No mention of Roy Hofheinz, either. The article treated it as if it were built by Six Flags and Six Flags never really builds any of their parks - they just buy them.
This really, really blows. I know it had gotten poor reviews in recent years, but seems like the management should have taken care of that. Keeping things clean, maintaining rides, throwing out "hoodlums" if they caused any trouble... Imagine life without the Texas Cyclone and the Viper. And where are you supposed to go? Here's a major city without a decent amusement park for miles around. (Guess you'll have to drive over 3 hours to Fiesta Texas out here... and our lines will be longer now because of all the increased traffic.) If it was run right, it could have made a great profit. First Opryland, and now this...
Opryland was a joke. The thrill rides were no existent or horrible. They relied to much on their musical shows.
Damn. It was the best in the '70s & early '80s. This site has a bunch of old photos: http://www.sixflagshouston.com/
MR. MEOWGI good link, I found that site a year or so ago. Nice historical record there. I know that the parking situation had something to do with it, but I hadn't been there in about 15 years and alot of my friends were in the same boat. As far as the park itself, I know they sold all of the land surrouding the park so they pretty much were land-locked. So growth for the park was impossible. I wonder is this something that is just a sign of the times. I guess there are so many other entertainment options, people are finding something else to spend they money on. I will be going there to ride the Texas Cyclone and Greased Lightning one last time.
The end of an era. Okay, Who here had a season pass at some time in their childhood. I had mine in 4th grade I think. My most vivid memory is of doing the robot at the Astroword disco with the lighted floor.
Rest in peace Astroworld. I remember Astroworld before the corporate takeover, meaning there was no Looney Toons and other Warner Bros. characters, this was back in the days of Marvel McFey and if you know who he was, you are old school!!
Some memories from the 70's Bamboo Shoot Le Taxi (with Alpine Mountain in background) The Mod Box Wagonwheel Black Dragon Dexter Frebish's Rollercoaster
Opryland had some good rides: the Screamin' Delta Demon, the Wabash Cannonball, Chaos (not really scary but good for weird kitsch factor). Of course, some people these days aren't satisfied with a ride unless it inverts their stomach at least three times, rearranges their internal organs, and gets them pregnant. So it's going to be another Schlitterbahn... based on my experiences at the original, nice water rides but you spend all freaking day in line, even if you go on a Tuesday. Water parks these days seem to have longer lines. I like Icehouse's comment about young teenage males developing their pimp game... reminds me of what went on at the local water park where I grew up. Middle-school boys trying the same pick-up line on every girl in the line, one after the other.
Damn, I grew up there. I remember meeting the live-action GI JOEs there in 87. Also saw Alice Cooper perform there in the early 90's. Gonna miss that place.
That sucks. My parents met while they were both working at Astroworld one summer. They even got engaged on one those sky lift things that take you from one end ot he park to the other. I'll never forget going up there early with my brother many summer days. We'd ride the Greased Lightning 15 or so times in a row when there were no lines. Then later in the evening hitting up Videocity thinking we were just bad asses. Good times.
