Adventureland
Adventureland Resort (often referred to as Adventureland for short) is a theme park in Altoona, Iowa (just northeast of Des Moines). The pick nearby is Casey's Center, 7.6 mi off. Its mildest months, May, June, August, September and October, bring highs of 63–83°F.
A theme park inside Altoona
Places to stay next door
Heartland Inn Altoona Iowa Hotel is 0.2 miles away; Best Western Plus Altoona Inn (0.2 mi) and Motel 6 Altoona (0.4 mi) are close too. 21 places to stay are within 4 miles. Hotels nearby ↓
Check the season before you go
Most theme parks this far north close for the winter. Check the park’s calendar for opening days. When to go ↓
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 13°, with about 25" of snow a year. When to go ↓
50 rides and 7 roller coasters
Including 24 water rides, on 180 acres. Open since 1974. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 63–83°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
Use the months below to time a visit to Adventureland.
Adventureland
Adventureland Resort (often referred to as Adventureland for short) is a theme park in Altoona, Iowa (just northeast of Des Moines). It is marketed as the Home of Iowa's Best Thrills.
- Type
- Theme park
- Rides
- 50 · 7 roller coasters · 24 water rides
- Opened
- 1974
- Area
- 180 acres
- Owner
- Herschend
- Wikipedia readers
- 19K a year
Where to sleep by Adventureland
Inside 4 miles you will find 21 places to stay. Closest is Heartland Inn Altoona Iowa Hotel, 0.2 miles away.
Closest places to stay
- 1Heartland Inn Altoona Iowa Hotelhotel · 0.2 mi southwestDirections
- 2Best Western Plus Altoona Innhotel · 0.2 mi southwestDirections
- 3Motel 6 Altoonamotel · 0.4 mi northDirections
- 4Quality Inn & Suiteshotel · 0.4 mi northeastDirections
- 5My Place Hotelhotel · 0.6 mi northeastDirections
- 6Triple Crown Buffethotel · 0.6 mi eastDirections
- 7Super 8hotel · 0.7 mi northeastDirections
- 8Hyatt Place Altoona Des Moineshotel · 0.8 mi westDirections
- 9Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Des Moines Altoonahotel · 0.8 mi westDirections
- 10La Quinta by Wyndham Altoona Des Moineshotel · 0.9 mi northeastDirections
Places to eat nearby
73 restaurants, cafés and bars within 1½ miles
Compare 8 towns to stay in
| Town | From Adventureland | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altoona | in town | — | 13 10 hotels · 1 motel · 2 RV parks | 22,796 | $275K | C+ |
| Des Moines | 8 mi southwest | 10 min | 64 45 hotels · 9 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds | 212,086 | $195K | D |
| Ankeny | 7 mi northwest | 10 min | 30 28 hotels · 1 motel · 1 campground | 77,833 | $331K | B− |
| West Des Moines | 16 mi southwest | 25 min | 32 29 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 74,224 | $309K | C+ |
| Saylorville | 7 mi west | 10 min | 7 5 hotels · 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins | 3,366 | $314K | — |
| Urbandale | 15 mi west | 20 min | 17 15 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B | 48,570 | $336K | B+ |
| Pleasant Hill | 4 mi south | 5 min | 4 3 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 11,239 | $295K | — |
| Johnston | 12 mi west | 20 min | 6 5 hotels · 1 campground | 25,065 | $369K | B+ |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
After Adventureland
These lie within 27 miles as the crow flies.
8 mi Stadium & arenaCasey's Center
7 mi MuseumIowa State Capitol
11 mi MuseumDes Moines Art Center
9 mi Stadium & arenaDrake Stadium
11 mi Zoo & aquariumBlank Park Zoo
26 mi Stadium & arenaHilton Coliseum
8 mi MuseumPappajohn Sculpture Park
14 mi MuseumLiving History FarmsPhoto credits
Casey's Center: Iowahwyman at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Iowa State Capitol: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Des Moines Art Center: Nhandler at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Drake Stadium: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain · Blank Park Zoo: Lawrence Lansing, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hilton Coliseum: Johannes Cater--Jaretac (talk) 15:14, 17 June 2009 (UTC), Public domain · Pappajohn Sculpture Park: Dsmspence, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Living History Farms: Dennis Bratland, CC BY-SA 4.0
What people ask about Adventureland
Is Adventureland open in winter?
Most theme parks this far north close for the winter. Check the park’s calendar for opening days.
Is Adventureland in Altoona?
Yes. It’s inside Altoona, IA.
When is the best time to visit Adventureland?
May, June, August, September and October, with highs of 63–83°.
What is the closest airport to Adventureland?
Des Moines (DSM), about 12 miles away.
How many roller coasters does Adventureland have?
7, among 50 rides (including 24 water rides).
What hotels are near Adventureland?
Heartland Inn Altoona Iowa Hotel (0.2 mi), Best Western Plus Altoona Inn (0.2 mi) and Motel 6 Altoona (0.4 mi). 21 places to stay are within 4 miles.
Ask a local in Altoona
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in Altoona’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.