Iowa’s Unlikely Immersive Theme Park: Lost Island

Lost Island: Iowa’s Hidden Gem

As you can tell, Lost Island is far from what you’d expect for a theme park in Iowa. There’s a lot to appreciate.

The individual stories all play a part in the grand theme; that’s why Lost Island is a complete experience. When taking a lap around the park, visitors can discover details that have meaning across every realm. Lost Island, unlike other parks, is not a mishmash of unrelated themed lands; all the realms directly support one another thematically.

Not only is the story that’s cohesive—Lost Island was clearly created under a single vision, and that extends to the look and feel of the park. It’s an artful place to wander.

Lost Island’s flat terrain provides a wide-open layout where you can look across the park and appreciate all there is in a single glance. In a park setup like this, the widespread visuals could have easily clashed or looked cluttered; however, it all seamlessly fits together like a beautiful puzzle. The tight-knit color schemes, the ideally placed rides, the seamless pathways—it all connects wonderfully and purposefully.

This unified theme allows for lively moments that build upon each other. Lost Island is dynamic as the costumed characters travel around every realm and interact with guests. Since the story is all connected, those characters can be in any realm and add to the experience.

The story, the visuals, the characters—it all breathes life into a fairy-tale destination worth visiting time and time again.

Finding Beauty in the Details

Lost Island is more than a collection of rides; it’s a park full of details worth appreciating. Themed light fixtures, decorated pathways, and small frills throughout are as significant as the park’s thrills. The unique soundtrack resounds around Lost Island, echoing the feel-good vibe in every sense.

Lost Island shines with color, and there are delights around every bend. This is a park that can be enjoyed in many ways. It may be by hopping on some rides for the fun of it, and that’s all. Or it may be by fully immersing yourself in the Auk Modu lore. The gift shop even has a translation guide for Lost Island’s original language; now that’s detail.

Finding Hope for Lost Island

Brand-new, independent, story-driven theme parks with this level of quality and detail don’t come around often in the U.S.—especially outside major tourist hubs. It’s surprising to see and special to experience. However, Lost Island still hasn’t reached its full potential. The promising theme park has some room for improvement.

Hopefully, Lost Island Themepark’s attendance numbers will continue to rise. As of the 2023 season, attendance is still light.

On the bright side, low crowds make Lost Island a breeze to visit. Mostly every attraction has a station wait. For those who want a break from busy theme parks or want to marathon every ride, Lost Island is as good as it gets.

Lost Island, though, has been criticized for its lack of shade. That’s somewhat to be expected for a ground-up park built on a soybean field, but it’s also valid criticism. The landscaping, while very nice, is still new and leaves the park somewhat bare. The trees, however, should grow and provide more shade in the coming seasons, also filling in the adventure theme.

The park is starting to get more established as it’s making steady improvements each year. Lost Island is said to get some theming upgrades, more shade installed, and general adjustments to elevate the guest experience. That’s just the short-term—in the long-term, Lost Island has expansion pads for several major additions if the park continues to grow.

With the possibility of new attractions as well as the emphasis on original storytelling, Lost Island is a place theme park fans should be rooting for. This park is what themed entertainment is all about.

The Cream of the Crop

Overall, Lost Island is a joy to visit. It’s also worth mentioning the employees are all welcoming, the food is incredible, and the park is very clean. There is much to compliment, but in short, Lost Island truly impresses in every way.

What Lost Island was able to create without a team of Imagineers is amazing. Building Lost Island Themepark was a risk; but, as an independent project, it’s definitely an accomplishment—one that hopefully finds its way like the water park eventually did.

Lost Island has elements comparable to the world’s elite theme parks. This park is like a little piece of Orlando bloomed in the Midwest. The Bertch family achieved their goal of bringing world-class entertainment to their neighbors in Iowa and to those passing through the area. The park is still being nourished and is growing, but it’s definitely the cream of the crop.

From a soybean field to an imaginary world of its own—Lost Island Themepark has an unlikely story, but sometimes, the best adventures can be found in the most unlikely places.