Medieval Times
Medieval Times is a privately held dinner theater chain operating 11 castle venues across the US and Canada, offering live medieval tournament entertainment with jousting, equestrian dressage, falconry, and a four-course feast for families, tourists, corporate groups, and educational visitors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersIrving, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Medieval Times does
Medieval Times is a privately held dinner theater chain operating 11 castle-themed venues across major US metropolitan areas (Atlanta, Baltimore, Buena Park/Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Lyndhurst/New Jersey, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, Scottsdale) and one international location in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in Irving, Texas under founder and CEO Kenneth Kim, the company produces a live medieval tournament show featuring six knights competing in jousting, sword fights, and skill games, complemented by equestrian dressage routines, a royal falconry display, and an immersive four-course feast served during the performance.
The core product is a single unified entertainment experience—the two-hour tournament show plus meal—with no digital or software-based product surface. The proprietary show content, choreography, and theatrical production have been refined over four decades, and the live equestrian infrastructure (horses, stables, training facilities) represents significant capital intensity that creates barriers to entry. All ticket purchasing occurs through the company's own website (purchase.medievaltimes.com) or on-site box offices; no third-party ticketing platform or mobile app is in use.
Medieval Times operates on a direct-to-consumer transactional revenue model. Revenue streams include base ticket sales, three premium package upgrades (Royalty, Celebration, Queen's Royalty) that capture incremental ARPU through preferred seating, VIP amenities, photos, and cake, dedicated group bookings of 15+ guests for corporate, birthday, scout, field trip, summer camp, and tour operator channels, and ancillary food and beverage revenue including separately purchased alcoholic beverages. The customer base is broad and fragmented across families, tourists, corporate groups, schools, scouts, and tour operators, with no concentration in any single named customer or channel.
Medieval Times firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Medieval Times
- Legal name
- Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
- Website
- https://MedievalTimes.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Medieval Times is a privately held dinner theater chain operating 11 castle venues across the US and Canada, offering live medieval tournament entertainment with jousting, equestrian dressage, falconry, and a four-course feast for families, tourists, corporate groups, and educational visitors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Medieval Times industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Dinner Theater Entertainment
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants (THAFACAL)
Keywords
Where Medieval Times is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Irving
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
Medieval Times business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets to live tournament dinner theater performances. Customers purchase tickets online or at box offices for specific showtimes at 11 castle locations. Revenue is transaction-based, one-time per performance.
- Premium Package Upgrades: Upsell opportunities through tiered ticket packages including Royalty Package, Celebration Package, and Queen's Royalty Package with enhanced seating, photos, cakes, and VIP amenities.
- Group Events & Celebrations: Specialized bookings for groups of 15+ including corporate outings, birthday parties, scout trips, field trips, and summer camps with dedicated planning services and group pricing.
- Food & Beverage: Four-course feast included with all ticket packages featuring roasted chicken, garlic bread, corn, and vegetarian options, with select non-alcoholic beverages included and alcoholic beverages available for purchase separately.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - Standard show experience with feast |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Royalty Package - Preferred seating with VIP banner |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Celebration Package - Best for special occasions with VIP status |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Queen's Royalty Package - Best overall experience with guaranteed best seats |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Medieval Times product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Medieval Times operates castle-themed dinner theaters across 11 locations in the US and Canada, delivering a live medieval tournament experience featuring six knights competing in jousting, sword fights, and skill games. Each performance is paired with a four-course medieval feast (roasted chicken, garlic bread, sweet buttered corn, vegetarian options) and tiered ticket packages ranging from General Admission to a premium Queen's Royalty Package with VIP seating and amenities.
Product overview
Medieval Times is a dinner theater chain offering a single unified entertainment product: a live medieval tournament show featuring six knights competing in jousting, sword fights, and skill games. The core offering includes the show experience combined with a four-course feast. The company operates across 11 castle locations in the US and Canada. Ticket packages range from General Admission (base show and meal) to progressively enhanced tiers: Royalty Package (preferred seating), Celebration Package (special occasions with photos and cake), and Queen's Royalty Package (premium best-seat experience). Group offerings include Birthday Parties, Company Outings, Scouts, Field Trips, Summer Camps, and Tour Operators packages. Educational Materials covering medieval history, science, and drama are also available as supplementary offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Medieval Times
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Medieval Times technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Medieval Times partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Excellence Group Luxury ResortsminorListed in footer as a related brand/entity. Medieval Times appears to be part of or associated with Excellence Group Luxury Resorts, though the exact nature of the relationship is not clearly defined in the source material.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Medieval Times competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Pirates Dinner Adventure: Direct competitor operating a themed dinner theater in Buena Park, CA featuring live-action shows with audience participation during a multi-course meal — the closest 1:1 comparable to Medieval Times' format.
- Dolly Parton's Stampede: Formerly Dixie Stampede, this Branson/Pigeon Forge attraction is a family dinner show featuring horse-riding competitions, stunts, and a four-course Southern feast — nearly identical experiential model to Medieval Times.
- Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre: Indianapolis-based dinner theater pairing Broadway-style productions with buffet dining and beverage service — comparable as a dinner-and-live-show combination offering, though narrower in theatrical scope.
- The Murder Mystery Company: Operates interactive murder mystery dinner shows for private events, corporate groups, and public venues across the US — comparable as a themed live-performance dinner experience targeting group/corporate bookings.
- Tony n' Tina's Wedding: Long-running interactive dinner theater production combining scripted comedy performance with a multi-course Italian meal — comparable as an immersive dinner-and-show format, though touring rather than destination-castle based.
Broad incumbents
- Cirque du Soleil: Global leader in large-scale live theatrical entertainment with multiple resident shows in tourist markets — comparable as a high-production live entertainment draw but at a premium price point and broader portfolio.
- Dave & Buster's: National chain combining arcade gaming, sports-viewing, and full food & beverage service for adult and family groups — comparable as a family/group entertainment-plus-dining destination, though without theatrical production.
- Disney Theme Parks: Operates family-oriented theme parks with multiple in-park dining experiences and live entertainment shows across major US destinations — comparable as a family-tourist entertainment draw that competes for similar occasion-based spending.
- Great Wolf Lodge: Family resort chain featuring indoor water parks, themed dining, and live entertainment programming — comparable as a destination-based family entertainment experience bundled with meals and activities.
- House of Blues: Operates music venues with full-service restaurant and bar operations across the US — comparable as a live entertainment + dining combination targeting group outings, though music-focused rather than theatrical.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Medieval Times social profiles
Digital presenceMedieval Times financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Medieval Times leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Medieval Times funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Medieval Times M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Medieval Times
What does Medieval Times do?
Medieval Times operates castle-themed dinner theaters across 11 locations in the US and Canada, delivering a live medieval tournament experience featuring six knights competing in jousting, sword fights, and skill games. Each performance is paired with a four-course medieval feast (roasted chicken, garlic bread, sweet buttered corn, vegetarian options) and tiered ticket packages ranging from General Admission to a premium Queen's Royalty Package with VIP seating and amenities.
Is Medieval Times a public or private company?
Medieval Times is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Medieval Times founded?
Medieval Times was founded in 1983. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Medieval Times based?
Medieval Times is headquartered in Irving, United States, in the North America region.
How does Medieval Times make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are premium Package Upgrades, group Events & Celebrations and food & Beverage.
Who are Medieval Times's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Pirates Dinner Adventure, Dolly Parton's Stampede, Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre, The Murder Mystery Company and Tony n' Tina's Wedding. Broad incumbents are Cirque du Soleil, Dave & Buster's, Disney Theme Parks, Great Wolf Lodge and House of Blues.
Does Medieval Times have an API?
No public API is recorded for Medieval Times.
What industry is Medieval Times in?
Medieval Times's product category is Live Dinner Theater Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAL, Supper Clubs & Dinner-Theater Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 71111 and its SIC code is 5810.