Next ‘Fest: May 31-June 1, 2025 | Crowne Plaza Louisville Hotel
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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!
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
MIKE CUSANELLI
Sculptor: Hasbro, Kenner, Mattel, Playmates, Solar Wind, Tweeterhead, Bowen Designs, Danger Island Models
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
- $17.00 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.
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.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
They help make this event possible!
WONDERFEST LATEST NEWS
From our Facebook feed...
WonderFest fans who met Vanessa Harryhausen and Connor Heaney last year won't want to miss this exhibition here in the USA of some of Ray Harryhausen's most famous creations. Check it out!
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GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT: SEAN HOUSE
First-time WonderFest guest SEAN HOUSE currently works at Skywalker Ranch for the soon to be completed Lucas Museum of Narrative Art as a research archivist, researching and cataloging the Lucas Film Archives. During his varied career he's been a visual effects and physical effects coordinator, model maker, on-set dresser, property master, and now archivist!
His vast movie credits include "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker," "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," "The Fast and the Furious 8," "Jurassic World," "Transformers: Age of Extinction," "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," "Terminator: Salvation," "Matrix: Reloaded/Revolutions," and many more.
Read more about Sean and find show details at: www.wonderfest.com
#wonderfest2025 #wonderfesthobbyexpo #starwars
1 CommentComment on Facebook
Very cool!
GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT: MIKE CUSANELLI
A legendary sculptor for our hobby, MIKE CUSANELLI has worked for Hasbro, Hasbro Europe, Kenner, Mattel, Playmates, Toy Max, as well as Gallo Pewter and Soldat. When Ken Ellis left Hasbro in 1995, he and Mike began a working partnership that led to the creation of Solar Wind Productions, which continued until Ken retired in 2015.
Mike created deluxe resin model figure kits for Tweeterhead, as well as pre-painted statue masters. He worked for Bowen Designs in their final years, and credits Randy Bowen as a master art director who taught him a great deal about the art of sculpture.
Recently, Mike's been working with Danger Island Models, Jeff Wehenkel and Steve Smith’s company: “an exciting new chapter of my life getting to create new sculptures/resin kits in a traditional way.”
Mike Cusanelli's WonderFest appearance is sponsored by Danger Island Models.
Read more about Mike and find show details at: www.wonderfest.com
#wonderfest2025 #wonderfesthobbyexpo #mikecusanelli #dangerislandmodels
1 CommentComment on Facebook
Great guest ! Never met him but his work is great ..see ya there !
GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT: GREG KULON
KING KONG (1933) was Ground Zero for fans of stop motion creatures. Author GREG KULON never lost touch with that love of stop-motion, which led to writing his new book, "Willis O’Brien — Lost Worlds, Giant Apes and Dinosaurs, Volume One."
Greg will a bring a limited quantity of copies for sale at WonderFest, and will sign yours if you already purchased it. We're excited he'll also host a panel about the book and give us a sneak preview of what's coming in volume two.
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.
Read more about Greg and find show details at: www.wonderfest.com
#wonderfest2025 #wonderfesthobbyexpo #kingkong
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Looking forward to this panel! Gregory Kulon
Can’t wait to be there!
GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT: JOE ALVES!
We're gonna need a bigger boat! Just in time for the 50th anniversary of JAWS, we welcome back Academy Award-nominated Art Director, Production Designer and Director, Joe Alves.
He'll be celebrating the arrival of his new book, "Joe Alves Adventures in Film Design." He'll have plenty of material to share from his films, like CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, JAWS 2, JAWS 3D, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, and even FORBIDDEN PLANET! Joe is a great storyteller, loves signing autographs, and enjoys meeting movie fans.
Joe will be joined by his collaborator, author Dennis L. Prince, writer/compiler of the Joe Alves' "CE3K Production Scrapbook." They'll both be on hand to sign their books at WonderFest!
Read more about Joe and find show details at: www.wonderfest.com
#wonderfest2025 #wonderfesthobbyexpo #joealves #jaws #jawsmovie #ce3k
5 CommentsComment on Facebook
Will they have their book there to buy?
I bought some prints of his amazing illustrations from Jaws a few years ago. Legend!
Best news ever!!!!!