Wild Adventures Theme Park – Ultimate Guide to Family Fun
What do you get when you combine roller coasters, a water park, and exotic animals? You get Wild Adventures! Learn more about visiting Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia in this comprehensive guide.
Wild Adventures Theme Park is an amazing place to take your family for the ultimate thrill-seeking experience. From top-notch roller coasters and water rides to fun family attractions and exotic animals, this wild and wonderful amusement park is fun for the whole family.
In this ultimate guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about visiting Wild Adventures, from which rides to ride to can’t-miss holiday events to unique animal encounters.
About Wild Adventures Theme Park
Wild Adventures Theme Park is a 170-acre zoological theme park in Valdosta, Georgia.
The park has 6 roller coasters, tons of thrill rides, exotic animals, the Splash Island Waterpark, and concerts throughout the year. The park also features other attractions like holiday theme attractions, and rotating exhibits.
Kent and Dawn Buescher started the Wild Adventures Theme Park on a plot of farm land outside of Valdosta, Georgia in 1996. The park began as a small petting zoo but soon added rides in 1998.
In 2003, Wild Adventures opened the Splash Island Waterpark, which has been the park’s largest expansion and includes several water slides and attractions. Parts of the ending to the 2009 movie Zombieland were filmed at Wild Adventures as the park where the undead cornered the main characters.
Exploring Wild Adventures Theme Park
This 170-acre zoological theme park has over 40 thrilling rides and attractions, a water park, and hundreds of native and exotic animals. Explore this popular park and see what’s in store for your day of fun.
Theme Park Rides
The park has 29 thrill rides, 12 of which are good for young kids, and 6 of which are roller coasters.
There are roller coasters, flying rides, swings, towers, trains, Ferris Wheels, bumper cars, and more. Popular rides include the Boomerang, the Rattler, Swamp Thing, Twisted Typhoon, and Swingin’ Safari.
Since this is a smaller amusement park, you’ll never have to wait in long lines like those of Six Flags or Disney World. The most we had to wait was an extra couple minutes for the front of the ride. And since there are only 6 roller coasters, it’s not difficult to try them all in a single day.
The rest of the thrill rides are more numerous and would be harder to complete a full round of. Luckily, you can purchase a ticket with a free consecutive day, so you can come back for a second day of fun!
Splash Island Waterpark
The waterpark has 10 slides and water attractions, 6 of which are perfect for young kids.
The 27-acre Splash Island Waterpark is the perfect way to beat the heat in the summer. It’s been voted one of the Top 30 Waterparks in the country.
There are slides, rapids, pools, and rivers to explore. Popular rides include the Bonzai Pipelines, Kona Cliffs, Catch-A-Wave Bay wave pool, Paradise River lazy river, and Ohana Bay for the little ones.
You can also reserve your own space with a private cabana or lounger.
Animal Park
Wild Adventures’ zoo has lots of native and exotic animals for you to discover!
The highlight for me was, of course, the black bear. But they have tons of other animals too.
Other animals in the zoo area of the park include water buffalo, capybara, coatimundi, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, lions, and a lot of exotic birds and reptiles.
There is also the Liberty Farms Petting Zoo, paying homage to the park’s humble beginnings, where you can feed the goats (they will swarm you for the food, so this doesn’t take very long at all!). And you can feed alligators and birds (the birds also swarm, but they take a lot longer to finish off their food).
Probably the most popular animal encounter is feeding the giraffes at the Wanyama Observation Deck & Botanical Garden. You get to fee the giraffes lettuce leaves and take pictures feeding them!
More Family Attractions
Wild Adventures has plenty of attractions. There are several Outposts that have kiddie rides and play areas. There’s an Adventure Arcade, a Big Bounce and a Lil Bounce bounce house, face painting stations, Gator Games carnival games, and the Geronimo skydiving/hang-gliding ride.
Wild Adventures Christmas Wild & Bright
Wild Adventures Christmas Wild & Bright is the theme park’s holiday extravaganza. It’s the largest and brightest Christmas event in South Georgia!
They decorate the park with over 2 million lights. You can walk through light displays like the Wonder Walk, the Tunnel of Starts, the Woodland Outpost, the Glimmer Grove, and the Twinkling Timbers, see the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony each night, and watch the Carol of the Animals Lake Show synchronized light show set to music.
There are meet-and-greets with Santa and holiday characters, holiday shows and plays, special holiday treats at the restaurants, s’mores stations, and more.
You get access to all of this plus all the park’s regular daytime attractions. So you can spend the day riding thrill rides, and then enjoy a holiday spectacular when the sun goes down!
Things to Do at Wild Adventures Theme Park
Discover more things to see and do on your visit to Wilde Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia.
Live Entertainment and Shows
Throughout the season, Wild Adventures holds live performances and concerts featuring well-known and up-and-coming singers and musicians.
These performances are featured at the Wild Adventures LIVE! Amphitheater and at the Water’s Edge lakeside stage at the heart of the park.
Animal Encounters and Keeper Talks
Get up close and personal with the animals during animal encounters, feedings, and keeper talks with animals ranging from spider monkeys to tigers.
Eat Your Way Around the Park
Wild Adventures has tons of food options for you to choose from:
- Backstage Catering
- Congo Wings
- Dippin’ Dots
- Jungle ICEE
- Lonstar BBQ
- Mayfield Ice Cream Shop
- Outpost Canteen
- Paradise Pizza
- Pounce’s Pizza
- Refill & Refresh
- Safari Burger
- Splash Snacks
- Sugar Shack
- Surfside Cafe
- The Grill at Wanyama
- The Island Chicken Fry Co.
- Typhoon Tacos
- Water’s Edge Brews & Bites
Shop for Gifts and Souvenirs
You can do plenty of shopping for the best gifts and souvenirs at the park. There are plenty of stores to choose from:
- Adventure Emporium
- Expedition Market
- Safari Outfitters
- Waterside Streets
- Wave Gear
Attend a Special Seasonal Event
Wild Adventures isn’t just for the summer! When the season is over, there are still special seasonal events going on.
During the summer, you can enjoy the popular Wild Food Weekends. In October, attend the Great Pumpkin LumiNights. For holiday fun, attend the Wild Adventures Christmas Wild & Bright. And for New Year’s, you can enjoy the Family First Night Celebration.
Visiting Wild Adventures Theme Park
Address: 3766 Old Clyattville Rd, Valdosta, GA 31601
Admission: General admission costs $45.99 when you buy 7+ days in advance online, $50.99 when you buy 2-6 days in advance online, and $59.99 for ages 10-54 and $49.99 for children ages 3-9 and seniors 55+ when you buy at the gate.
Admission includes entry to Wild Adventures Theme Park and Splash Island Waterpark, plus animal exhibits, live shows, and special events.
You can also get Admission + Next Day Free, which gives you entry to the park on the next operating day after your initial visit.
The park also offers discounted admission for military.
You can leave the park and re-enter the same day as long as you get your hand stamped at the exit.
Hours: Operating dates and hours vary throughout the season. You can check the calendar here for current hours. Wild Adventures Theme Park’s season runs from March to December, while Splash Island Water Park’s season runs from April to September.
Parking: Parking costs $18 per vehicle. You can save $3 when you purchase your parking in advance.
Where to Stay Near Wild Adventures Theme Park
Find the perfect place to rest your head on your visit to Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, from the top rated accommodations to unique stays you can’t get anywhere else.
- Top Hotel: Hampton Inn Suites Valdosta Conference Center
- Great Value: Best Western Plus Valdosta Hotel & Suites
- Unique Stay: Classic/Modern Downtown Home In Valdosta
- Closest Hotel: Travelers Inn Valdosta
Wild Adventures Theme Park FAQ
What movie was filmed at Wild Adventures in Valdosta, GA?
Zombieland was filmed at Wilde Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia.
How many rides are there at Wild Adventures Theme Park?
The park has over 40 thrill rides and attractions. These include 6 roller coasters and 10 water slides.
Can I buy concert-only tickets to Wild Adventures?
Wild Adventures’ concert venue is located inside the theme park and they do not offer “concert-only” tickets. You should plan to enjoy a full day at the park on concert days.
Can I bring food and drinks into Wild Adventures Theme Park?
You can bring 1 sealed bottle of water per person into the park. There are water fountains available around the park. Aside from baby food, you cannot bring any outside food or drinks into the park.
Can I bring a backpack into Wild Adventures Theme Park?
You can bring a backpack, however it may be searched before you enter the park.
More Things to Do in Valdosta, Georgia
Explore more fun things to do in and around Valdosta with these helpful itineraries:
- 3 Bars for a Fun Night Out in Valdosta, Georgia
- 10 Most Unusual Roadside Attractions in Georgia
- 10 Best Things to Do in Douglas, Georgia
- Wild Adventures Christmas Wild & Bright Review
Ready to visit Valdosta, Georgia? Plan your trip with these tips.
- Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
- Find Accommodation: You can find top hotels in Valdosta using Hotels.com.
- Start Packing: Check out my packing list resources so you’re prepared for your trip.
Cheers!
Paige
Have you visited Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia? Let me know in the comments!
Wild Adventures was definitely a hidden gem during my residency in Valdosta (I was once stationed there in the Air Force). A small-town amusement park in a small town…very folksy. I met Rihanna there in 2006 during one of her first-ever concerts.
That’s very cool! I’m always surprised by who they’ve had perform there because they definitely were able to get some big names before they got really big.