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Highland Lakes · 10am–10pm

Since 1878

We were carpenters first.

Fox Amusements began as Fox Creek Construction in Iowa — houses, storefronts, and, eventually, wooden roller coasters.

Fox Creek Construction was founded in Iowa in 1878. The early work was homes and businesses. Then a small trolley-stop park hired the crew to raise a roller coaster. That job led to another, then another: new wood, rebuilt wood, restored wood, from the Midwest out across the country. The company became the shop you called when a classic coaster needed to stand another season.

Operating a park was never the plan until Shoreview was. The historic Iowa trolley park was at risk of disappearing, so Fox Creek bought it to keep it. Running one old park well led to other preservation work, and then to other properties, including the California park that became Highland Lakes Resort — still one of the largest theme parks in the country.

The name changed to Fox Amusements when the amusement work outgrew the construction sign. Two parks were built from a bare field: Miller’s Hollow in Iowa, at the start of the Oregon and Moorman Trails, and Expedition Point in Florida. Indoor water parks and hotels followed. With South Metro Studios we are now rebuilding SMS California into California Spectrum Resort — Hollywood, the boardwalk, and the old studio lot on one piece of ground.

Fox Amusements
  1. 1878Fox Creek Construction founded in Iowa — homes and businesses.
  2. 1900sFirst wooden coaster for a trolley-stop park; restoration work spreads nationwide.
  3. 1975Shoreview purchased to preserve Iowa’s historic trolley park.
  4. 1994Company renamed Fox Amusements as the parks become the work.
  5. 2001Highland Lakes Resort joins the family.
  6. 2010sMiller’s Hollow and Expedition Point open from the ground up.
  7. 2022Partnership with South Metro Studios to rebuild SMS California as California Spectrum Resort.
  8. 2026Fox Amusements aquires 3 motels on the gulf coast of Texas and takes over management of Gulf Coast Boardwal.

How we run

What we won’t give up.

  • History still matters

    We learned the business standing under a trestle. Restoration and preservation is not a side project, it is who we are.

  • Save what you can

    Shoreview was bought so it would not vanish. That instinct still runs the company.

  • Build when you must

    Miller’s Hollow and Expedition Point prove we can raise a park from a field, not only inherit one.

  • A good supper

    Deep dish, Texas barbecue, an English pub, an 80s diner — parks that send you out hungry have failed the assignment.

Visit

The map is wide.

Headquarters remains in Shoreview, Iowa, beside the trolley park we bought to save.

California holds Highland Lakes, Carbon Canyon City, and California Spectrum with Surf City USA.

Fox Hollow, Tennessee, is music and history, with Redtail Park and Buccaneer Bay next door.

Miller’s Hollow and Buccaneer Harbor cover Iowa’s trail country. Expedition Point is the Florida adventure park. Fox Stone Harbor keeps the Great Lakes. Gulf Coast Boardwalk holds the Texas pier. Brushy Creek is the Carolina woods.

(555) 867-5309 · fox@foxamusements.com

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