WonderFest USA – A weekend of hobby fun!

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Next ‘Fest: May 30-31, 2026 | Crowne Plaza Louisville Hotel

SEARCH THE SITE:

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

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Tickets

Sold at the door only.
Adults: $40 for 1-day, $55 for 2-days.
Ages 4 to 12: $15 for 1-day, $25 for 2-days
Age 3 and under free.
Ticket booth hours…

Hotel & Restaurant

Special WonderFest room rate at the Crowne: $149 per night! It’s convenient to stay in our show hotel with an award-winning restaurant
Reserve a room online…

Louisville Attractions

Bring your family and take extra time to visit exciting tourism sites in and around Louisville. Go exploring the Bourbon Trails and more.
Fun in Louisville…

MEET THE 2025 GUESTS

Guests will sign autographs at their table or at posted times!

ROBIN CURTIS

Actress: Star Trek III & IV, TNG, Unification, Babylon 5, Space Above and Beyond

JOHN DUGAN

Actor, producer, stunts: Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Monstrosity, Butcher Boys, Stephen King's The Boogeyman

LEW TEMPLE

Actor: The Walking Dead, The Devil's Rejects, Unstoppable, Waitress

SEAN HOUSE

Art Dept., Special and Visual Effects: Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One, Jurassic World, Transformers: Age of Extinction

JOE ALVES

Production Designer & Director: JAWS, JAWS 2, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Escape from New York

GREG NICOTERO

Director, Producer, Makeup: Creepshow, Walking Dead, Evil Dead

MARTA KRISTEN KANE

Actress: Lost in Space, Man from U.N.C.L.E, Murphy Brown

RICO E. ANDERSON

Actor: Truth Be Told, The Orville, Star Trek Renegades, S.W.A.T., Star Trek 2009

MIKE CUSANELLI

Sculptor: Hasbro, Kenner, Mattel, Playmates, Solar Wind, Tweeterhead, Bowen Designs, Danger Island Models

JOHN EBLAN

Designer, engineer, modelmaker, Star Wars, Star Trek, Indiana Jones

KEN PALKOW

Movie prop & weapon maker: Fallout, Deadpool 1 & 2, Star Trek Beyond

GREG KULON

Author: "Willis O’Brien — Lost Worlds, Giant Apes and Dinosaurs, Volume One."

FRANK DIETZ

Actor, Writer, Animator, Producer, Director: Creepshow, I Hate Kids, Black Roses, Zombie Nightmare

NICK TATE

Actor: SPACE: 1999, Lost, Pretty Little Liars, The Devil's Playground, The Blacklist

JEFFREY MORRIS

Writer, director, designer; The Eagle Obsession

DAREN DOCHTERMAN

Concept Artist, Visual Effects, Art Direction

SAM IRVIN

Director: Elvira's Haunted Hills; Author: The Epic Saga Behind 'Frankenstein: The True Story'

RICK STERNBACH

Designer, Star Trek TMP, Voyager, DS9, Last Starfighter

WILLIAM STOUT

Paleo Artist & Production Design, Return of the Living Dead

THE AMAZING MODEL CONTEST

Greatest in the World for Imaginative Modelers!

The WonderFest “Amazing” Model Contest is focused on all types of science-fiction, horror and comics models. It’s the biggest contest of its type in America, and it’s fun to look at even if you don’t build models yourself!

The contest is sponsored by Amazing Figure Modeler magazine, which is providing a special $300 award for the Most Amazing Figure!

Entry Hours: Saturday, May 31st, from 8 a.m. ’til Noon

$20.00 per first 2 models for adults, up to 8 additional entries free
$12.00 per first 2 models for teens, up to 8 add’l entries free (ages 13-19)
Free for ages 12 & under

With over 1,118 entries in 2024, it filled an entire ballroom and featured some of the best modeling we’ve ever seen.

HOW TO ENTER, CATEGORIES & RULES

MUST-SEE PROGRAMMING

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How-To Demos

All weekend! Learn techniques from other great modelers! Demos last from 30 minutes to an hour. Become a better modeler!
More info…

Iron Modeler

Teams are given a “base model,” a big pile of parts, and 4 hours to build the craziest model with only what they’ve got. Best model & presentation wins!
More info…

The Rondo Awards

4pm Saturday! Fandom’s only classic horror awards—decided by fans. Recognize the best in print, film, web, art, media, toys and models!
More info…

Sunday Wrap Party

Sunday night at 7:30 celebrate the end of the show with exclusive programming! Optional a la carte food and cash bar.
More info…

WHAT IS WONDERFEST?

A weekend of wonder in Louisville!

WonderFest is a weekend of hobby escape that’s held every Summer in Louisville, Kentucky USA!

Now in its 35th year, WonderFest features movie special effects guests, the largest model contest in the U.S. for sci-fi, horror & comics-related subjects, model and toy dealers galore, and seminars to entertain and improve hobbyists of all ages!

It’s always held at our mothership, the Crowne Plaza Louisville Airport Hotel, 830 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209.

TICKETS & HOTEL RESERVATIONS