In the mid-80's the Commonwealth of Kentucky signed an agreement with a Texas-based theme park developer to build a theme park on state property (The Kentucky Exposition Center). The park was relatively small (approximately 10-acres) and consisted of only a dozen rides, of which none were very thrilling or exciting. Many were portable rides that you you would typically find on the carnival circuit.
The park opened early summer of 1987, but after just three months of operation, the park abruptly closed and shortly thereafter filed for bankruptcy. It sat dormant for more than three years. In a last ditch effort to avoid the wrecking ball, the state and one of the international banks holding title to some of the rides, agreed to solicit the support of a local businessman who had both a reputation and successful track record for taking on challenged businesses.
The picture below (BEFORE) shows the 10 acre park that had abruptly closed and sat dormant for three years. After a local businessman agreed to take on the challenge of trying to salvage what was left of the original park, he formed a redevelopment team of which we were proud to be asked to participate as General Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing.
Over the next six years, the redevelopment team transformed the original ten acre park into a full-feature theme park and water park. Through an aggressive capital plan, new rides were added every year and attendance grew each season. In comparison, the 1990 park only saw 137,000 visitors. However, once the park began to hit its stride and new attractions were added, attendance grew by double-digits each season. By 1997, the park consisted of more than 60 thrilling rides (including six roller coasters), a complete water park, and now occupied sixty acres (AFTER). By 1997, the park's attendance was consistently pushing 1.4 million guests annually and Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay was generating between 200,000 and 300,000 room nights for area hotels.
The park opened early summer of 1987, but after just three months of operation, the park abruptly closed and shortly thereafter filed for bankruptcy. It sat dormant for more than three years. In a last ditch effort to avoid the wrecking ball, the state and one of the international banks holding title to some of the rides, agreed to solicit the support of a local businessman who had both a reputation and successful track record for taking on challenged businesses.
The picture below (BEFORE) shows the 10 acre park that had abruptly closed and sat dormant for three years. After a local businessman agreed to take on the challenge of trying to salvage what was left of the original park, he formed a redevelopment team of which we were proud to be asked to participate as General Manager and Director of Sales and Marketing.
Over the next six years, the redevelopment team transformed the original ten acre park into a full-feature theme park and water park. Through an aggressive capital plan, new rides were added every year and attendance grew each season. In comparison, the 1990 park only saw 137,000 visitors. However, once the park began to hit its stride and new attractions were added, attendance grew by double-digits each season. By 1997, the park consisted of more than 60 thrilling rides (including six roller coasters), a complete water park, and now occupied sixty acres (AFTER). By 1997, the park's attendance was consistently pushing 1.4 million guests annually and Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay was generating between 200,000 and 300,000 room nights for area hotels.
During the first nine year's of the park's reopening, Kentucky Kingdom amassed a collection of rides and attractions that placed it on solid footing with all other theme parks in the region. During this period, OPRYLAND Theme Park (owned by Gaylord Entertainment) in nearby Nashville, abandoned the operation of its theme park and re-purposed their property for themed retail. Meanwhile, Kings Island just outside Cincinnati, was sold to Paramount Studios. By the late 90's Kings Island, as well as the entire theme park industry would undergo another major round of consolidation and management restructuring.
Milestone rides and attractions added during the Kentucky Kingdom redevelopment years:
In 1998, Kentucky Kingdom was approached by two national theme park companies - Six Flags Theme Parks and Cedar Fair, both were successful operators of regional theme parks. Each expressed interest in acquiring Kentucky Kingdom. In the final negotiation Six Flags emerged as the new owner of Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay. In the eyes of the original redevelopment team this seemed like a logical move to ensure the park's long-term success.
Milestone rides and attractions added during the Kentucky Kingdom redevelopment years:
- Vampire - Introduced the first Vekoma Boomerang coaster in North America
- Thunder Run - Custom wooded coaster - named Top 10 Most Terrifying in America
- The Quake - introduced the world's first Vekoma Wai Ki ki Wave
- Mile High Falls - World's tallest spill ride.
- Hurricane Bay - Largest wave pool in North America (capable of generating ocean-sized six foot roller waves)
- International Carousel - Commissioned an authentic wooden carousel with artisans hand carving all 42 horses and figures.
- Hurricane Bay - expanded water park to include
- T2 - Introduced the first SUSPENDED LOOPING coaster in North America.
- Helllevator - Introduced the world's first hydro-magnetic DROP RIDE
- HALLOWSCREAM - Introduced an annual Halloween event that set attendance records.
- Top Eliminator - introduced the first installation of an attraction that incorporated actual Drag Racing.
- Chang - Introduced the WORLD'S TALLEST AND LONGEST STAND-UP roller coaster
- Twisted Twins - Introduced a wooden roller coaster that incorporated two separate dueling coasters.
- Deluge - Introduced the WORLD'S FIRST water coaster.
- Raging Rapids River Ride - Introduced a white water rafting ride.
In 1998, Kentucky Kingdom was approached by two national theme park companies - Six Flags Theme Parks and Cedar Fair, both were successful operators of regional theme parks. Each expressed interest in acquiring Kentucky Kingdom. In the final negotiation Six Flags emerged as the new owner of Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay. In the eyes of the original redevelopment team this seemed like a logical move to ensure the park's long-term success.
Although the sale of Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay was herald as a major coup for both the park and community, it would only take a few years to realize that was not necessarily true. During this same period, Six Flags launched an aggressive "growth through acquisition plan" that included not only the purchase of other domestic parks, but also the acquisition of parks internationally. This strategy proved to be too aggressive and therefore left the company highly leveraged. As a result, many of the parks in the chain began to suffer - compressed operations, reduced operating budgets and no capital for new rides and attractions at all of the parks. The most dramatic impact was felt at Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay. This Six Flags park was built on property leased to them by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. In an effort to be resourceful, corporate filed for bankruptcy protection and began to close many of the iconic rides at Kentucky Kingdom, and re-purposed them at their other Six Flags parks in major markets. Between the time Six Flags purchased the park and the end of the 2009 operating season - Kentucky Kingdom's attendance had decreased from 1.4 million guests to less than 500,000. At the end of the 2009 season, Six Flags Theme Parks abruptly announced they were closing Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay.
After Six Flags abandoned the park (2009), no winterization or maintenance was performed on any of the remaining assets. The rides, buildings and landscaping would sit in disrepair as the landlord (Commonwealth of Kentucky) would try and decide the future and fate of Kentucky Kingdom - previously the #1 paid tourist attraction in the State of Kentucky. There were talks to bulldoze the park and use the remaining land for parking. In August of 2013 as a last ditch effort, members of imaginaTOURS formed an all-volunteer support group by recruiting former seasonal employees of the park, they called themselves Save My Park. They would meet regularly and initiate a series of high profile media stunts and press mailings that kept the park's uncertainty top of mind among the local news media. These were also designed to redirect the media to the local politicians who would ultimately decide the park's fate. After four years of negotiation and much uncertainty, the Governor of Kentucky negotiated a deal with the original redevelopment group to restore the park. The lease was signed in June 2013, the park was scheduled to reopen the following Memorial Day weekend (2014).
Does history Repeats Itself, or does Lightning really strike again?
It may have taken longer than anyone would have wished, but after waiting four long years, the promise of the park's redevelopment created tremendous interest and support throughout the community and theme park industry. However, nothing could match the surprise when most of the original Kentucky Kingdom Redevelopment Team (1990) reassembled to join ranks and face the task of redeveloping and opening the park in less than nine months.
During the nine month's proceeding the reopening of the park the excitement for the park's opening was evident everywhere - almost daily front page coverage in the local newspapers, lead stories on the nightly newscasts, companies inquiring about company picnics and group outings. The pent-up interest for the park is best illustrated by the 117,000 season passes sold in advance of the park's reopening (in a normal year 80,000 passes would have been a strong number).
Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay was now ready for its reopening - just as promised, Saturday morning, May 24, 2014. However, this was not your old Kentucky Kingdom waiting for you on the inside. In addition to a complete refurbishing of every inch of the park, over twenty new attractions were added and that included the doubling in size of Hurricane Bay water park. But there was more that needed to be done over the first three years to restore the park's fan-base in the outer markets. The 2014 season season generated more than 600,000 admissions over a 93 day operating season. 2015 would be another "building year, both in attendance and new attractions - eight new rides were added in 2015."
In just one season of operation - Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay again started getting media and industry attention.
- Foder's Travel named Kentucky Kingdom a Top 10 park to visit in 2015.
- Travel Channel named it the most exciting water park they visited in 2014.
- Travel Channel's EXTREME WATER PARKS showcased the park and introduced Deep Water Dive - The Tallest Body Slide on THE PLANET!
- The L A Times named the reopening of Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, one of the Top Ten theme park stories of the year!
- USA Today nominated T3 (the park's suspended looping coaster) one of the most anticipated new rides for 2015.
- Lightning Run, the new steel coaster introduced in 2014, was ranked one of the Top 50 BEST STEEL COASTERS in the world by the trade and enthusiast publication AMUSEMENT TODAY.
- In a USA Today Readers Poll: Kentucky Kingdom's DEEP WATER DIVE (a 122 foot tall body slide) tied with Disney's Plummet Summit as one of the Top Ten most exciting theme park rides in the USA.
NEW FOR 2016!
Introducing America’s first and only coaster with a spiraling barrel roll drop – over 100 feet, at a 79-degree angle!
But there’s more! Cork screw turns, extended periods of air time, plus over a dozen radical turns, descents and rolls.
It’s no wonder why……
But there’s more! Cork screw turns, extended periods of air time, plus over a dozen radical turns, descents and rolls.
It’s no wonder why……