Matt Eckert Holiday WorldProSlide’s® focus on constant innovation is one of the things that drives our ongoing relationship, they are always bringing us new ideas that other ride manufacturers simply don’t consider.
World’s First Theme Park Never Stops Transforming
Holiday World is considered to be the world’s first theme park and, according to two recent online polls (conducted by USA Today™ and TripAdvisor®), its adjacent water park, Splashin’ Safari, is ranked among the best of America’s 1,200 water parks. Pretty impressive for a park in a small Midwestern American town called Santa Claus, Indiana; population 2,500.
So how has this water park – which is only open for half of the year – managed to enjoy such success over the past 25 years? According to Matt Eckert, President & CEO, success can be attributed to:
- Honoring its storied history
- Having a passion for delivering family fun in a safe, clean and friendly manner
- Being dedicated to constant innovation
Delivering excitement on a foundation built for family fun
The idea for Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari was inspired by a father’s desire to bring family fun – and Santa – to America’s heartland.
Louis J. Koch, a retired industrialist from nearby Evansville, first visited the town of Santa Claus in 1941. According to Eckert, “Mr. Koch had a large family, with nine children. He envisioned a theme park for Santa Claus, Indiana, because he was concerned about children’s disappointment while visiting the town and discovering that Santa didn’t live there.”