merged Six Flags chain to celebrate Valleyfair’s anniversary in some meaningful way to remember, especially since they did already mention they would celebrate the 50th birthday of Six Flags Great America in 2026.
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