A Guide to The Rollercoasters at Valleyfair! + Hours of Operation + Directions [VIDEOS]

If you have never been to Valleyfair and love the thrill of rollercoaters, here is your guide to the best coasters at Valleyfair! in Shakeopee, MN.

Valleyfair! offers something for everyone: From shopping and food, family rides to live entertainment, kid's rides to the Soak City Waterpark .You might want to make plans to spend the entire day in Shakopee to be able to hit up everything at the park. Bring the SPF, sunglasses, change of close, comfortable walking shoes, and maybe even a blanket it you want to plan a picnic.

Hours: During the summer, Valleyfair! is open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and 10 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturdays. The Soak City Waterpark is open 11 a.m.-8p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m.-7 p.m. on Sundays. Once it gets closer to September the park changes their hours. You can view their daily operating hours here.

Directions to Valleryfair! from the St. Cloud metro: Get on Interstate 94-E. Merge on to Interstate 494-S. Stay on I-494 for 17.7 miles and take the exit for US-169. Take a right and go south on US-169 for 4.6 miles and take the exit for MN-13 towards Savage and Shakeopee. Keep right at the fork and follow signs for Hennepin County 101/Shakopee and merge onto County Highway 101. Valleyfair! will be to the right on Valley Fair Dr. To get directions from a specific location, click here.

Skip The Line: One of the downfalls of any rollercoaster, not just the ones at Valleyfair!, are that they go way to fast! By the time you get off the ride you are ready to go again! May I suggest you picking up a Fast Lane ticket. This wristband allows you to bypass the regular ride line on the 12 most popular rides. The price varies depending on how many you by along with admission. If you go on a really busy day and you want to ride all the rides as many times as possible, I would consider investing the money into the wristband.

The Best Rides: Here are some of the Thrill Rides with what you could experience if you were sitting in the front seat of the ride. If you are not into heights, fast moving, or twist and turns, these videos may not be for you. If you enjoy the thrill rides, sit back, put your hands up, and enjoy the ride!

Wild Thing

Wild Thing is the fastest roller coaster at Valleyfair! At the rides highest point, you are 207 feet in the air. Best part of the ride is the first drop at 200 feet at a 60-degree angle. According to Valleyfair!, Wild Thing also features the longest low-gravity section of any coaster in the world.

Time on Ride: 3 minutes
Height Requirement: 48 inches
Top Speed: 74 mph

Steel Venom

One of the coolest rides at Valleyfair! Steel Venom is a coaster with a U-shaped still track that brings you up in the air with you back to the ground, back down to level, and back up to your back facing the sky. When you sit in the front seat and twist up, you get a thrill, or for some the panic of seeing the very end of the ride way up in the air. When you sit in the very back seat you get the trill of seeing the ground from the very last seat and being the farthest up in the air.

Time on Ride: 1 minute
Height Requirement: 52 inches
Top Speed: 68 mph

Power Tower

Power Tower is the tallest ride in the park, and is 75 feet taller than Wild Thing. According to Valleyfair!, only FAA height regulations from Flying Cloud Airport prevented Power Tower from being even taller. You have two options when riding Power Tower. You can either ride up to the top slowly and then suddenly drop to the ground. Or you can launch up towards the sky and return back down slowly. Both give you a thrill of not knowing when you will launch into the air, or drop to the ground.

Time on Ride: 12 seconds
Height Requirement: 52 inches
Top Speed: 50 mph

Excalibur

Excalibur is built out of wood and at its highest point, you are 100 feet in the air. If you don't like the long drop of the Wild Thing, a less of a drop can be found on Excalibur. The twist and turns bring out the kid in everyone on the ride.

Time on Ride: 2 minutes, 13 seconds
Height Requirement: 48 inches
Top Speed: 54.5 mph

Corkscrew

Corkscrew is the second rollercoaster at Valleyfair!, built in 1980. If you haven't been to the park in awhile, the ride received a paint job. Originally painted white and blue, but is now yellow, orange, and teal. Corkscrew is true to its name. Loops and twists that cover the center of the park. If you like the trill of hanging upside down while you go through a loop, check out Corkscrew.

Time on Ride: 1 minute, 30 seconds
Height Requirement: 48 inches
Top Speed: 50 mph

Renegade

Renegade was built in 2007 and is another wooden coaster that reaches 104 feet in the air. The ride features a twisting first drop that is low to the ground and a high speed S-turn! You feel like you are going to fall out of your seat, but you are safely secure inside the ride.

Time on Ride: 2 minutes
Height Requirement: 48 inches
Top Speed: 52 mph

High Roller

High Roller was built in 1967 when Vallerfair! first opened. Many refer to the ride as the all wooden rollercoaster. As an adult loving the fast speeds, height, loops, and crazy turns, High Roller would be the perfect ride for a child getting their "feet wet" on the more adult rides. At the highest point, High Roller is 70 feet high.

Time on Ride: 1 minute, 44 seconds
Height Requirement: 48 inches
Top Speed: 40 mph