"family was $61,991. Males had a median income of $44,514 versus $24,050 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,957. About 1.0% of families and 1.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over. The Indiana Department of Transportation built a new route for U.S. Route 231, which places that highway within of Santa Claus. Local officials are touting the new highway as a major tool to draw new economic development. Indiana 162, the main highway through town (which will connect to"
"William A. Koch William Albert ""Bill"" Koch, Sr. developed what is today known as Holiday World and Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, the oldest and one of the best-known theme parks in the United States. A native of Evansville, Indiana, Koch was the son of Louis J. and Clarice Koch. He graduated from Purdue University in 1937 with a degree in architecture, but, although he worked in that field while in the Navy during World War II, it would be a project started by his father that would change his life. In the 1940s, Louis Koch retired, and decided"
"Santa's Candy Castle Santa's Candy Castle, located in Santa Claus, Indiana, is a tourist attraction that uses the traditions and decorations from Christmas as its theme. Dedicated on December 22, 1935, the castle was originally sponsored by the Curtiss Candy Company of Chicago, creators of the Baby Ruth and Butterfinger candy bars. Designed by artist Emil Straus, the red-brick building has all the elements of a castle including a crenellated tower, a turret, and a rotunda. Santa Claus Town was the vision of Vincennes entrepreneur Milton Harris, who saw the potential of Santa Claus, Indiana’s unique name after its post"
"The Legend (roller coaster) The Legend is a wooden roller coaster at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana, United States. It was designed and built beginning in 1999 by Custom Coasters International, with the help of designers Dennis McNulty and Larry Bill; it opened on May 6, 2000. ""The Legend"" is themed after Washington Irving's short story ""The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"" and mimics the frightful ride Ichabod Crane took as he was chased through the woods by the Headless Horseman. ""The Legend"" has been consistently ranked among the world's top twenty-five wooden roller coasters at the"
"in the park and the name was changed to Holiday World. In 1993, a water park - Splashin' Safari - was added, and a new Thanksgiving-themed area was also constructed in 2006. Over a million visitors a year now visit the park. With so many projects going - seemingly all at once - Bill Koch discovered in the late 1950s that Indiana's segment of Interstate 64 was going to run from Vincennes to New Albany. This did not go over well with the man who wanted the new highway to bring people to his theme park and growing town. So,"
"Walt Disney World The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World and Disney World, is an entertainment complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, in the United States, near the cities Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products, a division of The Walt Disney Company. It was first operated by Walt Disney World Company. The property covers nearly and only half of it has been used, comprises four theme parks, two water parks, twenty-seven themed resort hotels, nine non-Disney hotels, several"
"Playland Park (Indiana) Playland Park was an amusement park located in South Bend, Indiana. It was bounded by the St. Joseph River, Ironwood Drive, and Lincolnway East. Playland Park started as a trolley park in 1880, originally called Springbook Park. By 1912 it had a Casino, an exhibition hall and a roller coaster. In 1916 a race track was added. In 1924 Pete Redden became manager of the park. He held a contest and the park was renamed ""Playland Park"" and the roller coaster was renamed the ""Jack Rabbit"". Besides being an amusement park, the park also had a baseball"
"in 2002 following the death of Bill Koch, who, along with his father, Louis J. Koch, was instrumental in creating the Holiday World & Splashin' Safari and the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. He was also the chief developer of the town of Santa Claus, Indiana, which has grown from less than 100 residents in 1960 to over 2,100 today. Indiana State Road 162 State Road 162 in the U.S. state of Indiana is a route in Dubois and Spencer counties. Though an even-numbered route, in practice it is a north–south route for most of its length. State Road 162 begins"
"Circus World (theme park) Circus World was a theme park built north of Haines City, Florida in Polk County, on the east corner of the intersection of US 27 and Interstate 4. It was originally a property of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Combined Shows Inc., and was intended additionally to be the circus's winter headquarters as well as to have the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College and its museum located there. Circus World plans, which did not change by opening, were announced by Irvin Feld as a project of Ringling Bros. and Barnum"
"he wanted to breathe life into the tiny town of Santa Claus. He started a mail-order gift shop, and, in 1946, a small theme park that he called Santa Claus Land. At first, Bill Koch didn't think much of his father's project. ""I thought it was sort of a folly,"" he said later. ""I didn't think it would go anywhere."" In 1955, Ronald Reagan, then an actor and spokesman for General Electric, stopped for a visit. And the park steadily grew from there. In 1984, Koch and his family decided to include other holidays (namely Halloween and Fourth of July)"
"Wood Notes Disneyland Disneyland Park, originally Disneyland, is the first of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, opened on July 17, 1955. It is the only theme park designed and built to completion under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. It was originally the only attraction on the property; its official name was changed to Disneyland Park to distinguish it from the expanding complex in the 1990s. Walt Disney came up with the concept of Disneyland after visiting various amusement parks with his daughters in the 1930s and 1940s. He initially envisioned building a tourist"
"Indiana Beach Indiana Beach is an amusement park and resort located on Lake Shafer in Monticello, Indiana. The resort was developed by the Spackman family who owned it from 1926-2008. Originally named Ideal Beach, the amusement park began as a small lakeside beach with a bath house and refreshment stand. In 1927, the first thrill attraction opened, and from that point, it began to expand. In the 1930s and 1940s it was popular for the Ideal Beach Ballroom, featuring well-known bands. In February, 2008 it was announced that both the amusement park and Indiana Beach campgrounds were sold to Morgan"
"Disneyland Disneyland Park, originally Disneyland, is the first of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, opened on July 17, 1955. It is the only theme park designed and built to completion under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. It was originally the only attraction on the property; its official name was changed to Disneyland Park to distinguish it from the expanding complex in the 1990s. Walt Disney came up with the concept of Disneyland after visiting various amusement parks with his daughters in the 1930s and 1940s. He initially envisioned building a tourist attraction adjacent"
"including a roller coaster. Subway 2015 Santa's Village AZoosment Park Santa's Village AZoosment Park (formerly known as Santa's Village) is a theme park in East Dundee, Illinois. It was originally built by Glenn Holland, who also built two other Santa's Villages, in California; one located in San Bernardino County and the other in Santa Cruz County. The Illinois park, the third to be built, was intended to be the flagship of a chain of Santa's Villages across the country. However, parks planned for Richmond, Virginia and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, were never built, and the park in East Dundee became"
"Holidayland Holidayland was a grassy picnic ground located along the western edge of Disneyland, near the area that is now New Orleans Square. It is often referred to as the ""lost"" land of Disneyland. Opening on June 16, 1957, Holidayland had its own admission gate into Disneyland and could hold up to 7,000 guests for large events. It also had playgrounds, horseshoes, baseball field, volleyball, ""the world's largest candy-striped circus tent"" (previously used by the short-lived Mickey Mouse Club Circus and Keller's Jungle Killers attractions) and other activities. Food and concessions were available for purchase including beer, which was not"
"fire. Only one park that was given the White City name continues to operate today: Denver's White City, opened in 1908, is currently Lakeside Amusement Park. The enormously successful 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago attracted 26 million visitors and featured a section that is now commonly considered the first amusement park: a midway (the mile-long Midway Plaisance), the world's first Ferris wheel (constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr.), a forerunner of the modern roller coaster (Thomas Rankin's Snow and Ice Railway, later moved to Coney Island), lighting and attractions powered by alternating current (Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti had"
"who also owned the site, and helped promote the park. The park drew immediate media interest, with more than 14,000 visitors on one day in September 1951. Santa's Workshop (New York amusement park) Santa's Workshop in North Pole, a hamlet in Wilmington, New York, USA, is an amusement park that has been in operation since 1949. It was one of the first theme parks in the United States. It is open from June to December. The idea for the village originated in a story that Lake Placid businessman Julian Reiss told his daughter about a baby bear who visits Santa"
"told him about their business idea with Ray Kroc for a chain of fast-food restaurants. The story inspired Holland to franchise his parks. The first Santa's Village opened Memorial Day in 1955, six weeks before Disneyland, in Skyforest near Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County, California. It closed in 1998. A second Santa's Village opened in 1957 near Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County, California, staying open until 1979. The last Santa's Village was opened in 1959 in the Chicago suburb of East Dundee and closed in 2006. The park subsequently reopened under new ownership in 2010 and continues to"
"Santa's Village (Scotts Valley) Santa's Village was a Christmas-themed amusement park located in Scotts Valley, California, United States. In 1956 the Lawridge dairy farm, alongside Highway 17 in Scotts Valley, was leased to southern California developer Glenn Holland. He had already developed Santa's Village in 1955, in San Bernardino County, and would later build a third in East Dundee, Illinois, becoming Santa's Village AZoosment Park. The grand opening was May 30, 1957, with Danish native Carl Hansen in the role of Santa Claus and Alma Ragon as Mrs. Claus. The main rides were a bobsled, a spinning Christmas tree and"
"the first modern theme park, Disneyland. The Heim brothers built the first Electric Park in land adjacent to the Heim Brothers Brewery (at the time the largest brewery in the world) in East Bottoms. The amusement park was bounded by Montgall, Chestnut, Nicholson, and Rochester Avenues. Open from 1899 to 1906, the first Electric Park proved to be an immediate success as one of the world's first full-time amusement parks. Featuring a Shoot-the-Chutes ride (called the Mystic Chute), the park also had a beer garden with beer piped directly from the brewery next door. Eventually, the carefully groomed grounds were"
"Santa's Workshop (New York amusement park) Santa's Workshop in North Pole, a hamlet in Wilmington, New York, USA, is an amusement park that has been in operation since 1949. It was one of the first theme parks in the United States. It is open from June to December. The idea for the village originated in a story that Lake Placid businessman Julian Reiss told his daughter about a baby bear who visits Santa Claus at the North Pole. The design of the park was done by artist Arto Monaco, of Upper Jay, and built by Harold Fortune, of Lake Placid,"
"course. That closed after 40 years. It is student housing for Indiana University South Bend. Only the cement from grandstands remain from the park. Playland Park (Indiana) Playland Park was an amusement park located in South Bend, Indiana. It was bounded by the St. Joseph River, Ironwood Drive, and Lincolnway East. Playland Park started as a trolley park in 1880, originally called Springbook Park. By 1912 it had a Casino, an exhibition hall and a roller coaster. In 1916 a race track was added. In 1924 Pete Redden became manager of the park. He held a contest and the park"
"restaurant, and cabins. Axel Erlandson opened The Tree Circus in 1947, featuring trees grafted and trained in strange and unusual shapes. Bright ""life size"" painted dinosaurs overlooking Highway 17 were added to the Tree Circus in 1964 when it changed its name to The Lost World. Surviving trees have since been moved to Gilroy Gardens. Santa's Village, one of three locations in America's first theme park chain, was established in 1956. It was the most popular of the many attractions, attracting millions of visitors to Scotts Valley for over twenty years, and it was the last of Scotts Valley's theme"
"Dinosaur World (theme parks) Dinosaur World is a chain of three outdoor dinosaur theme parks in the US. Locations include Plant City, Florida, Glen Rose, Texas, and Cave City, Kentucky. The parks each feature over 150 life-size dinosaur sculptures created by Christer Svensson. The Florida location opened in November 1998, the Kentucky location five years after and Texas location followed five years after that. The parks are family friendly, including many activities for small children, playgrounds and picnic areas (food is not served on the property so guests are encouraged to picnic). Though each park has a unique setting by"
"It's a Small World It's a Small World (officially styled as ""it's a small world"") is a water-based dark ride located in the Fantasyland area at the various Walt Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide; these include: Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland, with its inaugural version having originally premiered at the 1964 New York World's Fair before permanently moving to Disneyland. The ride features over 300 audio-animatronic children in traditional costumes from cultures around the world, frolicking in a spirit"
"7600 West Roosevelt Road in Forest Park, Illinois (since demolished), was used in Martin Scorsese's 1986 film ""The Color of Money"" as the place where Vincent Lauria (Tom Cruise) worked as a toy-store clerk, and where retired pool hustler ""Fast Eddie"" Felson (Paul Newman) came to see him to convince him to be his protégé in pool. Child World Child World was an American chain of toy stores that was founded in Quincy Massachusetts in 1962 and became a publicly traded corporation in 1968 based in Avon, Massachusetts, in 1970 by Sid Shneider and Joseph Arnesano. Child World once boasted"
"then followed by Christmas presentations through the holiday season. Rituals surrounding Santa Claus such as department store visits to the ""jolly old elf"", and letter writing to his North Pole workshop remained intact during the post-War era. New to the mix was Santa's Workshop (one of the first theme parks in the US), and NORAD's tracking of Santa's sleigh via radar on Christmas Eve. In Cleveland, Ohio, a costumed character called Mr. Jingeling entertained shoppers annually at Halle's Department Store during the season. In 1949, one of the first theme parks in the United States, Santa's Workshop, was constructed near"
"Santa's Village AZoosment Park Santa's Village AZoosment Park (formerly known as Santa's Village) is a theme park in East Dundee, Illinois. It was originally built by Glenn Holland, who also built two other Santa's Villages, in California; one located in San Bernardino County and the other in Santa Cruz County. The Illinois park, the third to be built, was intended to be the flagship of a chain of Santa's Villages across the country. However, parks planned for Richmond, Virginia and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, were never built, and the park in East Dundee became the last of its kind. The"
"""Disney World"" (now Walt Disney World), a few miles southwest of Orlando, Florida. Disney World was to include the ""Magic Kingdom""a larger and more elaborate version of Disneylandplus golf courses and resort hotels. The heart of Disney World was to be the ""Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow"" (EPCOT), which he described as: an experimental prototype community of tomorrow that will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry. It will be a community of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing"
"Pirates World Pirates World was a pirate-themed amusement park in Dania, Florida that opened April 8, 1967. Developed by Recreation Corporation of America, it was located on the north side of Sheridan Street between US 1 and A1A. Pirates World was successful in its early years, but in 1971 Walt Disney World opened in Florida, which took much business away from the theme park. By 1973 it was in bankruptcy and finally closed its doors in 1975. Norman Kaufman, a venturing carnival rides owner back in Coney Island, bought some of the steeplechase's fiberglass horses and eventually gave one of"
"the complex. Without him spearheading the construction, the company built a resort similar to Disneyland, abandoning the experimental concepts for a planned community. Magic Kingdom was the first theme park to open in the complex, in 1971, followed by Epcot (1982), Disney's Hollywood Studios (1989), and Disney's Animal Kingdom (the newest, 1998). Today, Walt Disney World is the most visited vacation resort in the world, with average annual attendance of more than 52 million. The resort is the flagship destination of Disney's worldwide corporate enterprise and has become a popular staple in American culture. In 1959, Walt Disney Productions began"
"added ""Paris by Night,"" ""Kemp's Model City,"" a ""mysterious flying lady,"" and a billiard hall. White City was the first Indianapolis amusement park to open that year, and its management took advantage by advertising ""all roads lead to White City"" in the week before the opening of Wonderland. White City (and Riverside) had live acts presenting a Wild West theme that was becoming a national rage at that time; on April 19, 1907, White City management announced plans for the construction for the ""world's largest swimming pool"" to be opened in 1908. Despite attempts to differentiate White City from the"
"Wonderland Amusement Park (Indianapolis) Wonderland Amusement Park (usually simply called Wonderland) was a trolley park that operated on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, from 1906 to 1911. The park, near the intersection of East Washington Street and Gray Street, surrounded a lake and featured a Shoot-the-Chutes ride, a scenic railway ride, the signature -tall Electric Tower, a ride that simulated the Johnstown Flood, a dirigible (""Kann's War Air-Ship""), a funhouse, a dance pavilion, and other exhibits and games in its 24 buildings. In addition to the standing attractions, the park also offered live exhibits and performances from"