What Holiday World does

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is a privately held, family-owned theme park and water park complex located in Santa Claus, Indiana, operating on a 125-acre site that has been under continuous Koch family ownership since opening as Santa Claus Land in 1946, recognized as America's first theme park. The business operates a single dual-park destination: Holiday World, a holiday-themed theme park organized into Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and 4th of July sections featuring wooden and steel roller coasters (including The Voyage, one of the two longest wooden coasters in the world at 1.2 miles), and Splashin' Safari, a nearly 40-acre water park with three water coasters, two wave pools, and a lazy river. The core product is pay-one-price admission that bundles both parks plus free soft drinks, parking, sunscreen, and Wi-Fi, with the 2026 season marking the park's 80th anniversary.

The company's revenue model combines one-time admission (daily tickets, multi-day flex tickets, season passes, plus discount tiers for Military, First Responders, Nurses, Teachers, and Foster Families) with in-park transaction revenue from 29 food and beverage outlets, retail, cabana and lounger rentals, lockers, strollers, mobility rentals, Arcade-style Games Playbook, and Digital Photo Pass subscriptions. Ancillary revenue is supplemented by Lodging Package partnerships and a Fun Club employer discount program. The 2025 acquisition of Santa's Cottages marks the first owned lodging asset, signaling modest vertical expansion into hospitality. Distribution is direct-to-consumer online and at the gate, with a dedicated group sales operation; the company is privately held, reports no external funding, and discloses no revenue figures.

Name

Holiday World

Legal name

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari

Website

https://holidayworld.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is a privately held, Koch family-owned theme park and water park in Santa Claus, Indiana, operating since 1946 as America's first theme park. It serves families with children through pay-one-price admission bundled with free amenities, multi-day and season pass options, and ancillary in-park services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theme Park and Water Park Services

NAICS

Amusement and Theme Parks (71311)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Parks (THAAAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Water Parks (Wave Pools, Lazy Rivers, Slides) (THAAABAA), Water Parks (Outdoor/Indoor, Wave Pools & Slides) (THAJAEAB)

Keywords

• Theme park admission
• Water park rides
• Family entertainment
• Amusement park tickets
• Holiday themed attractions

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Claus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Theme Park Admission: Primary revenue from pay-one-price admission tickets including daily tickets, season passes, and multi-day flex tickets. Admission includes unlimited soft drinks, parking, sunscreen, and Wi-Fi.
2. In-Park Food & Beverage: On-site restaurants and snack locations including Santa's Merry Marketplace, Wildebeestro, The Alamo, and numerous other food outlets. Free soft drinks included with admission; additional purchases at restaurants and mobile ordering.
3. Retail Merchandise: Gift shops including St. Nick's Trading Company, The Voyage Gift Shop, and various retail locations throughout the park selling souvenirs, photos, and merchandise.
4. In-Park Rentals: Revenue from cabana rentals, Cheetah Chaise Loungers, locker rentals, stroller/wagon rentals, wheelchair/scooter rentals, pet boarding (Holidog Inn), and HoliCash gift cards and wristbands.
5. Digital Photo Passes: All-Season and All-Day Photo Passes for capturing and sharing ride photos, with special pricing for photo prints.
6. Games Playbook: Games Bucks system for arcade-style games throughout the park, sold as $20 for $25 in Games Bucks plus additional coupons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari operates a dual-park destination combining a holiday-themed theme park (Holiday World) with a 40-acre water park (Splashin' Safari) on 125 acres in Santa Claus, Indiana. The core offering is pay-one-price admission granting unlimited access to over 50 rides and attractions including world-class wooden roller coasters (The Voyage, The Raven, The Legend), water coasters (Wildebeest, Mammoth, Cheetah Chase), and family rides, supported by free unlimited soft drinks, free parking, free sunscreen, and free Wi-Fi.

Product overview

Holiday World & Splashin' Safari operates as a dual-park destination combining a traditional theme park (Holiday World) with an adjacent water park (Splashin' Safari). The core offering is pay-one-price admission to both parks with over 50 rides and attractions. The product portfolio centers on theme park admission (Daily Tickets, Season Passes, Multi-Day Flex Tickets) and water park access, supported by premium add-on services including Cabana & Lounger Rentals, Digital Photo Passes (All-Season and All-Day variants), Guided Tours and Premium Experiences, and In-Park Rentals (lockers, strollers, wheelchairs, scooters). Additional revenue streams include Food & Drinks (29 restaurants and snack locations), Games (arcade-style games with Games Playbook), and Lodging Packages through partner properties. Special events programming includes Holidays in the Sky (500-drone light show), Friday Night Live!, Happy Halloween Weekends, Summer Wine'd Down Culinary Festival, and School Days. The park operates on a holiday-themed zoning system (Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Halloween sections) and is notably differentiated by its 'freebies' model including free soft drinks, free parking, free sunscreen, and free Wi-Fi. The company has recently expanded into hospitality with the 2025 acquisition of Santa's Cottages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Holiday World Theme Park
• Splashin' Safari Water Park
• Daily Tickets
• Multi-Day Flex Tickets
• Season Passes
• Special Discount Programs
• Lodging Packages
• Cabana & Lounger Rentals
• Digital Photo Pass
• Guided Tours and Premium Experiences
• Games Playbook
• In-Park Rentals
• Food and Beverage
• Retail Merchandise
• Holidays in the Sky
• Happy Halloween Weekends
• Summer Wine'd Down Culinary Festival
• School Days
• Group Events

Quantifiable outcome

• The Voyage wooden coaster named nation's best by TIME magazine in 2013
• +5 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Santa's CottagescoreOthers · 1 January 2025In 2025, Holiday World & Splashin' Safari purchased their first lodging location - Santa's Cottages, a peaceful nature-filled property with cozy fully-furnished cottages, fire pits, outdoor gathering spaces, lakes, located just two miles from the park. The property offers early water park entry for guests in June and July.
• Sun Outdoors Lake RudolphmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred lodging partner offering cabins, cottages, and rental RVs with free shuttle service to Holiday World & Splashin' Safari. Part of vacation package program.
• Lincoln Pines Lakefront ResortminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred lodging partner included in vacation package offerings for Holiday World guests.
• Santa's LodgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred lodging partner included in vacation package offerings for Holiday World guests.
• Fun Club Partner CompaniescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFree employer benefit program allowing companies to offer discounted tickets and Season Passes to employees as an employee perk. Companies join the Fun Club to provide this free benefit to their workforce.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Great Wolf Lodge: Large indoor water park resort chain with year-round operation and lodging bundled in. Represents a competitive substitute rather than direct competitor, but overlaps heavily on family travel wallet.
• Six Flags / Cedar Fair (now merged): Largest publicly-traded regional theme park operator with combined portfolio of theme parks and water parks. Industry benchmark for ride innovation, capital intensity, and seasonality economics relevant to Holiday World's model.
• Walt Disney World / Magic Kingdom: Industry-defining destination theme park with bundled water parks (Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach), on-site lodging, and IP-driven attractions. Sets the upper bound of family entertainment spend and represents the dominant competitor for family leisure dollars.

Emerging players

• Kalahari Resorts & Conventions: Indoor/outdoor water park resort with on-site lodging, themed attractions, and family entertainment. Comparable to Holiday World's integrated lodging + water park model following the Santa's Cottages acquisition.

Direct peers

• Schlitterbahn (Cedar Fair): Iconic water park chain with destination properties and award-winning water coasters (Wildebeest, Mammoth). Closest direct peer to Splashin' Safari based on ride content and water coaster leadership.
• Dollywood (operated by Herschend): Family-owned, privately-operated theme park in the Smoky Mountains with award-winning rides, themed sections, and adjacent water park. Closest comparable in business model (privately held, family operated, regional destination with on-site lodging partnerships) and award pedigree.
• Cedar Point (Cedar Fair/Six Flags): Iconic regional theme park operator famous for roller coasters and water rides. Most directly comparable to Holiday World as a destination theme park with marquee wooden coasters (Holiday World's The Voyage is benchmarked against Cedar Point's coasters) and seasonal operation.
• Silver Dollar City (operated by Herschend): Privately-operated themed regional theme park with award-winning wooden coasters, festival programming, and adjacent water park. Comparable in private/family ownership structure, themed sections, and seasonal operating model.
• Knott's Berry Farm (Cedar Fair): Themed regional theme park with adjacent Soak City water park, free parking model, and seasonal festivals. Closely comparable in pay-one-price admission, themed sections, and bundled water park access.

Regional players

• Kentucky Kingdom: Mid-sized theme park and water park complex in Louisville, Kentucky, overlapping Holiday World's Midwest drive-to market. Comparable in scale, dual theme/water park offering, and seasonal operation, but serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HolidayWorld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holiday World