Opryland USA (later called Opryland Entertainment Park and colloquially referred to simply as Opryland ) is an amusement park in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee. It was operated on a seasonal basis (generally March to October) from 1972 to 1997, and for special Christmas-themed engagements every December from 1993 to 1997. During the late 1980s, nearly 2.5 million people visited the park each year. Billed as "American Music House," Opryland USA features a large number of musical performances along with typical amusement park rides such as roller coasters, comedy play, and the like.
Video Opryland USA
Histori
1970-an
The origin of a park in Nashville is the desire for a new, permanent, larger and more modern home for the long-running Grand Ole Opry radio program. The Ryman Auditorium, home since 1943, began to suffer damage because the surrounding city center environment became a victim of increasing city damage. Despite these flaws, the popularity of the show is increasing and the number of weekly viewers exceeds 3,000 seats. Organizers are trying to build a new air-conditioned place with greater capacity and ample parking in rural areas at the time, giving visitors a safer and more enjoyable experience.
WSM, Inc. (a subsidiary of the National Life Insurance and Accident Companies, then NLT Corporation), WSM-AM-FM-TV operators and Opry , purchased extensive riverside land (Rudy Farm) owned by local sausage producers in the Pennington Bend area of ​​Nashville, adjacent to the newly built Briley Parkway. The new place Opry will be the center of a major entertainment complex on the premises, which will include amusement parks and large hotel/convention centers.
The theme park opened to the public on May 27, 1972, well ahead of the Grand Ole Opry House, which debuted almost two years later, on March 16, 1974. The park is named for the bat show WSM disc jockey Grant Turner morning, "Opryland USA" itself nodded to the stars of the Grand Ole Opry . However, despite a clear connection to country music, the overall theme of the park is American music in general; there are attractions of jazz, gospel, bluegrass, pop, and rock and roll alongside the country. Opryland's focus is more on music production than rides and other attractions. As such, it was billed as a "showpark", and not an "amusement park" or "amusement park" in the early days. Main attractions at the park opening include "Timber Topper" (Roller Coaster "Rock 'n Roller Coaster") and "Flume Zoom" (later renamed "Dulcimer Splash") log flume.
In the fourth season of 1975, Opryland developed for the first time. The "State Fair" area is built on land previously occupied by a buffalo exhibit in the park. The new expansion featured a large selection of carnival games, as well as Wabash Cannonball roller coasters, Country Bumpkin Bump Cars, and Tennessee Waltz swings. However, shortly before the opening for the season, the park was the victim of a huge flood of the Cumberland River that covered most of the park and was sixteen feet deep in some locations. The opening of the park is delayed one month and some animals in the zoo are killed by the flood.
Opryland became very successful during the mid-1970s, and in the 1977 season the park attracted nearly 2 million guests each year, dominantly from Tennessee and adjacent states. The park also leverages the continued appeal of Opry's own show for South and Western country music fans elsewhere, who often take their families for a few days' vacation in Nashville. The nearest amusement park that can be compared to Opryland is four to six hours away, in places like Cincinnati (Kings Island), St. Louis (Six Flags above Mid-America), and Atlanta (Six Flags Over Georgia). Presence continued to climb to the 1980s.
In 1977, the Opryland Hotel (now called Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center), a large resort-style hotel, was built next to the park, and has expanded several times to become the world's largest hotel unaffiliated with the casino.
In 1979, Opryland added the Roy Acuff Theater, named after the traditional singer and pillar of his beloved country Opry, adjacent to the Grand Ole Opry House in the Plaza area. It's mainly used for the main music production of amusement parks. Since the theater is placed outside the park gate, tickets to the amusement park are not required to attend shows at Acuff. However, shows in this place usually require separate purchased tickets. It also allows the general public to attend shows at Acuff without having to pay park admission, like the Opry itself.
Ownership change
Beginning in 1980, Houston-based insurance company American General began purchasing the NLT stock block, which eventually became NLT's largest shareholder and set the stage for a direct takeover. However, the American General was not interested in NLT's non-life insurance business and chose to sell the WSM division, including WSM-AM-FM-TV, The Nashville Network, Grand Ole Opry, then -decrepit Ryman Auditorium, Opryland Hotel, and Opryland USA. Unable to acquire television and radio assets due to restrictions on FCC ownership at the time, the American General influenced NLT to sell WSM-TV to Gillett Broadcasting (operated by George N. Gillett Jr.), who bought the station at 3 November 1981 and changed station call alert to WSMV (officially changed to WSMV-TV on July 15, 1982).
In 1982, the takeover was completed and American General began to approach companies such as MCA, Marriott Corporation and Anheuser-Busch about the possible sale of the rest of WSM, Inc. While many companies show interest in one asset, such as their own amusement park or radio station, no one wants to buy the whole complex. The American General began to feel that the only way to sell WSM, Inc. is to break it into a separate entity.
All of a sudden, Gaylord Broadcasting Company from Oklahoma City stepped in and purchased the entire package in September 1983 for US $ 250,000,000 (equivalent to $ 614,266,622 in 2017). After purchase, the company name was changed to Gaylord Entertainment Company. Ed Gaylord, who was then in control of Gaylord Entertainment, is a big fan of Opry and is considering a decision to buy Opryland.
Also included in Gaylord's acquisition of Opryland assets is the WSM cable network, The Nashville Network (TNN) and its production arm, Opryland Productions. TNN became a network of television entirely dedicated to country music. For years, offices and production facilities were on location in Opryland, and evening variety shows (originally Nashville Now , then Music City Tonight and Prime Time Country ) is broadcast live from the Gaslight Theater inside the park itself. The theme park is often featured on the network as a concert venue for country music stars.
1980s - 1990s
In 1982, Opryland expanded its footsteps for the second and last time. The new area, entitled "Grizzly Country", was built at the extreme north end of the park to accommodate the Grizzly River Rampage, a river rafting. The journey was originally promoted by a band called Grizzly River Boys, later known as the Tennessee River Boys, which were originally intended to promote the park on a one-off special television, but became quite popular so they became a permanent tourist attraction in the park. for several years. The band's original membership included Ty Herndon, and after several personnel changes, grew into a Diamond Rio band.
In 1984, Opryland added a third roller coaster, "The Screamin 'Delta Demon" (an Intamin roller coaster sled), in the New Orleans area of ​​the park. The project also includes adding a second (though smooth) garden gate adjacent to the parking lot.
In the mid-1980s, "Trickets" (a three-day entry ticket for one price) was introduced and a large number of season tickets were sold to residents of the Nashville area.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, two new contenders for Opryland would emerge: the Kentucky Empire in Louisville, Kentucky, and Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (which had recently been changed and expanded from the previous incarnation as "The City of Dollars Silver"). These two parks grew into destinations, contributing in part to the decrease in Opryland's presence. Partly in response to the competition, and to attract out-of-town guests to come, package deals including rooms in hotels, tickets to Opryland, and entrance tickets to the Grand Ole Opry are developed and marketed throughout the region.
Annual changes are made to the park to continue to attract local residents of Nashvillians as well as visitors from out of town. Great attractions like General Jackson Showboat, new roller coasters, and water rides were installed every two years until 1989, with the opening of the "Chaos" roller coaster. The next (and last) great attraction to open was the roller coaster "The Hangman" in 1995.
In 1992, the Chevrolet-Geo Celebrity Theater (renamed the Chevrolet Theater in 1997, after the closing of General Motors of the Geo brand) was built on the site of the former Jukebox and Flip-Side Theaters. With the construction of a new place in the park, Opryland began pulling top country music action for an evening concert, including in the park admission price. In 1994, Opryland began to raise fees for concerts and added two venues (Theater By The Lake and Roy Acuff Theater) to the series, charging them as "Nashville On Stage". As part of this, the Chevrolet-Geo Theater and Theater By The Lake are expanded and partially closed. Alabama, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Tanya Tucker, and The Oak Ridge Boys took residency in the park during the summer of 1994, occupied the Chevrolet-Geo Celebrity Theater and Theater By The Lake, while the conventional concert series, featuring traveling artists, moved to Theater Roy Acuff. During the day, the Roy Acuff Theater also hosts a live version of "Hee Haw" based on a long-running TV series. After the lackluster ticket sales, the multi-venue series was significantly reduced after 1994. In the last season of Opryland in 1997, only the Chevrolet Theater held a concert.
During the summer of 1993, popular game Mark Goodson Family Feud traveled to Opryland and recorded a few weeks of episodes at the Chevrolet-Geo Celebrity Theater, which opened the sixth and last season with Ray Combs as the host. This syndicated episode began airing in September and featured some of the brightest country music stars including Porter Wagoner, Boxcar Willie, Charley Pride, Brenda Lee, Mandrells and Statler Brothers, and at least a week from regular Nashville families playing against each other. other. By 2017, it remains the only time in the history of the old series whose episodes have been recorded outside of his home studio.
Also, beginning in the early 1990s and continuing through the end of the season, as a nod to TNN's NASCAR coverage, as well as the official appointment of Opryland with NASCAR, the annual TNN Salute to Motorsports event will take place over a one-week period. This includes many motorsports exhibits as well as meet-and-greet with racing personalities.
In 1994, Gaylord Entertainment invested heavily in the revival of entertainment district in downtown Nashville. The company transformed Second Avenue's old buildings into the Wildhorse Saloon, renovated and reopened the Ryman Auditorium as the premier concert and theater venue, and began providing water taxi services along the Cumberland River between the docks adjacent to the amusement park and the downtown dock.. As part of this, the official name of the amusement park is changed to "Opryland Themepark". The name "Opryland USA" is then designated as the name of the destination, to cover all Gaylord Entertainment properties in Nashville.
In September 1995 and September 1996, the Grizzly Rampage River was used as a course for the Whitewater NationsBank Championship, which (in 1995 alone) served as a qualifier for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Following the event (as well as 1997), the course was drained and the temporary Halloween attraction - "Quarantine", tied into the indoor roller coaster's "Chaos" storyline - was built in his bed.
In 1996, a third park gate was added near "Chaos", which allowed pedestrian traffic between Opryland Hotel and Opryland Themepark for the first time. Previously, hotel guests who wanted to visit the amusement park would be pacing between the two on the bus.
Shuttering and demolition
From the beginning, Opryland was severely disabled by its location. The park is located on an area of ​​nearly triangle with the Cumberland River on one side, and Briley Parkway on the other. Opryland Hotel was built in 1977 at the foot of the third and shortest triangle. It not only exposes the park to the occasional flood, but also inhibits its ability to expand including new attractions when consumer preferences change. Opryland was forced to remove the old tourist attraction to add new ones, as did the Raft Ride in 1986 for Old Mill Scream, and Tin Lizzies in 1994 for The Hangman. In 1993, Gaylord Entertainment started the largest construction project ever in the history of Nashville at the time: Delta. The project, which opened in 1996, adds a huge new atrium, more than 1,000 rooms, and a new convention complex to Opryland Hotel. By this time, Opryland has grown to 200 hectares (0.81 km 2 ) in size. However, the Delta project ties all the remaining land adjacent to the park, so there is nowhere else to grow.
In addition, the Nashville climate makes year-round operations almost impossible; season is largely limited to the weekend in late fall and early spring and every day in the summer. Seasonal workers become hard to find, and Gaylord finds himself with a labor shortage. The presence was stable throughout the first half of the 1990s. In 1997, Gaylord's management, in an effort to refocus on its core hotel business, decided that the Opryland property would no longer create the same desired rate of return for its properties and it was not possible to re-do it. Management decided the amusement park should be replaced by a property that makes use of the site year-round.
Rumors began to emerge during the summer of 1997 that Gaylord was considering selling or destroying the amusement park. The decision to close the park and replace it with a shopping mall named Opry Mills was announced in November, about a week after the end of the regular season of the park.
The 1997 "Christmas in the Garden" season was billed as a "last chance" for the Nashvillians to see Opryland, though only a fraction of the park is open for the season, and many of the larger attractions have been unloaded. The park closed permanently on December 31, 1997. In early 1998, the remaining goods, nameplate, and garden supplies were offered to the public in the sale of parking tents.
The fifth roller coaster and many other great attractions are sold to Premier Parks. The Hangman was moved immediately to Marine World in Northern California, where he was known as Kong. The rest of the attractions were moved to a field near Indianapolis, Indiana, where the company was set up to revive an inactive Old Indiana Amusement Park. The plan was immediately removed when Premier Parks purchased Six Flags and adopted its company name. Pieces of Opryland rusted attractions in the Indiana field until 2002, when the site was sold. In 2006, the site was opened, and now is farmland. Several flat rides are sold for scrap metal, while the fate of many of the larger attractions is still unknown. However, in 2003, The Rock n 'Roller Coaster was reassembled at Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury, New York, where it was known as Canyon Blaster. One of the Wabash Cannonball cars also appeared in a park in Belgium as part of the Halloween screen.
The Opryland Themepark site was cleared and opened into a parking lot for Opry Mills and Grand Ole Opry House in July 1999, while mall construction took place primarily in thematic parking lots.
Post-demolition
Opry Mills opened May 12, 2000, under the ownership of Mills Corporation (later acquired by Simon Property Group). Gaylord Entertainment initially owned a minority stake in a new shopping center, but later divested. When arrangements for the future of the Opryland property were published in 1997, Gaylord announced its intention to build a new entrance to Grand Ole Opry House with shops and restaurants, as well as public marinas and entertainment complexes at Cumberland Landing (General Jackson port). However, this plan was abandoned because Gaylord is less focused on entertainment and more on hospitality assets.
The long, long concrete wall of the dike that separates the New Orleans, Riverside, and State Fair areas of the Cumberland River is still part of the mall's yard, and visitors entering the mall property from the McGavock Pike entrance can still see the remains of the once enormous dike embankment railroad tracks the park's short lanes.
The Southern Living Cumberland River Cottage became a training center for hotel employees (Gaylord University), and was moved intact to the site of the former Chaos until it was demolished in 2010. The large administration building that briefly sits outside the park gate becomes the office of the Jackson River General River and the City River Music, and moved intact to a location near the Cumberland landing dock.
Most of the Opry Plaza area remains untouched and open for business. The Grand Ole Opry House, the Roy Acuff Theater (later renamed BellSouth Acuff Theater), and the Grand Ole Opry Museum remained in constant use throughout and after the demolition of the park. The buildings that once hosted the museum of Roy Acuff and Minnie Pearl eventually became the WSM radio administration office. Gaslight Theater becomes home to the annual ICE Gaylord Opryland! exhibits, and is used as a rental facility for television production, banquets, and other events. It was the only remaining building standing that once occupied a gated amusement park.
Although much of the hardware has been removed, the riding of the Grizzly Rampage River rafting is seen along the path between Opry Mills and Gaylord Opryland for fourteen years after it entertains his last guests. In the fall of 2011, Gaylord Entertainment built a new event center specifically designed to hold an annual "ICE!" Event. Annual. exhibits nearby, cleaning the old Grizzly River Rampage site in the process. Until November 2011, all the rest of the amusement parks that are recognizable have been lost.
In 2004, The Tennessean published a statement by Gaylord Entertainment claiming that the company's executives do not currently find evidence that management had previously had a business plan for Opryland, let alone a strategic analysis that led to the closure, and that no compelling reason was found for park closures. Most of the Opryland-era executives left Gaylord Entertainment early in the decade when it focused itself back on being a more hospitality-oriented company. In 2012, Gaylord CEO Colin Reed called the Opryland closure a "bad idea," and said he spent most of his first year in Gaylord fielding complaints about it (he arrived at the company in 2001, more than three years after the park was demolished).
On January 19, 2012, Gaylord Entertainment announced plans to open a new theme park in Nashville near the previous Opryland location. The plan calls for a park that can be used almost all year long, as a water park in summer parks and snow in the winter. Planned to become a joint venture with Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment (owner/operator Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee) and is expected to open in 2014, but Parton and Herschend withdrew from the plan a few months later, citing Gaylord's decision to sell the rights to operates his hotel chain to Marriott International as an excuse to get out. As a result of the collapse of the joint venture, the project was canceled.
When the company transitions into a real estate investment trust in 2012, Gaylord Entertainment is renamed Ryman Hospitality Properties.
Tennessee 2010 flood
The Opryland site was flooded in early May 2010, after two days of heavy rain in the Nashville area causing the Cumberland River to overflow its banks.
The flood itself did not destroy any building on the Gaylord property, but every building on the site was badly damaged by the flood. Buildings destroyed - instead of repaired - after floods include Roy Acuff Theater, Gaslight Theater, the Gaylord University building, the WSM administration building (former Minnie Pearl museum and Roy Acuff), and the former Opryland Hospitality Center.
Gaylord Opryland, Grand Ole Opry House and General Jackson were closed for several months and all reopened at the end of 2010. The Grand Ole Opry Museum remained closed, though the building was undergoing improvements after the flood. The fate of its contents is unknown. Opry Mills is entangled in a legal battle over flood insurance payments (which, in March 2015, are in progress), halted flood overhaul for several months, and is fully reopened on March 29, 2012.
Starting July 2016, Grand Ole Opry House, former home of Roy Acuff, and the building that used to be the Grand Ole Opry Museum is the only park-themed park structure left on the property. The Cumberland landing site was moved from the playground gate to the riverbank after the demolition of the park. It was emptied after the flood and remained unused, but still standing.
Maps Opryland USA
Garden Area
Opryland contains nine themed areas, most of which feature motifs that center on different types of American music.
Opry Plaza
Opry Plaza serves as the main entrance and exit for Opryland, and contains three main gates of the park. The majority of Opry Plaza sits outside the gates, which means it is accessible to guests with or without park tickets. It has an antebellum-inspired architectural theme, and features music from a member of the Grand Ole Opry playing on the speakers. The center is the Grand Ole Opry House. Opry Plaza has no attractions, but is home to park ticket counters, as well as Roy Acuff Theater, Grand Ole Opry Museum, Opryland Employee Center, Southern Living Cumberland River Cottage, WSM-FM studios and Gaslight/TNN Studio Theater. Opry Plaza is connected to Hill Country, Doo Wah Diddy City, and parking lot.
During and after the demolition of the park, some Opry Plaza remains undisturbed and open for business. Today, it continues to serve as the area around the Grand Ole Opry House, although many of the remaining buildings were destroyed after the 2010 Tennessee floods.
Hill Country
Hill Country themed bluegrass music and designed to resemble the Appalachia region of the United States. It displays Country of Martin Guitars & amp; Bluegrass Theater. The main attraction of Hill Country is the Dulcimer Splash log ride (originally called Flume Zoom). The Grinder's Switch Train Station (named for real life rail switch representing the fictitious hometown Grand Ole Opry star Minnie Pearl) is also located in this area, providing a round-trip service to El Paso Train Station in the Western Area of ​​America. Hill Country is connected to the Opry Plaza and New Orleans Area.
New Orleans Region
The New Orleans Area is a jazz theme. Buildings in the area resemble the architecture in the French Quarter area of ​​New Orleans, Louisiana. It contains New Orleans Bandstand, which features live jazz performances throughout the day, and often hosts comedy music shows featuring Opry star Mike Snider. The Roller coaster Delta Demon of Screamin added to the New Orleans Area in 1984, extending the theme to include the Mississippi River Delta. A new park gate was built adjacent to the Devil, but it was not promoted clearly. One of the two Skyride stations located in the New Orleans Area, offers one-way service to Doo Wah Diddy City. The New Orleans area is connected to the State Hill, Riverside Area, and parking lot.
Riverside Area
The Riverside Area has no particular musical or architectural theme, and is named for limiting the Cumberland River, although the riverbanks are not clearly defined. It was home to the American Music Theater, the only indoor spot in the enclosed park. The American Music Theater is home to "I Hear America Singing," changed to "For Me And My Gal" in 1982, then "The Big Broadcast," and "And The Winner..." In the coming years "For Me And My Gal "is revived in this place. The Opryland Carousel is located in Riverside, as well as the Kids' Club of K.C., one of two garden attractions devoted exclusively to children. Before the introduction of K.C. character, the children's area has been sponsored by General Mills, with attractions featuring cartoon characters from different brands of cereals. Riverside Area is connected to the New Orleans Area and the American West Area.
Western Area America
The West American area celebrates American borders and features Western music. In the late 1970s and early 1980s a theater in the form of showboats held live performances with music from (or in style) in the 1890s - 1900s. In 1983 the theater façade was changed and inhabited "Sing Tennessee" - a show version produced by Opryland for the 1982 World Exposition in Knoxville. In the mid-1980s the theater was again transformed into Durango Theater, home to the long-running production of "Way Out West" music. Tin Lizzie's antique car trip was here until 1994, when it was replaced by the reversed The Hangman roller coaster, the last major attraction to be installed in Opryland. The West American Area also has El Paso Train Station, which provides a round-trip service to Grinder's Switch Train Station in Hill Country. The West American area serves as the center for the park, as its central location allows it to connect to Riverside Area, Lakeside Area, and Doo Wah Diddy City near the intersection with the Grizzly Country.
Lakeside Area
The Lakeside Area celebrates modern country music, and is home to Theater By The Lake, the host for long-running "Country Music USA" music production. It clearly featured an artificial lake, originally housed at Raft Ride, until it was replaced by Old Mill Scream in 1987. The Barnstormer plane ride was by the lake. It also serves as a home for the others of two Kids' Club areas, which in recent years, centered on Professor U.B. Sharp, a character that teaches music to children. Skycoaster was moved here from the State Fair in 1997, in an effort to increase passengers. Lakeside Area is connected to the State Fair and the American West Area.
State Fair
The State Fair area was added to the park in 1975 (replacing the buffalo exhibit) and is themed resembling the middle in a typical country exhibit, with its main attraction being the Wabash Cannonball roller coaster. Also located in this area are Zoo Gardens, Country Bumpkin Bump Cars, Tennessee Waltz swing ride, and large carnival-style games. The State Fair also contains picnic pavilions, usually closed to the public, designed to host events for large groups visiting the park. The State Fair is connected to the Lakeside Area and Grizzly Country.
Grizzly Country
Grizzly Country was Opryland's last major expansion project, in 1982. It was built primarily to house rafts of the Grizzly River Rampage river. Chaos, an indoor roller coaster, installed in Grizzly Country in 1989. For a while in the 1980s, Grizzly Country was home to Mrs Winner's Chicken & The location of biscuits. Grizzly Country is connected to State Fair and Doo Wah Diddy City near its intersection with the American West Area, and in the last two seasons of the park, it has a gateway that allows for pedestrian traffic to-and-from the Opryland Hotel.
Doo Wah Diddy City
Doo Wah Diddy City, while the original part of the park, was not given the theme until the late 1970s. Although its name implies doo-wop, this area celebrates pop and rock and roll music, beginning with their origins in the 1950s. It is home to a Little Deuce Coupe-style tea cup ride, Rock 'n Roller Coaster (originally called Timber Topper), and a Skyride station offering one-way services to the New Orleans Area. This section features a two-sided theater called Jukebox and Flip Side, which was removed in 1992 to pave the way for the new Opryland center, the Chevrolet-Geo Celebrity Theater. The town of Doo Wah Diddy is connected to Opry Plaza, West American Area, and Grizzly Country.
Primary Production
Famous rides
See also
- WSM-AM
- Grand Ole Opry
- Opryland Hotel
- The Nashville (TNN) Network
- General Jackson (river boat)
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Opry Mills
![Opryland USA Reborn! [RCT3] - Theme Park Review](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vgxx_PdIyqtBTMvbwgYD-cEUxg99zP09Z7hvyggDznY1NULqwI95W1xCTbifpOrTF5ib_93bn7MRmh7RrUZ1pWNEyDDcvXvtRIJFf8oYK-34MpsEUwXb0lCUQNGW3--HjVYHY_tsvR=s0-d "Opryland USA Reborn! [RCT3] - Theme Park Review")
References
External links
- ThrillHunter - a site devoted to preserving the history of Opryland USA
- Opryland USA in DataBase's Roller Coaster
- Memories from Opryland Yahoo! Group
- Opryland USA Timeline
- Images & amp; Video of Opryland USA Theme Park
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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