Where To Watch
Did you ever visit these defunct theme parks?
Thrill rides and lazy rivers, and they're all gone for good!
While amusement parks may shudder their doors, memories can still last a lifetime.
Not every park can have the staying power of a Disney World or a Universal Studios. Some parks are just a little more "fly by night," and close up shop before you have the chance to even get there!
We want to see if the following list triggers any memories. Have you visited any of these parks? Did you form any lasting family memories? Or maybe they just remind you of an amusement park you did visit! You'll have to let our MeTV community know about it in the comments section below. Enjoy!
1. Joyland - Wichita, Kansas
Joyland was once the biggest amusement park in Central Kansas. The park operated continuously from 1949 to 2004 and featured over a dozen rides, including a wooden coaster. Fans of the park will surely remember its Wacky Shack dark ride!
2. Opryland USA - Nashville, TN
"Come for spectacular live stage shows, great rides, and Grand Ole Opry Stars!" From 1972 to 1997, Opryland boasted the best of Nashville, where music and theme park rides combined for an experience you could only find in country music's capital. The park even featured tapings of Nashville Network cable television shows where parkgoers could be part of the audience!
3. Disney's River Country - Orlando, Florida
While it may not have had the prestige of the Magic Kingdom, River Country still packed plenty of Disney spectacle into a waterpark experience. This rustic swimming hole was located near Disney World's Fort Wilderness, and wowed guests from 1976 to 2001. Attractions included the Upstream Plunge, Slippery Slide Falls, and Barrell Bridge.
4. Old Indiana Fun Park - Thornton, Indiana
Located conveniently just off I-65, this park opened first as a Renaissance Festival, and then as a picnic area and campground. Gradually, rides were added after the park was purchased by a larger company, Premier Parks. Four roller coasters from the closed Opryland USA were transported for planned reconstruction at Old Indiana. Six Flags bought and sold the property, which closed for good in 2006.
5. Cypress Gardens - Winter Haven, Florida
On the grounds of what is now Legoland Florida, there was once a theme park and botanical garden named Cypress Gardens. The site was allegedly Florida's first commercial tourist theme park, and dated all the way back to 1936! Cypress Gardens was billed as "The Waterski Capital of the World," as over 50 Guinness World Records were set at the park.
6. Geauga Lake - Aurora, Ohio
Geauga Lake is the oldest theme park on this list and one of the oldest parks in the whole country! While the park was established in 1887, the first rollercoaster wasn't added until 1925 when the Big Dipper first thrilled guests. In 2000, the park was rebranded as Six Flags Ohio, and later Worlds of Adventure. The park's entrance looks like a real inspiration for Disney World's Main Street, USA!
7. AutoWorld - Flint, Michigan
AutoWorld had a lot riding on it, no pun intended. The indoor theme park was developed to attract tourists to its host city, Flint, Michigan. When the park opened in 1984, it was owned by Six Flags. While then-Governor James J. Blanchard lauded AutoWorld as part of "the rebirth of the great city of Flint," the park closed for the first time just six months after opening.
8. Libertyland - Memphis, Tennessee
Home to Elvis Presley's favorite wooden roller coaster, The Zippin Pippin, Libertyland grew out of Memphis' annual Mid-South Fair. The fair's directors sought to utilize the pre-existing space and existing attractions. Despite the park operating under the nonprofit 501(c)4 tax code, it still succumbed to financial difficulties.
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Went to Freedomland, would have loved to have gone to the Abner Park.
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Snaking down the water slides to energetic banjo music. Water volleyball! Inner tube riding that could get super bumpy - we never laughed so hard than during the pile-ups. It was all themed like a backwoods swimmin’-hole and not a drop of chlorine or aquamarine pool paint anywhere. The whole thing was connected to and fed by Disneyworld’s lake. It was definitely our favorite part of that Florida vacation.
