Anna Faltermeier/Sun NewsStudents from Nativity Parish School in Leawood, Kan., hang out near the Mamba roller coaster Monday, May 12, at Worlds of Fun. The theme park is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year.
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Worlds of Fun park celebrates 35 years
Amusement park inspired by Jules Verne story
By Ray Weikal
Thirty-five years later, Lamar Hunt’s vision of bringing the world to Kansas City is still going strong.
Worlds of Fun is celebrating its 35th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the Northland amusement park is planning a season full of special events, new food options, games, concerts and midway renovations, according to Vice President and General Manager Frank Wilburn.
“We are delighted to celebrate 35 years of family fun with our guests,” Wilburn said. “The Celebrate America weekends, Mamba birthday parties and the return of Oktoberfest ensure that guests will have plenty of new experiences to share with their friends and families.”
Worlds of Fun was founded in 1973 by Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman of Hunt Midwest Enterprises. After Hunt died in December 2006, his son suggested that Lamar built the park in gratitude for Kansas City’s support for the Chiefs.
The park’s theme was inspired by the Jules Verne novel “Around the World in 80 Days,” according to Public Relations Manager Brandon Stanley.
“Worlds of Fun opened with 15 rides,” Stanley said. “Viking Voyager, Octopus, Worlds of Fun Railroad, Finnish Fling, Scrambler, Autobahn, Flying Dutchman, Le Taxi Tour and Krazy Kars are all original rides that are still in the park today.”
Now, Worlds of Fun boasts 43 rides and six roller coasters spread across 175 acres. Rides added over the years include Zambezi Zinger, Orient Express, Schussboomer and Scream Roller. In 1982, the Hunt family opened Oceans of Fun, a water park that added another 60 acres.
Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. purchased Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun in 1995. Under new management, the parks added Camp Snoopy and the Worlds of Fun Village resort.
In 2006, Cedar Fair opened Patriot, the region’s longest and tallest inverted roller coaster, and the largest capital expenditure on a single ride in park history, according to Stanley.
For the Northland, the economic impact of the pair of parks is considerable. More than a million guests from a five-state region walk through Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun turnstiles every year, Stanley said. The parks hire about 2,000 employees every season.
To mark the park’s anniversary, Worlds of Fun will host Celebrate America festivals every Saturday and Sunday in July with concerts, unique meals and special shows, according to Stanley.
Another new event will be the fall Oktoberfest on Sept. 6, 7, 13 and 14. Participants will be able to enjoy “a German festival, complete with beer garden and plenty of live music,” Stanley said.
Finally, the park’s 2008 season will close with an expanded Halloween Haunt, the city’s largest Halloween event, according to Stanley.
- For information about visiting Worlds of Fun, go to www.worldsoffun.com.
- To learn more about the park’s history and interact with other enthusiasts, go to www.worldsoffun.org.
Staff writer Ray Weikal can be reached at 389-6637 or rayweikal@npgco.com.
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Worlds of Fun is celebrating its 35th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the Northland amusement park is planning a season full of special events, new food options, games, concerts and midway renovations, according to Vice President and General Manager Frank Wilburn.
“We are delighted to celebrate 35 years of family fun with our guests,” Wilburn said. “The Celebrate America weekends, Mamba birthday parties and the return of Oktoberfest ensure that guests will have plenty of new experiences to share with their friends and families.”
Worlds of Fun was founded in 1973 by Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman of Hunt Midwest Enterprises. After Hunt died in December 2006, his son suggested that Lamar built the park in gratitude for Kansas City’s support for the Chiefs.
The park’s theme was inspired by the Jules Verne novel “Around the World in 80 Days,” according to Public Relations Manager Brandon Stanley.
“Worlds of Fun opened with 15 rides,” Stanley said. “Viking Voyager, Octopus, Worlds of Fun Railroad, Finnish Fling, Scrambler, Autobahn, Flying Dutchman, Le Taxi Tour and Krazy Kars are all original rides that are still in the park today.”
Now, Worlds of Fun boasts 43 rides and six roller coasters spread across 175 acres. Rides added over the years include Zambezi Zinger, Orient Express, Schussboomer and Scream Roller. In 1982, the Hunt family opened Oceans of Fun, a water park that added another 60 acres.
Cedar Fair Entertainment Co. purchased Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun in 1995. Under new management, the parks added Camp Snoopy and the Worlds of Fun Village resort.
In 2006, Cedar Fair opened Patriot, the region’s longest and tallest inverted roller coaster, and the largest capital expenditure on a single ride in park history, according to Stanley.
For the Northland, the economic impact of the pair of parks is considerable. More than a million guests from a five-state region walk through Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun turnstiles every year, Stanley said. The parks hire about 2,000 employees every season.
To mark the park’s anniversary, Worlds of Fun will host Celebrate America festivals every Saturday and Sunday in July with concerts, unique meals and special shows, according to Stanley.
Another new event will be the fall Oktoberfest on Sept. 6, 7, 13 and 14. Participants will be able to enjoy “a German festival, complete with beer garden and plenty of live music,” Stanley said.
Finally, the park’s 2008 season will close with an expanded Halloween Haunt, the city’s largest Halloween event, according to Stanley.
- For information about visiting Worlds of Fun, go to www.worldsoffun.com.
- To learn more about the park’s history and interact with other enthusiasts, go to www.worldsoffun.org.
Staff writer Ray Weikal can be reached at 389-6637 or rayweikal@npgco.com.