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Guide to Herschend Family Entertainment
Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE) is a themed entertainment company that operates properties in the United States and Canada. The company’s history dates back to when Hugo and Mary Herschend vacationed in the Ozark Mountains and obtained a 99-year lease on the Marvel Cave in Branson, Missouri. To increase attendance at the attraction, a small frontier town called “Silver Dollar City” was built to entertain visitors to the cave. Silver Dollar City was then developed as a theme park, and the company grew to acquire many properties, including Dollywood (originally “Silver Dollar City, Tennessee”), in 1977.
In 2025, Herschend acquired the United States attractions from Palace Entertainment, a subsidiary of Parques Reunidos. Palace Entertainment was founded in 1988 as a parent company to five family entertainment brands: Camelot Parks, Palace Park, Boomers!, Grand Prix Race-O-Rama, and Family Fun Center. In 2007, the Kennywood Entertainment Company sold its properties (Kennywood, Idlewild and Soak Zone, Sandcastle Waterpark, Lake Compounce, and Story Land) to Parques Reuinidos, and they were later incorporated into Palace Entertainment. Palace Entertainment acquired many properties, including Dutch Wonderland in 2010 and Adventureland in 2021.
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🚨 On March 18, 2025, Herschend has agreed with Parques Reuinidos to acquire all of Palace Entertainment’s U.S. entertainment properties. Read about the acquisition. This list includes all of those properties.
In addition to their parks, Herschend owns several aquariums and zoos, standalone attractions, family entertainment centers, dinner shows, hotel and lodging entities, and the Harlem Globetrotters.
Herschend map of properties prior to the acquisition of Palace Entertainment.
Adventureland
Altoona, Iowa
Opening date: August 1974
Lodging: Adventureland Campground
Area: 180 acres
Castle Park
Riverside, California
Opening date: 1976
Area: 25 acres
Dollywood
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Opening date: June 10, 1961
Water park: Dollywood’s Splash Country
Lodging: Dollywood Cabins, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge and Resort
Dinner shows (off-site): Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Pirates Voyage, Hatfield & McCoys
Area: 150-160 acres
Dutch Wonderland
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Opening date: May 20, 1963
Lodging: Cartoon Network Hotel, Old Mill Steam Campground
Area: 48 acres
Idlewild and Soak Zone
Ligonier, Pennsylvania
Opening date: 1878
Kennywood – Park Rovers Guide to Kennywood
West Mifflin, Pennsylvania
Opening date: May 30, 1898
Area: 80 acres
Kentucky Kingdom*
Louisville, Kentucky
Opening date: May 23, 1987
Water park: Hurricane Bay
Area: 67 acres
*Owned by the Kentucky State Fair Board but operated by Herschend
Lake Compounce
Bristol, Connecticut
Opening date: 1846
Lodging: Lake Compunce Campground
Area: 332 acres
Noah’s Ark Water Park
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Opening date: 1979
Lodging: Flamingo Motel & Suites
Area: 70 acres
Raging Waters Los Angeles
San Dimas, Los Angeles County, California
Opening date: June 18, 1983
Raging Waters San Jose
East San Jose, California
Opening date: June 18, 1983
Sandcastle Waterpark
West Homestead, Pennsylvania
Opening date: July 1989
Silver Dollar City
Branson, Missouri
Opening date: May 1, 1960
Water park: White Water Branson (off-site, separate admission)
Lodging: Silver Dollar City Campground
Dinner shows (off-site): Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Showboat Branson Belle
Area: 61 acres
Splish Splash (water park)
Riverhead, New York
Opening date: May 1991
Area: 96 acres
Storyland
Glen, New Hampshire
Opening date: 1954
Note: The Living Shores Aquarium is adjacent to the park.
Water Country (water park)
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Opening date: June 20, 1984
Wet'n Wild Emerald Pointe (water park)
Greensboro, North Carolina
Opening date: September 1983
Wild Aventures
Valdosta, Georgia
Opening date: May 1996
Water park: Splash Island
Area: 1566 acres
Former Herschend Amusement Park & Water Park Properties
Celebration City
Branson, Missouri
Years operated: 2002 – 2008
Darien Lake*
Darien, New York
Years operated: 2011 – 2014
*Operation and management only
Elitch Gardens*
Denver Colorado
Years operated: 2011 – 2013
*Operation and management only
Hawaiian Falls water parks
Hawaiian Falls Dallas(operated 1984 – 1999)
Hawaiian Falls Garland (operated 1982 –1995)
Hawaiian Falls The Colony (operated 1982 – 1985)
White Water Bay water parks
White Water Atlanta (operated 1984 – 1999) & Amerian Adventures children’s amusement park (operated 1990 – 1999)
White Water Garland (operated 1982 –1995)
White Water Grand Prairie (operated 1982 – 1985)
White Water Oklahoma City (operated 1981 – 1991)
Former Palace Entertainment Amusement Park & Water Park Properties
Jazzland
New Orleans, Louisiana
Years operated: 2000 – 2002
Mountain Creek Water Park
Vernon Township, New Jersey
Years operated: 1978 – 2011
Raging Waters Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Years operated: 1986 – 2022
Waterworld California
Concord, California
Years operated: 2011 – 2017
Wet N’ Wild Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Years operated: 2002 – 2004
Wild Waters Water Park
Silver Springs, Florida
Years operated: 1978 – 2013