Abandoned - Ghost Town In The Sky
Vložit
- čas přidán 3. 11. 2022
- Perched, 5,000 feet into the sky among to famous Smokey Mountains sits a theme park like no other. Built in the early 1960's, Ghost Town in the Sky became a charming and very popular amusement park, meant to immerse guests in the Old West. After a long run, the park began to slump in tourists and eventually began to struggle. I'm finding out how this all began and how closures and financial issues plagued Ghost Town and what the future may hold for this beloved theme park.
Subscribe to my new channel! @BrightSunTravels
Patreon - / brightsunfilms
Twitter - / brightsunfilms
Jake's Twitter - / bsf_jake
Instagram - / brightsunfilms
--------------
BrightSunFilms 2022
Presented in 4k - Zábava
The park didn't go abandoned, it became its truest version of itself
Thy is unga bunga?
Well said 👏
lol
i know eh? talk about setting up for success!
you are wrong when i typed it on google it said Permanently closed
Surreal to finally see a local childhood spot being covered on Abandoned! Even when I visited in the 90s this place was just... bizarre to visit. It left an impression, but an odd one indeed, as it all felt "off" with everything being all run down, broken, and so few visitors. The time we went we were one of like, six or seven total families in the whole park. I think there were more actors _taking part_ in the gun fight than there were total visitors watching it...
Still, it was pretty rad to be the only person riding the Red Devil rollercoaster. The ride operator let me just go around and around repeatedly, haha.
I live nearby now and it feels like there's a news story about yet another reopening/reclosing of the place every couple of months.
I even heard the stories regularly when I lived in Durham in the 2010s. I can't imagine tht endless cycle was pleasant for those in Maggie Valley (I've been there a few times for the Wheels Through Time museum.)
Am I dreaming? A comment from one of my favorite channels in a video for one of my other favorite channels??
@lgr nice to see you here and that your from the area. Did you ever work on their "286" computers 😉 you've got a great channel yourself.
always wanted to go but never got the chance. Remember the ads they showed on the local TV here well though. Early 2000s we piled up to go check it out and found out it was closed. then they reopened and I had the choice between there or carrowinds, so we chose carrowinds. Then it closed again.
Omg channels I like collide!
I think the saddest part is you can SEE many of the owners truly loved and believed in the site and the park. People really wanted this to work, but sometimes things are too far gone. Maybe this final buyer will come through, or maybe they'll just be the final footnote in the story of Ghost town
I went to Ghost Town a lot back in the '70s and it was different from any park I went to in that era. What made it seem so special was the way it sat up so high on the mountain. You understood why it was called Ghost Town in the Sky, because when you were in the middle of the park, you couldn't see over the edge of the mountain, you just looked up and saw the sky and other mountain tops. It really contributed to the feeling of being in another fantasy world, and leaving the real world behind, when you were up there. if you looked over the edge, it was fun to go up there just for the view The only other things I went to that were similar in that way was the Stone Mountain park in Georgia or that Wizard of Oz park that was around back in the 70's. I think it might have been in Banner Elk, NC, but can't remember for sure. I would love to see somebody really make this great again. An interesting memory, popular 70's actor Clu Gulager worked at the park, I think before he became famous on TV. I think he either owned part of it, or played one of the cowboys.
It is actually very sad. We lived there until recently. There is tons to do in the area. You are totally wrong about that.
@@serenatwilite4005 yup Land of Oz was just outside Banner Elk. My parents place is right near there on Sugar Mtn. Really nice area.
@Karl with a K You’re assuming that anyone collected any data in the first place.
@Karl with a K Ghost town did well in the 80's. Apparently, you've never seen West NC or East TN. We have plenty to do here and the GSMNP is the most visited park in the country. Unfortunately, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg catch the visitors more than the NC side does.
To anyone wondering, Red Devil was made by Hopkins Rides who are probably best known as the makers of the Log Chute at the Mall of America and Race For Your Life Charlie Brown at King's Island.
They also built the looping coaster Desert Storm located at Castles n’ Coasters in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Charlie Brown ride was originally Wild Thornberry's themed back when Paramount owned King's Island and they had an entire section dedicated to Nickelodeon properties. Once Cedar took over it was reskinned to Charlie Brown.
@@Hiphop618 Well damn. I really regret missing that era. Would have been cool to see and so many of my friends in high school talked about the cool Paramount property themings. But I never heard about the Nickelodeon properties!
@@Hiphop618 before Paramount took over it was actually called "Kings Mills Log Flume" ! It had that name from 1972-1999 before the movie company rolled in. That whole area was more wooded at the time, as there wasn't as many attractions in that part of the park then.
There is a great old video someone took on the ride from a VHS camcorder back in the day on riding the coaster. Super cool.
Kind of ironic that a place called "Ghost Town" would end up the same way as the places that it was inspired by.
52 years ago, I told my girlfriend ( later my wife of 48 years) to Ghost Town. We had a great time and enjoy it greatly. I still have one of the souvenir's from there. thank you for the look back in time!!!!!
Why lie?
about what???
Alaska's part of the story is really sad if you watch documentary and interview footage.
This genuinely was a passion project for her.
I was luckily able to visit the park in 2001. I was 9 years old and didn’t notice the lack of maintenance or repairs. All I remember was the thrill of visiting a theme park on top of a mountain.
@Karl with a K Why do you keep posting the same thing over and over?
You should watch the video that The Proper People did here, they snuck up there and filmed the abandoned park!
@@jd-no7rw because he is a moronic Yankee by way of Florida
@@karlwithak1835Dude you’re obsessed, move on
@@chicken6738 I mean, what gives with this one? Why do people cut and paste the same comment over and over on videos? Talk about looking for entertainment, lol.
Omigod I can't believe you guys are covering this! My mom's family worked there for more than 20 years. They ran the tin type studio, the camera shop and for a time operated the photo station used with the ski lift. I can't wait to share this with her 😁
@Karl with a K what do you mean about respect for collected data?
@Karl with a K I lived there until recently. There is lots to do in that area. You are wrong about that.
I have a picture of my Mom and Aunt Sue on the chair lift. Wonderful memory of that vacation.
Who is Omigod?
My cousin and I did saloon pics one year and I still have them somewhere.
I went here in 2008 and despite hating cowboy movies I absolutely adored it for being such an immersive environemnt I could kind of roleplay in as a kid! I remember going to Boot Hill and pretending zombies were coming out and my dad and I were fending them off with our capguns. Then a bank robber asked if I wanted to help him, that was so cool! But I will say the fake dead body in the mortician's storefront was nightmare fuel for a few years. I'm surprised you didn't mention the movie filmed there about the town!
I went a lot in the 70's and loved it for the same reason, that feeling of being in another world up there. Little House on the Prairie was one of the top shows at the time, and I loved pretending I was Mary Ingalls up there, lol. It's heartwarming to know they still had some of the same fun going on up there after 2000.
I went to the real Boot Hill (Tombstone, Arizona) and it was incredible. They’ve preserved that town as much as they can.
@@strnglhld Interesting information about Boot Hill, I would love to go there sometime.
Jake, griping and arguing abound these days, but in the comments to your videos there are always so many warm recollections and kind responses from people touched by your content. Your work brings happiness and it spreads through others. I pray you are finding tremendous satisfaction in this part of your life's work.
I went to Ghost Town in the Sky almost every year for a big part of my childhood! Mostly, I remember the coaster being broken every single time I went. I literally never rode it, only stared at it with envy year after year. Some of the rides that worked were cool, especially the spinning chair swing that sent you over the edge of the mountain for a split second. I never saw the park as lame or worn-down, but I also didn't have many other parks nearby to compare to (other than Dollywood, which wasn't even in the state). I went back a few years ago to explore, since I'd heard the park was abandoned, and not much had changed since I went as a kid. I support the owners trying to bring it back to life or build something there, but I'm worried they will just bulldoze it. It really is a cool time capsule and I'm glad so many people have been able to enjoy it over the years!
OMG I'm 48 and I remember my parents taking me. We had a blast. The gun fight show was awesome. Watching this actually made me dig through our old VHF tapes and look for the one we wook while we were here. I loved the old church and the saloon.
My former piano teacher played the piano in the saloon there during the summer. "Carolina Red" was her name there because of her red hair. I remember my parents taking me there one summer and she didn't know I was coming. She always put on quite a show. People in the saloon gathered around her like she was a rock star. She saw my mama and I sitting at a table after her performance and made a direct beeline to our table. I can still hear her in my mind as she said," Dahlin", I'm so proud to see you here". She took me across the street and bought me a Ghost Town in the Sky hat. As a 10yo boy, I must say I was so caught up in all of it and I loved her till the day she passed. I also remember going up the road to another adventure park called Cherokee Land. I was highly impressed there as well.
I immediately recognized this place not because I've been there before, but MrBeast had a hide and seek competition filmed here 2 years ago. A cool backstory to go along with it! Thanks
Thank you for making this. I’m a North Carolina resident, and my mother always spoke highly about this park and sharing memories about it. On our most recent trip to Dollywood, we went through Maggey Valley and looked at the abandoned park. I really hope they can re-open sometime so I can take my Mother to see it again.
Maggie Valley
I (kind of) remember going there as a child. My grandmother had a summer mountain house in the area and we visited the area often back in the 70’s/80’s. My older brother took his kids there during one of the reopenings around 2006-2010. Sad to see a historic landmark just fade out. Would be nice to at least see some part of the old park survive in some form.
I’ve always wonder what that place was sitting high up on that hill when ever we seen it on our road trips. Thought it was abandoned way before it’s true abandonment.
Was right at the end of an Abandoned binge fest. Your videos really help me with my schoolwork man 👍
I wish that these videos were around when I was in highschool
My dad was the chief engineer at 6 gun territory in Ocala. Which opened in 1963. A year after Maggie valley. Ghost town in the sky. I meant both mr Coburn and Mr. Picreson. The owners.
I have been waiting for this video for a long time. Ghost Town In The Sky fascinates me entirely, it's just such a unique setting for a park. Only place similar I can think of is Glenwood Caverns.
I've never been to Ghost Town in the Sky, but the description reminds me a lot of Silver Dollar City, which is still very much open and in good shape.
@@punkinholler I'm actually happy to entertain this thought; Silver Dollar City is my favorite themepark in America. While I do agree that they are somewhat similar, Ghost Town In The Sky is much more defined in its location. It is perched atop a much more highlighted peak and thus has less area to work with, whereas Silver Dollar City is nestled inbetween the valley of two large hills, and is accessible by car. I'd also argue that Silver Dollar City is a much more stylized, 'happy' interpretation of the Wild West theme, whereas Ghost Town In The Sky is more akin to the traditional view of things. I'd compare the actual atmosphere of Ghost Town to the Calico Ghost Town of Knott's Berry Farm when talking strictly from a thematic standpoint. Glenwood Caverns is really the only park in a similar location to Ghost Town, located atop a mountain with rides slung off of cliffs, and requiring the use of a chairlift to reach the park.
@@ItsAmaliaB SDC is my favorite too ☺️
You should check out Tweetsie Railroad in Blowing Rock, NC. Very similar wild west theming, and centered around a working antique steam engine that takes visitors around the mountain. I worked there one summer when I was in college, and it's still open as far as I know.
Omg this is the first time I've ever had a connection to a story in one of the videos I watch. My dad took me there when I was a little girl. I have so many pictures of that day! I'm sad that it's abandoned now but in my mind it was a fascinating place.
Hello bright sun films! Korean fan here! I was wondering if you could start a series with these abandoned places but some taking place in East Asia! Like Korea, Japan and China etc.. I think it’ll be interesting as there are lots of spooky abandoned things like this one here
You might like his video on Wonderland Amusement Park in China, which I’m pretty sure is the largest abandoned amusement park in the entirety of Asia
I remember visiting Ghost Town in the Sky back in the mid-1960s. For someone in his early teens the biggest thrill was riding the chair lift to the top (something my mother refused to do.) The staged gunfights were fairly well acted and actually funny. My family visited it before the amusement rides were installed, which actually was just as well.
One major problem with Ghost Town was its isolated location in Maggie Valley, NC, on the edge of Great Smokey Mountains National Park but not near any of the major tourist centers. The approach from the east on US Highway 19 to Maggie Valley from Asheville wasn't too bad, but US 19 west of Maggie Valley from Cherokee/Gatlinburg is quite twisting and steep - an adventure in itself.
I lived in Bryson City and during the season worked at Cataloochee Ski Resort. It was a wild drive every day.
The road is still the same! Not for the faint of heart, if it had a better location off of I-40 I think they could’ve done a better transition in the 2000s
Watching these videos give me a weird sense of nostalgia. I love it.
There are quite a few abandoned theme parks in the uk, Camelot. American adventure, Loudoun castle etc. They have some interesting history and potential future and would be cool to see you make a video on one or two of these
I have a great idea. The West Pier, one of the most iconic piers in the world. It's an interesting story and it's a massive icon for the south coast of Britain.
I went here on a family vacation in the 90s! Usually just the Disney related videos are the ones I associate with, but this video brought back the memory of riding those swings that hang off the side of the mountain!
It makes sense it closed because I remember my parents taking me here in 1998 and thinking the red devil ( the roller coaster at the front of the park ) was insanely bumpy, like actually back breaking type of bumpy. We also got stuck on the train leading up to the park for like 30 minutes
The Red Devil was so painful to ride!
This theme park was featured on an episode of Moonshiners last season (season 11, episode 9) titled "Young Guns". If you're interested in seeing some more about it
Thanks for the info, would like to check it out.
Also "The Proper People" has a video on here where they explore the actual place. These guys do a great job usually of their URBEX travels
One of the coolest parts of that episode is that the overseer of the property is the "he's got a real pretty mouth, ain't he" guy from Deliverance.
@@georgeglass3680 That was Herbert Coward and may he rest in peace but he was not the overseer of the park. Many false claims and rumors about the park,, one former gunfighter claims he was there from start to finish when actually he was out of state for about 30 years.
A huge rumor was Dolly Parton was interested in buying the park but the original owner told me he had never spoken with her.
Went there as a kid and remember the ski lift to the top. Maggie Valley is still a great little town to visit.
Was just binge watching older abandoned vids last night so this is quite a convenient upload 😎🤘
Thanks!
@@BrightSunFilms 🤜🤛🏻
If you get a chance, you oughtta look into the history of the “now closed” six gun city in northern New Hampshire. Love watching your videos!
The Balsams resort would be interesting as well.
The Proper People channel did a great exploration video on this park, thanks for covering the history and decline of it here!
Yeah i saw that episode, if someone has not seen that, i think it ties great into this video.
They explore the place, and Jake explains in detail what happened with the park.
Also near there is a single crashed plane in the middle of the woods that’s a super tough hike but super interesting that they just left it there. Eerie to see in person
It was so nostalgic to watch this. I lived about 2 hours away from Ghost Town, so our family visited there often. I have some wonderful childhood memories of the shootouts and drinking at the bar, and all those cheesy rides which my 6 year old self thought were the best in the world. And those commercials you were running in the background, I can still hear the music that went with them. It's so sad to see it sitting how it is now. I really hope one day it can be like it was, or maybe even better.
My family often camped in Maggie Valley. First time I went to Ghost Mountain was in the 1970s. It was still thriving and fun. I remember riding the 2 person lift with my grandfather. Half way up a black bear crossed the clearing underneath. It all seemed really magical back then to a 5yr old boy.
We camped at Maggie Valley as well. It is so beautiful up there. We also went by Ghost Town on our way up to Cherokee. Beautiful area.
@@KP-do2ss My father's side family had been vacationing in Maggie Valley for over 60yrs. They went because my great uncle's mother-in-law was Maggie. So they felt they had a connection to the area and had gone there sometimes twice a year. My grandfather loved the culture. It was so much different when I was younger. Now it feels too commercial.
I visited this park in the mid 90s. All I remember from being a kid is the roller coaster; the workers blasting Sweet Home Alabama and the looping roller coaster only having lap bar restraints 😅.
Hey Jake I’ve only recently started watching you, but I’m already so captured by your work. I think you should make a video about the 2008 crisis as it ties into many of the videos you make and you explain these financial downfalls in a very interesting yet clear and educational way. Can’t wait for your future content!
Went to college near there, made the hike a few times with some friends to get up there (it had been abandoned for a while at this point). Such an interesting place
So cool to see you cover Ghost Town in the Sky! I live about 20 minutes down the road from Sylva and the park is a huge point of contention in the area
I’m from the region. We went there in the fall of 00 on a field trip. Those are some of my last memories of a simpler, pre 9/11 world. I’d like to see it reopened.
Another good video bright sun films
Another stellar documentary. Interesting, informative, and presented so wonderfully. Thanks, Jake! Love watching your content and look forward to every new upload! 😍
I remember seeing the Proper People explore this theme park, was a very cool video. Love hearing the history behind the place, which Jake does very well explaining about
I have been here, both as a child on the rides, and earlier this year driving through to go to Wheels Through Time, the motorcycle museum a few blocks away. It's beautiful.
As a kid I went to this park. It was in the 2000s and I would have never guessed that I’m probably one of the last people to ride that roller coaster.
I remember having a great time there, the gun fights were so cool and I had a “sarsaparilla” at the saloon and I really felt like a cowboy. It’s really sad this place got abandoned but I guess everything has its time
I've seen the video that the Proper People did on this park and was wondering what led up to it being abandoned. Thanks for posting Jake. :)
I remember going to this place as a kid in the early 90s. I mostly remember being freaked out because the inclined train to get to the top was much more steep than it looked on the video and I remember riding the big swing and being freaked out because it was so close to the edge of the mountain and it felt like you were going to fly off any minute…I was very young lol so I could possibly have exaggerated the experience in my memories. It is one of those nostalgic things though & I’d always wondered what happened to the place. I could never remember the name of it.
I have a funny memory of going there in the early '80s. My family was watching the staged shootout, always one of my dad's favorite parts, but me and my 3 sisters were kind of bored. I think we were watching the part where they were headed down the street waiting to draw, it was very tense and the audience was dead silent all around us. Then suddenly, someone sitting near us farted really loud, I think it was some teenage boy that was laughing. My sisters and I cracked up so bad we were almost falling off our seats. My parents were looking dead serious and kind of giving us the evil eye, like it wasn't polite and we needed to calm down. Funniest thing that ever happened to me there, and I went a lot as a kid. We stared at each other at first, like did we really hear that, then we all just cracked up at the same time. Seeing our parents looking so serious about it, just made us want to laugh harder. I would still laugh my ass off about that, I feel bad for folks who grow up and get so serious.
I'm literally dying of laughter at this story. It is hilarious 😂. My dad would have laughed with us if it were me and my sister, but a perfectly timed fart...that's just comedy gold I don't care how old you are lol.
i remember this place from a visit back in 1993. The park was empty which was great for us kids as we got to go on the roller coaster over and over
I live 30 minutes from here and remember being here as a kid. It's crazy to see this being covered on your channel, but it's a perfect fit. Maybe someday this will be properly reopened, but as for now, it's unlikely with the main owner's recent passing.
We'd visit relatives in North Georgia every year and Ghost Town was always on the list of things to do. My daughter's first coaster ride was here... at age 4... She loved it! It's been sad watching the park crumble away over the years. Thanks for making this one, Jake!
My family went there in the mid 60s. It was amazing for a small kid. We still have polaroid pictures of that trip.
When I went to Summer Camp in Hendersonville every summer as a kid from 1979-1986 until the camp closed, we used to go here EVERY summer. I was so hopeful the revamp a few years ago would have taken hold, as I live in Charlotte and would have loved to go again.
I loved going to Ghost Town when I was a kid. Every time I hear about it reopening, I get excited to only be let down before I can get there.
Ahh, I grew up a couple hours from here in East Tennessee, it always had a weird vibe but was kinda charming at the same time?? Hope it’ll be put to good use one day.
Thank You for this video, I enjoyed watching it. I remember going to Ghost Town in the late 80s as a kid. I have great memories!
I grew up in NC and LOVED this place. Riding the chairlift up the mountain was the best part of all! The shows were always good and the “shoot-outs” thrilled everyone!
The family visited Ghost Town around 1966, when I was a teenager, on a rare visit to the NC mountains (I grew up near Greensboro, but my father hailed from the NC Outer Banks, so when he got vacation, we almost always went there). Got a nice picture of the parental units riding the chair lift, but have only faint memories of the attraction itself. In May 2006 I started a job that occasionally sent me up to the far West (of NC), so I drove past Ghost Town on the way, to see a battered yellow sign in the empty parking lot saying "GHOST OWN IS FOR SALE." The place was obviously abandoned; the inclined railway up the mountain had been completely removed. The job ended, and I never heard more of the place until this video, so thanks.
Still can’t believe you’re at 1.26 million, well deserved from the beginning!
It’s a real life old abandoned old abandoned amusement park!
This is literally one of my favorite places to visit. Even now. We actually went up and took pictures just a couple of weeks ago. Love seeing the changes take place and it always delights my heart to see that coaster as you come down the mountain. Thanks for posting ❤
I went there quite a few times, starting in the first year of operation. I didn't go there in the 70's or 80's, but once in the 90's, and once more in the early 2000's. As a child, it was magical. Then, going back with my own children, it was great again. Great memories!
You should checkout Conneaut Lake Park it has it all. It would make an great Abandoned video. It opened in 1892 my grandmother worked there in the 50's. As you can imagine it's just a husk of what it once was. I don't even think its advertised as a theme park at this point. I remember way back entire warehouses were burnt down by an arsonist. But I mean you could write an entire book of the problems the park had.
I remember going there when I was a little kid in the eighties. It's so sad to see they still haven't done anything with the park.
OMG I’m so glad you finally did this park. I’ve seen it in other channels but you are by far my fav to watch.
I worked here one summer when I was 15. spent many summers in Maggie valley and could look up that mountain and see that viking boat ship rocking back and forth on the top of the mountain, so sad to see it closed for soooo long.
Love your channel. Value-packed content
Thank you so much! Huge complement
Plenty of memories there. Still have my sky lift photo from the early 90’s
When I was a youngin and teenager, I used to travel with my pop. We ended up making a trip to see what had become of this place, back in the early-mid 00's. He remembered it from the past, and we embarked on a little journey. We sat near the end of the incline and decided there had to be a road up there for emergencies, right?
Proceed to meandering up and down tiny mountain roads until we found the gate that led in - was just a simple bar across the road. We stopped, sat for a minute, reversed and drove off. Mission accomplished.
We would rarely cross past a no tresspassing sign - the only time I recall it was at the site of the old Boardwalk and Baseball in Florida - we wandered past the sign and into the field where the park used to be. The entrance building was still there at the time if I remember correctly. A security guard wandered out from the ballpark after about 15 minutes and chatted with us about the property and the ball field that was still there and used at the time.
I've been fascinated with Ghost Town in The Sky for a very very long time, and I'm glad you're talking about it!
I wasn’t expecting this today but it’s made my day better!
Whenever I see "Coming Soon" and 2008 both mentioned, I know there are going to be problems.
My family went there in the mid 80's, I was 8 years old and the only way to get up there was the chair lift and I almost made everybody miss it because I was so scared to ride it.
Great place though, now I own an antique store about 200 feet away from it, and would LOVE for it to reopen.
I absolutely love watching your videos, always so informative and intruging history of all these forgotten places.
I remember going there in the mid/late 80s with my grandparents. For a 10 year old little boy it was one of the coolest places I'd ever seen.
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
i loved it as a kid. Its about 1 hr from my house and it was exciting to see the shows. This is where i discovered i was scared of heights at 6 yrs old lol. im 27 now.
I visited "Six Gun Territory" in Florida as a boy, it must have been around 69-71 and I would have been about 9 or 10 years old at the time. I remember watching the skit with the gunfighters on the street and riding the bumper cars, it was such a unique and memorable place for me.
I am so impressed that you are Canadian and get such great drone footage of the abandoned sites!! it’s like you are right there! In each location!
I went here three years ago at night. The first building I went in was an old horror maze and I saw a hanging body when I opened the door. My friends and I were horrified for a moment before we realized it was fake.
We live about 1 1/2 hours east of this place below Blowing Rock, as a boy, we went here on vacation around 1972(ish) and it was actually a lot of fun!!! Then in around 1998 my wife and I took our children here and what a difference!!! I remember riding the bumper cars when we started to actually bump each other the creep running the ride screamed at us to NOT bump each other and only ride in a clockwise rotation!!! We promptly got out of the cars and left giving the attendant a piece of my mind ;-) Really had depreciated since the glory years!!! Great viodeo sir 🙂
Never visited, but I live about 3 hours away, and we always got their commercials on TV in the 90s. So crazy seeing it featured on Abandoned.
I read about this place in "Lost Attractions of the Smoky Mountains" by Tim Hollis. Very cool to get a deeper dive into its history and see the vintage images and videos. I didn't know the ruins still existed, it's interesting to see what remains now. By the way, if you're looking to profile another extinct Western-themed amusement park, may I suggest Frontier Village in San Jose?
After a few similar episodes I feel like whenever these regional parks enter the cycle of -- foreclosure - resale - delayed and cancelled redevelopment -- the park and the local community are let down by the fact that overambitious, high-risk redevelopers will always impress local authorities with promises of huge investments and put in higher auction bids vs. more realistic, stable, and safe redevelopers.
Almost everytime! It’s unfortunate to say the least.
Great episode! So crazy to see how many times this park was tried to be saved, but failed. Such a cool piece of history in western NC.
Great work, Jake!
Been watching during most of the 10 years you've had the channel running. You've really grown as a storyteller as has the production values.
I grew up in the 80s outside of Asheville and about half an hour away from Ghost Town. Never got to visit it, tho. Could never convince my parents it would be worth the money.
As I got older and moved away, I kind of forgot about the place but just assumed it was still there. Like nearby Santa's Land, I figured it'd just stay in business even if just barely getting by.
Back in 2005 while staying with friends, we drove by and saw on its marquee that Ghost Town was for sale. Was surprised and saddened by this discovery. Even having never visited it, there's always something about seeing a place designed for enjoyment and stepping away from your troubles fall on hard times.
There’s an air of sadness about this video. I suppose I relate it to a small theme park here in the UK called The American Adventure in Derbyshire. Sure, it wasn’t Alton Towers, or Chessington, but it was still special in its own right. It thrived through the 79’s & 80’s, I’d even go as far to say it thrived in the 90’s when I went too, it had one main big ride (which is now at another park), & plenty of smaller ones, lots to do & see for families. They had themes too (ironically a Wild West one!)
I lost count of the amount of times I visited, but I had the best times. When I decided to look the place up in my adult years back in the mid 00’s, I was really saddened to hear of its closure. Upon further research, the owners had gotten into considerable amounts of debt, let the park fall into disrepair, & finally had to admit defeat & close.
Just like Ghost Town, i fear the lack of modernisation to bring it up to current times, as well as the upkeep on rides was it’s downfall. From what I read, they too were once very passionate people with the park.. but I can’t help feeling those who have so much passion (which no one can fault) are sometimes stuck thinking back to when it was popular, in a time when options were more limited. Even family dynamics have changed now. You really need to think outside of the box to cater to modern families, to lure them in, update rides, update themes.. but many don’t..& it’s genuinely so sad to witness.
I still believe there’s a place for smaller theme parks, they just have to be marketed a certain way to remain successful.
Sad to hear ghost town really is just a ghost town now.
Great video as always x
I share your nostalgia for the American Adventure park. I went there a lot as a kid because it was closer than Alton and Drayton Manor.
I always loved that they built the whole park around a lake. I think they ran out of space, and weren't able or willing to invest in major new attractions like the other two were. Drayton has rivalled Alton, while AA just fell behind.
Love your stuff. Selfishly, do more cruise ship stuff 😉💙
Haha I have a new channel on travel stuff too! It’s called Bright Sun Travels czcams.com/channels/HudN_9O_OD5KQIueahpYvg.html
@@BrightSunFilms Sounds interesting, thanks for letting us know.
Best video I've seen of this ole park. Great job Mr. Williams 👏
This just made my night! I've been to ghost town in the sky back in the early 90s. Thank you bright sun films.
Been watching your stuff since I was in highschool and have always loved watching your videos loved the documentary you did too.
The knives your sponsoring I'm pretty sure is a scam though, they have a lot of shady ties, use of Chinese steel, based on Hong Kong while being registered in Japan
What a tragic story, it's so sad that Alaska's dream might never come true.
The world does not need any more jesus freak theme parks, and mountain views should not be ruined with idiotic crosses. I'm glad her stupid dream died with her.
I remember visiting this place when I was a kid. Maggie Valley isn’t far from where I live. Kinda wished I’d visit the place one last time.
The commercials from this place are ingrained in my brain from childhood... thank you for covering it!! Live in NC, so we got frequent ads for this place back in the 80's on local TV!!! Very frequent here in the Charlotte Metro area (I suppose that's what it is called now).
Great video but pity about the scam sponsor (fyi the knifes aren't japanese and are made by the cheapest Chinese steel possible!)
Watching this, I kept thinking: In Europe, we have similar parks that are not designed to be amusement parks but rather educational parks that school classes come to for a week to learn from educators in fun costumes about history. The Norwegians for example have a great historically accurate Viking village where you can learn old crafts like weaving and pottery, you sleep in (semi-)authentic housing etc. This could be a great destination for that, especially if you can get some of the Native American tribes involved, who can teach about their old believes, the past, the differences between the tribes, the languages etc.
I ALWAYS tell my partner how I’d see these commercials on Channel 9 growing up as a kid in the 80s in Charlotte! I’m so excited to watch this!
I got serious flashbacks seeing the commercial with the little girl dancing in the street.
It seems like I remember the song "Ghost Riders in the Sky" playing in the background of some of the commercials. How appropriate if it was true.
Great video, thanks!
This is a great one, I can remember as a Kid we went there allot. This was in the 70s and it was such a different time, from Theme Parks to all of the other things you could do outside of Ghost Town. Sad to see those places gone..
First time I've known about this is with Carpetbagger's vids years ago. Yeah I'm not an. American before anyone jumps at me here. 🙄