Roadside America- Holiday World

Good Morning Folks!
I hope your enjoying my crazy tour off the beaten path, because I always find it fun to explore new places and parks. Outside of the giant parks we've all heard of because these things do exist!

Keeping on with our crazy tour, today's offering I'm told isn't considering an a giant. It's often forgotten and overlooked by folks outside of the "know" on theme parks and amusement parks. To say this shocked me is a bit of an understatement, so I simply had to bring it to light here.

Holiday World is located in Santa Clause, Indiana.
It's been in the same family for three generations, each one adding their own special mark to the park. It began life in 1946 as "Santa Clause Land" which had toy shops and displays, children's rides and naturally.. Santa! Over the years the Koch family expanded the park to include other favorite holidays like "July 4th" and "Halloween". The most recent addition happened in 2006 to add in "Thanksgiving" as it's own land! Please follow the link for more on the parks history, they have a far better story then I do!
Holiday World has won many coveted "Golden Ticket" awards as well as being rated "Americas Top Value Park" thanks to their family owned and operated practices.  Holiday World holds some of the highest standards in the Theme Park industry and it shows in their ratings!  I'm sure you've heard rumors of that theme park that offers completely FREE Soft Drinks? Yes, This is Holiday World! They also have Free Sunscreen, Free Wi-fi and most amazingly FREE PARKING!

So if your looking for someplace to go that's off the normal pathway, please consider Holiday World. You'll never be disappointed in your service or your trip!

Holiday World

Bluegrass Boardwalk- Bad News, Again.

Well Friends, I've got bad news again.

The Koch Family (who owns and operates Holiday World in Santa Clause, IN) was dropped out of the deal for the former Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, supposedly to once be named "Bluegrass Boardwalk". There are a LOT of rumors flying left and right about what happened but before I speculate, let's get you the facts. 

Bluegrass Boardwalk hype fades as Koch family backs out of plans to Reopen the Park

"For months, the Koch family had been in talks to reopen the rundown amusement park. They already own and operate Holiday world in Santa Claus, Indiana. They would have leased the Kentucky Kingdom land from the state Fair Board"

Not so much talks, this was planned and money was found to back the deal. The Koch's where ready to move forward and turn this rotting Six Flags property into an amazing park, the problem is the Kentucky State Fair Board is NOTORIOUSLY difficult to work with in any way/shape/form. Even Six Flags had long standing problems with this, many believe this is why when Kentucky Kingdom ran into problems Six Flags embraced their most famous of actions: RUN LIKE HELL. ABANDON SHIP!


The Koch Family later issued a statement from the website they set up for Bluegrass Boardwalk.

Bluegrass Boardwalk withdraws from Project


“We entered into this discussion last October with full expectation of leasing the park,” says Bluegrass Boardwalk CEO Natalie Koch. “However, we have come to the realization that leasing a park rather than owning it would take us too far from the business model my family has followed for more than 60 years.”

This statement says to me: To much red tape, to much bureaucracy to get even the tiniest thing done. If you read the statement it's pretty blunt, the Koch family needs control to get things done and the State Fair Board simply won't let something like that (meaning a successful park) happen.  


This is sad news folks, Holiday World is renowned for they're excellent service and an amazing park. Yet another amusement park will sit in the weather and simply rot due to morons with more greed and control issues then common sense. Okay, so I oversimplified that greatly but it's pretty good and true. I hate to see a park, any park, fall to pieces rotting when it could be bringing people fun.