Next ‘Fest: May 30-31, 2026 | Crowne Plaza Louisville Hotel
Weekend after Memorial Day
SEARCH THE SITE:
PLAN YOUR WEEKEND
Click an icon to learn more.
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: $151 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 2026 GUESTS
Guests will sign autographs at their table or at posted times!
VE NEILL
Make-Up Artist, Actress, Producer: Star Trek The Motion Picture, Pirates of the Caribbean, Galaxy Quest, Beetlejuice
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: Friday, May 29th from 2-8pm and Saturday, May 30th, 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 1,085 entries in 2025, it filled an entire ballroom and featured some of the best modeling we’ve ever seen.
MUST-SEE PROGRAMMING
Click an icon to learn more.
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 36th 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.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
They help make this event possible!
WONDERFEST LATEST NEWS
From our Facebook feed...
GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT: GREG KULON
KING KONG (1933) was Ground Zero for fans of stop motion creatures. Returning guest author GREG KULON never lost touch with that love of stop-motion, which led to writing his book, "Willis O’Brien — Lost Worlds, Giant Apes and Dinosaurs, Volume One." It was subtitled, "From Thomas Edison to King Kong." Now Volume Two is out, subtitled "From She Who Must Be Obeyed to Mr. Joseph Young of Africa"--and it boasts a forward by Vanessa Harryhausen!
Greg will a bring a limited quantity of copies for sale at WonderFest, and will sign yours if you already purchased it. He'll also host a panel about the books.
Greg has shared items from his collection for use in book and video projects, as well as special museum exhibits. He co-curated the exhibit “King Kong at 90: Visualization in the Art of Stop-Motion Animation” held at Eastern Michigan University in 2023, and items from his collection have been displayed at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. You've likely seen his articles in Filmfax, The Dark Side, and Infinity, and several were nominated for Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.
WonderFest is May 30-31, the weekend after Memorial Day, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville, KY.
Read more about Greg and find show details at: www.wonderfest.com
#wonderfest2026 #wonderfesthobbyexpo #kingkong
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT:
We're just 'beaming' to welcome back concept artist DAREN DOCHTERMAN! Daren has contributed to the STAR TREK 60-year legacy as a Production Designer for the Roddenberry Archive. He may be best known for his work as Visual Effects Supervisor for Robert Wise on the Director's Edition of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, where he was once again part of the team to upgrade the movie to 4K video! His work is featured on STAR TREK PICARD, WESTWORLD, STAR TREK BEYOND, BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, TRON: LEGACY, PASSENGERS, and MASTER AND COMMANDER.
Daren's part of the Inglorious Treksperts podcast, as well as the Weirded Beardos podcast with past WF guest Kirk Thatcher!
WonderFest is May 30-31, the weekend after Memorial Day, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville, KY.
Find show details at: www.wonderfest.com
#wonderfest2026 #DarenDochterman #wonderfesthobbyexpo #inglorioustreksperts #weirdedbeardos
6 CommentsComment on Facebook
NEW GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT: BEVERLY WASHBURN
Beverly Washburn is perhaps best-known to WonderFest attendees for her role as 'Lieutenant Arlene Galway' on the original STAR TREK series episode "The Deadly Years" (1967). Horror fans know her best for her role in SPIDER BABY, OR THE MADDEST STORY EVER TOLD (1967) with Lon Chaney Jr. Other film credits include a supporting role in the Walt Disney feature OLD YELLER (1957).
Beverly is the author of "Reel Tears: The Beverly Washburn Story, Take Two," which BearManor Media re-released in 2013.
WonderFest is May 30-31, the weekend after Memorial Day, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville, KY.
Find show details at www.wonderfest.com
#beverlywashburn #StarTrek #StarTrek60 #wonderfest2026 #wonderfesthobbyexpo
3 CommentsComment on Facebook
NEW GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT: SANDRA GIMPEL
Sandy Gimpel is a stuntwoman, actor and director. In fact the first stuntwoman ever to get her DGA (Directors Guild of America) card and become a second unit director, breaking the glass ceiling for stunt women.
She was a 'Talosian' under heavy makeup in the STAR TREK pilot “The Cage,” then came back to be the Salt Vampire M-113 in the first broadcast episode, “The Man Trap,” shown on NBC September 8, 1966.
She also appeared in other sci-fi shows of the era. Sandy doubled Bill Mumy’s 'Will Robinson' and played monsters on producer Irwin Allen’s LOST IN SPACE. She worked on the original BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and on BIONIC WOMAN.
Other credits include several Elvis Presley movies, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, GOONIES, THE 'BURBS, and AIRPLANE!
WonderFest is May 30-31, the weekend after Memorial Day, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville, KY.
Find show details at www.wonderfest.com
#sandygimpel #startrek ##wonderfest2026 #wonderfesthobbyexpo
7 CommentsComment on Facebook
NEW GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT: VE NEILL
Our first guest announcement for 2026 is make-up artist, actress and producer VE NEILL. Ve was born in Riverside, California, and is recognized by many for her time as a judge on the popular reality TV series FACE OFF.
Ve has been nominated for and won more Academy Awards for make-up than any other woman. Frequently working with director Tim Burton, she has many iconic movie characters in her credits from Beetlejuice to Captain Jack Sparrow and Edward Scissorhands.
WonderFest is May 30-31, the weekend after Memorial Day, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Louisville, KY.
Find show details at www.wonderfest.com
#veneill #wonderfest2026 #wonderfesthobbyexpo
20 CommentsComment on Facebook