WonderFest USA – A weekend of hobby fun!

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

Weekend after Memorial Day

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: $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

BARBARA LUNA

Actress: Star Trek "Mirror, Mirror," Buck Rogers, Outer Limits, One Life to Live, Hawaii Five-O

BEVERLY WASHBURN

Actress: Star Trek "The Deadly Years," Spider Baby, Old Yeller

SANDRA GIMPEL

Stuntwoman, actress, director: Star Trek, Lost in Space, Battlestar Galactica

MARTA KRISTEN KANE

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

DAREN DOCHTERMAN

Concept Artist, Visual Effects, Art Direction

JOHN GOODWIN

Makeup Artist: Men in Black, John Carpenter's The Thing, Tales of Frankenstein

GREG KULON

Author: "Willis O’Brien — Lost Worlds, Giant Apes and Dinosaurs," Volumes 1 & 2"

RICK STERNBACH

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

VICTORIA PRICE

Designer, author, and speaker: Vincent Price: A Daughter’s Biography, The Way of Being Lost

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.

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 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.

TICKETS & HOTEL RESERVATIONS